A Trip to Kapadokya

[Rindaloo]

Fantastic photos.  I have sent the link to a friend who is interested in going there.  Looking forward to more lovely pikkies and the accompanying narrative.

[Colwyn]

Day 5: Part Three

Back in the mini-bus we went to our next stop just a couple of miles down the valley. The village of Selime is overlooked by a steep cliff. A hard climb until you are high over the village brings you to caves in the cliff itself and in fairy chimneys. The largest of these is known as the "cathedral" but this and the complex of other rock hewn rooms was probably a monastery. A pleasure of visiting Selime is that it is off the main tourist route so that the crowds of Göreme Open-Air Museum are absent.


HIGH ABOVE SELIME



 
ROCK FORMATIONS




THE "CATHEDRAL"




ROOM WITH A VIEW ...




... AND ANOTHER (Mount Hasan in background)




Our last stop for the day was just before Uchisar overlooking Pigeon Valley to visit an onyx factory - from which we excused ourselves have already visited one (11 years earlier). Instead I tried to photograph the rocks changing colour and the pigeons flying home to roost as sunset approached - but without great success. So I took a picture of the nazar boncugu tree. It is amazing to think that all of the tens of thousands of Evil Eye beads sold in Turkey every year come from this single tree. Kapadokya is truly a fertile land.


UÇHISAR AT DUSK




PIGEONS FLYING HOME (bottom right)




NAZAR BONCUGU TREE




Then we were off down the valley to finish the journey. We left the mini-bus with our two travelling chums who had invited us to share a bottle of white wine with them. We sat by their camping van and tent, high over Göreme, discussing the pleasures of a touring camping holiday (I could see Hilary was not convinced) and the politics of Turkey, the EU, and France. As it got dark we said our goodbyes and headed down the road back into town.

Another thoroughly good day.

[Cavfan]

Loved it Colwyn- you should blog!

[pookie]

Wonderful.  thank you, keep them coming.  Fantastic photos, love the evil eye tree in particular !

[Colwyn]

Day 6: Part One

The next day we moved from Göreme to Ürgüp and decided to visit Çvusin on the way. This is another location off the main tourist route with a couple of mini-buses arriving per hour, 20 or so tourists exploring for 20 minutes and then driving off again. The old village, of hundreds of houses, has been abandoned due to collapse (in an earthquake I think). By clambering over the wreckage of the old houses you can get to the top of the cliff (middle of photo) and sidle (carefully) to the outside edge overlooking the plain (left of photo). It is worth the effort. You get to find what is left of the Church of St John the Baptist that was built in the 5th century; probably the oldest in Kapadokya.  Once inside the narrow entranceway you discover a large space decorated with ancient rock paintings. I am standing on the pulpit in an unconvincing attempt to look ministerial.

OLD ÇVUSIN




VIEW FROM ENTRANCE OF ST JOHN'S




INSIDE THE CHURCH




We had decided to do some hiking and we set off up the vally that runs into the hills behind casusin in the direction of Passbagi. The path was not much travelled and some of the going was rather difficult which Hilary found rather alarming as we traversed steep and not very stable sloes of tufa. We reached the top of the valley and decided that was good enough and we returned via the ridge on the other side of the valley that brought us back high over Çvusin where some horse trekkers were passing through.

LOOKING BACK DOWN THE VALLEY (familiar shape of Uçhisar on horizon)




CLIFFS FURTHER AHEAD




BEAUTIFUL HORSES

[Colwyn]

Day 6: Part Two

On the road again, we headed for the Pasabagi. Here the fairy chimneys are different from the Göreme cones. Instead they are mushroom-like. Again one of these was converted into a church.

THE THREE DEGREES




THE FOUR TOPS




CAMEL IN GIANT MUSHROOM FIELD




CHURCH

"Oh dear, I think I am going to lose my head"

"Yeah, been there, done that, got the T-shirt ..."

[Colwyn]

Day 6: Part Three

Soon we off again and heading for Ürgüp. This is much bigger than Göreme, a town of some 15,000 citizens. Our main reason for going there, apart from a change of scenery, was to stay at the Esbelli Evi - one of the most famous inns in Turkey. Since Ürgüp Belediye distains the signposing of hotels we drove around Ürgüp twice before we found the Esbelli right on top of the cliff behind the winery.

Esbelli Evi was the first cave hotel constructed some 20 years ago by renovating a derelict site. Unlike the Kelebek the rooms are excavated from fairy chimneys but dug into the cliff-face. Its proprietor, Süha Ersöz, has decorated these with old Turkish artefacts - http://www.esbelli.com/  At 90 Euro per night (for cash) it is not cheap, but we have never stayed in an hotel like it. Actually it is not so much an hotel as a dozen or so houses that tumble down the cliff and are linked together by tunnels and stairways all grouped around the main and highest building that houses the lounge, kitchen, dining area, and reception. Guests are free to use the kitchen, help themselves to drinks, and there is even a cave laundrette.

OUR ROOM




LIVING IN A CAVE




CAVES COME READY-DECORATED




ALONG PASSAGEWAYS ...




... UP STEPS ...




... TO THE VIEW FROM THE TERRACE




CAVE LAUNDRETTE

[Anne]

fantastic Colwyn, keep them coming

[Colwyn]

Day 7: Part One

Since we hadn't driven very far for a few days we decided to do a round trip of south-eastern Kapadokya. Travelling south we came to Keslik Monastery. This is a splendid place but seldom visited by tourists. Just after we pulled up at the roadside a Turkish couple arrived. We walked together up to the monastery site, paid our 3YTL each and started a tour with the keeper of the site. Five minutes later a French couple arrived. The guide asked if we could speak French. We couldn't. He shrugged and then explained the monastery to us in Turkish, English and French. I am sure if Germans or Russians had turned up he would be able to speak their languages as well.

The monastery has some fine murals that have unfortunately been attacked by graffiti over the centuries. They are also mostly in locations too dark for our cameras (and flash not allowed). Having shown us the frescos with his torch our guide told us to explore the site by ourselves and then when we finished to join him in the garden for a glass of tea. We found a very large refectory - the oblong mass in the centre is a "table".  There was also a little chapel in another part of the complex where the iconoclastic ceiling paintings were is good repair. With no crowds we could really appreciate this interesting place. Then we made our way through the pumpkin garden to take a drink in the shade of the trees. Very pleasant.

MONASTERY COMPLEX




FRESCOS IN THE MONASTERY






REFECTORY






CHAPEL










GRAVES IN CHAPEL

[Rindaloo]

What a terrible shame about the graffiti.  Have you any idea how old the frescos are?

Really enjoying your thread.