Cappadocia

It is difficult to describe the natural beauty of Cappadocia. But I’ll still try to put in words what I felt when I first saw it. Imagine a stark, rocky landscape, no trees, surrounded by mountains, bare and austere. Now, you have sharp outcrops of rocks, called fairy chimneys, standing out like the fossilized bones of some mythical monster. It feels as though you are no longer in our mundane world, but rather in some long forgotten fantasy land. At any time, you wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a dragon flying high above in the sky or a princess riding a unicorn in the distance.

The other thing to see here are the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu. A word of caution, if you have claustrophobia, these are not the best places to be in. These are underground dwellings, carved out by an ancient race, and used by a multitude of people over the ages, some fairly recently, to hide from enemies and to seek shelter. They consist of narrow, winding tunnels that extend for miles underground and go down several levels. Often they open into large chambers, possibly used as communal gathering places. It is breathtaking, how so many millennia back, people could have built this with the primitive tools at their disposal, and it has stood the test of time.

Finally, the city of Urgup is a great place to spend a couple of days. There are several cafes, pubs, bars, discos, restaurants to entertain a traveller. You can head out for a night of enjoyment with friends and return in the wee hours of the morning, followed by a pack of large mountain dogs, who appear scary, but are fairly polite once you get to know them. I’d strongly recommend staying in a cave hotel, as that’s something truly unique to this place. A popular souvenir from here is a Roman styled amphora – a circular wine jar, with a curved handle and spout. When you go out with tour companies or a guide (which is pretty much essential, to see the place), they will invariably take you to a pottery workshop, likely located within a cave, for the authentic feel. Do NOT buy the amphora from the workshop. They are highly overpriced. Wait till you are back in the city, go to a store and you can get the same at half price.