Cappadocia

Located 200 km southeast of the city of Ankara, Cappadocia is one of the most visited and exciting destinations in Turkey. Cappadocia occupies the region between the Black Sea in the north and the Taurus Mountains, between the capital Ankara and the city of Malatya to the east. Famous for its spectacular natural rock formations and valleys, Goreme National Park, spotted with underground cities, stone chapels, monasteries and dwellings that were hewn out of the weirdly eroded volcanic rock from as long ago as 400 BC.

This is a region of exceptional natural wonders characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage. About 10 million years ago the Cappadocia valley was filed with volcanic ashes from the nearby Erciyes volcanic mountain. Now when visit Cappadocia, you will see white rocks as if they are covered by real snow. This effect is caused by white ashes called tuffs eroded by rain, wind and rivers in the period of 10 million years. In fact, Cappadocia was a hiding place for early Christians during 100 AD. In the area, there are about 2000 very small churches dug underground in which 20 people can enter at the same time at the most. If you intend to look at the whole area you probably will need at least 5 days to do that. During the summer usually there are several hot air balloons in the area that serve the tourists. Thus they can enjoy the beauty of the whole area from above and take pictures.