Cappadociya Blog

https://www.britannica.com/place/Cappadocia

Cappadocia | History, Location, & Facts Cappadocia, ancient district in east-central Anatolia, situated on the rugged plateau north of the Ta**us Mountains, in the center of present-day Turkey. Cappadocia’s landscape includes dramatic expanses of soft volcanic rock, shaped by erosion into towers, cones, valleys, and caves.

About 60 million years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions disrupted the landscape of central Anatolia.

The result of the volcanic eruption led to magical rock formations. They are known as Cappadocia fairies or Cotton Castles. Constant wind and water erosion polished the soft rocks.

These rocks were formed after thick ash solidified into tuffs. They turned into fairylike chimneys that stand at about 130 feet high.

The shapes of these rocks may change in the next century since wind and water slowly erodes them.

3. There are cities underground Cappadocia

Photo by Klaus-Peter Simon – Wikimedia

Below the surface of the fairy chimneys is an entire underground city. The city is connected by a network of tunnels and was used as a settlement.

Christians used the underground city as a refuge from Romans. There are about 200 churches underground that are of great historical significance.

The builders were able to carve out tunnels because the rocks are malleable. Many of the cities are open to visitors.

Cappadocia was once an ancient district in east-central Anatolia. It is located along the rocky plateau in the centre of present-day Turkey.

The landscape of the place has dramatic stretches of soft volcanic rocks. The shapes of these rocks were a result of constant wind erosion. This has resulted in towers, cones, valleys and caves.

Some churches were carved from the rocks, underground cities and tunnels. These structures date back to the Byzantine and Islamic eras.

It was formerly occupied by the Hittite Empire that saw the rise of Christian philosophers.

Cappadocia has served as a backdrop for fascinating rich history. It remains to be a popular attraction in Turkey. A popular activity here is taking a hot air balloon.

Here are ten interesting facts you might want to know about the Cappadocia.

1. The name Cappadocia dates back to the 6th century

Photo by Zeynel Cebeci – Wikimedia

This name has been used since the late 6th century BC. The first record of this name was by kings, Darius I and Xerxes. It was one of the countries that made up the Persian empire.

The locals called it Katpatuka, a name from the Luwian language meaning low country. It was also known as the land of good horses by Iranians.

Persian and Assyrian Kings would receive gifts and tributes of horses. The horses were part of the taxes paid to the Persian government.

Horses are still valued by the locals to date. It is also used as a mode of transport by visitors.

Neolithic pottery and tools found in Cappadocia attest to an early human presence in the region. Excavations at the modern town of Kültepe have uncovered the remains of the Hittite-Assyrian city of Kanesh, dating from the 3rd millennium BCE. The tens of thousands of clay tablets recovered from the remains of an Assyrian merchant colony at Kanesh are among the oldest written documents discovered in Turkey.

Stone formations and cave city in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Stone formations and cave city in Cappadocia, Turkey.
© Galyna Andrushko/Fotolia
The earliest appearance of the name of Cappadocia dates from the 6th century BCE, when Cappadocia’s feudal nobility was dominated by a Persian satrapy and Zoroastrian temple cults were widespread. Because of its rugged terrain and modest agricultural output, the area remained underdeveloped in antiquity, with only a few significant cities.

Cappadocia, ancient district in east-central Anatolia, situated on the rugged plateau north of the Ta**us Mountains, in the centre of present-day Turkey. The boundaries of the region have varied throughout history. Cappadocia’s landscape includes dramatic expanses of soft volcanic rock, shaped by erosion into towers, cones, valleys, and caves. Rock-cut churches and underground tunnel complexes from the Byzantine and Islamic eras are scattered throughout the countryside.

The village of Göreme serves as the region’s main tourist centre and is also one of the few Cappadocian settlements still inhabited today. Christians gave the town of Göreme its name meaning ‘you cannot see here’, as they hid in the area during the Arab invasion.

8. The Göreme Open-Air Museum encompasses the best known religious complexes in the area. Alongside the other rock sites of Cappadocia, it was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

9. Music concerts are often held in the surrounding cave buildings of Cappadocia, including the week-long Cappadocia Music Festival which showcases choirs and orchestras.

10. The region of Cappadocia is a large grape producer and it’s believed that wine-making has a long history here. There’s a number of wine-tasting shops where visitors can sample the goods and in recent years wines from the region have won international awards.

Discover Cappadocia for yourself on one of our Turkey tours or let us know if you have any more interesting facts in the comments section below.

Famous for its unique rock formations and amazing hot air ballooning opportunities, the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia are one of Turkey’s most popular natural wonders. Unusual honeycombed boulders rise from the plateau of Central Anatolia and have, over the centuries, served as the backdrop for a history equally as fascinating. The region was once the heartland of the Hittite Empire and later gave rise to some of Christianity’s earliest philosophers. Cappadocia is now a prime tourist destination with plenty of interesting facts to discover. Here’s ten of the best.

10 Interesting Facts About Cappadocia - hot air ballooning

1. Three to four million years ago a series of volcanic eruptions shook the Central Anatolian area, forming what we now know as the Cappadocia fairies or ‘Cotton Castles’.

2. Cappadocia’s landscape was formed by volcanic erosion. Thick ash solidified into a soft rock, called tuff, and over time the tuff rocks eroded with wind and water, creating the iconic fairy chimneys we see today.

3. Cappadocia spans a distance of 5,000 kilometres and sits on an altitude of over 1,000 metres, cutting through three Anatolian provinces – Nevsehir, Keyseri and Nigde.

4. The name Cappadocia derives from the Persian word Katpaktukya, which means ‘the land of beautiful horses’ for in ancient times the region was known for its equine offering. Horses are still important to the locals who call Cappadocia home and they also offer an alternative mode of transport for visitors.

5. There are a number of underground cities in Cappadocia, some connected by a network of tunnels. These subterranean settlements were made possible thanks to the pliability of the soft rock. Many are open to visitors, however, a lot of the land in the area is private property.

6. There are as many as 600 churches carved from the soft Cappadocian rock, and possibly many more that have not yet been discovered. These churches date back to Medieval times and display beautiful painted frescoes, which have retained an amazing amount of colour and detail over the centuries though some painted figures have had their eyes scratched out by superstitious locals afraid of the Evil Eye.