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Cappadocia is the
area of central
Anatolia bounded
by the towns of
Hacıbektaş, Aksaray, Niğde and Kayseri,
it was known as Cappadocia in
ancient times, and is still called Kapadokya informally
today (map).
Cappadocia is
Turkey's most visually striking
region, especially the "moonscape" area
around the towns of Ürgüp, Göreme, Uçhisar, Avanos and Mustafapaşa
(Sinasos), where erosion has
formed caves, clefts, "fairy
chimneys" and sensuous folds
in the soft volcanic rock.
The Bible's New Testament tells
of Cappadocia, but
in fact this part of central
Anatolia has been important since Hittite times,
long before the time of Jesus.
Here's how
to get there from: Istanbul, Selçuk/Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, Ankara.
Here's how to travel between Cappadocia's
airports and your hotel.
Prime
activities here are visiting the
historic painted cave churches of
the many monastic valleys (especially
the Göreme
Valley and Zelve
Valley), flying
in a hot-air
balloon at dawn above
the incredible landscape, hiking the
volcanic valleys (especially the Rose
Valley [Gül
Vadisi]), attending chamber
music concerts, and
spending the night in a comfortable
cave room with all the
modern comforts.
Here's the full
Cappadocian hotel
and restaurant picture.
Although
the volcanic landscape can appear
inhospitable, the mineral-rich
soil is excellent for growing vegetables and fruits,
making Cappadocia a rich agricultural
region. It has always been one of Anatolia's
prime grape-growing areas, and still
boasts many productive vineyards and wineries.
Here's a list
of the towns and major sights of
Cappadocia.
Here's
a list of good Cappadocian
travel agencies that
can arrange guided
tours, car rentals, car-and-driver, flights,
and any other services you may want.
For
an excellent full-day
excursion,
drive to the surprising underground
cities at Derinkuyu and
Kaymaklı and
the formerly Ottoman-Greek
mountain town of Güzelyurt
before taking a hike of several
hours in the Ihlara
Valley. More...
You
may also want to spend a half-day
hiking the less-visited Soğanlı
Valleys of southern
Cappadocia, south of Mustafapaşa.
Another
great excursion is to the Byzantine Iconoclastic rock-hewn
monastery at Eski
Gümüşler near Niğde.
You
can travel
to Cappadocia easily
by bus from
anywhere in Turkey. Here's information
on traveling to Cappadocia from Istanbul,
Izmir/Ephesus, Pamukkale and Ankara,
and here's a region
map. For travel
times and distances, see
the pages for Kayseri, Nevşehir or Ürgüp.
Click
here for maps of Ankara,
Cappadocia & Central Anatolia.
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