TURKEY'S MAGICAL HIDEAWAYS
May 22 - June 7, 2009
Page Six
Cappadocia Area - Central Turkey
We flew from Istanbul to Kayseri in central Turkey and started a drive in a minibus to the Cappadocia
region. On the way, we had a home hosted lunch at 2 farm houses in the the farm village of Ilicek.
This woman, shown in her kitchen, was our hostess. We were served lentil soup, tomatoes & cucumbers,
chicken and meatballs, rice, potatoes, and had a semolina wheat pastry with walnuts and tea for dessert.
In front of the farm house with the hostess and 2 helpers. Note the solar power device on the roof for
hot water, the satellite dish, and the tiled roof, all very common parts of a home. We took our shoes off before
entering homes. When farmers have down time, like in the winter, there's not a lot to do, so TV is a big part
of their entertainment. Also, men often sit around drinking tea and solving problems of the world both in rural
and urban areas .
The Mayor of Ilicek's grandchild
View from our hotel in the Cappadocian town of Uchisar showing the Uchisar Castle.
The predominant earth surface of the Cappadocia area is white volcanic rock called tufa.
Centuries of erosion have shaped the soft tufa into rhythmic flow patterns and tall cones and columns.
In ancient times, early Christians used hand tools to hollow out thousands of the tufa formations to create cave-like homes.
A few are still in use today and stay cool in the hot summer weather. Others are barns, stables, or dovecotes.
The area has over 600 Christian churches carved into the rock, some dating to the 3rd century AD.
The highest peak in the region and the most prominent land formation is the Üçhisar Castle. You can climb up the 120
steps to the summit of the fortress. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Byzantine army took advantage
of the natural elevation of three of the area's rock formations and used them as natural fortresses. Üçhisar, one of the
three, helped provide the means for an early warning system using mirrors and lights, sending messages among
the fortresses and as far away as Istanbul. Today the outer layers of Üçhisar's rock have been washed
away by erosion to reveal a honeycombed structure of tunnels and cavities.
A cave home that is still lived in
Turkish Viagra Market at the base of Uchisar Castle. Actually what they are selling is dried fruits & nuts.
I don't know if the purchaser here thinks he's getting Turkish viagra that will work wonders.
View of some of the surrounding landscape from the summit of Uchisar Castle.
Traveling companion Heather on the summit of Uchisar Castle
Pat on the summit of Uchisar Castle
Link to Page 7 - Cappadocia continued
Link to Page One of Turkey- Istanbul
Pat's Home Page
