Turkey is the size of Texas, and getting around the country means taking long bus rides. After our last overnight bus experience, we said never again… but we ended up taking another one. From Marmaris in the southwest to Goreme in central Turkey, the trip took 12 hours. The region is called Cappadocia, and is known for its unusual landscape, houses and churches carved from rock, and underground cities.
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These are called the fairy chimney, which get its shape from erosion. The lower lighter colored rock is softer and erodes faster than the darker layer on top, leaving you astonished by nature.
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This group of fairy chimneys are referred to as “the family.”
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Although Cappadocia dates as far back as 1800BC, the early Christians between the 4th-11 centuries used the unique landscape to hide from religious persecution. Christianity flourished in this area, as they built clever stone houses and churches both into the mountainside and underground in an effort to conceal themselves from the Romans.
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There are up to 36 underground cities in the region of Cappadocia, many of them yet to be excavated. We went to Derinkuyu and to Kaymakli. Here’s Mike in the underground city of Kaymakli, which goes down 8 stories deep. Standing straight up is not possible in all rooms or passageways.