El Nazar Church. Yes, they've hollowed out a "fairy chimney" and converted it into a church replete with frescoes inside.
T plus 131 - Cappadocia, Turkey
Let's get one thing out of the way. Cappadocia is everything they say it is and more. There is enough here to keep one occupied for a week, but unfortunately I only had two days, so everything got a bit compressed. I did, however, have a car, so that was a major convenience factor - highly recommended for anyone short on time in this place.
It's probably easiest to introduce Cappadocia with photos, because it's impossible to do justice to the surreal scenes here with mere words. Short note on how the cone-like "fairy chimneys" i.e. unique rock formations were formed: Volcanic activity millions of years ago deposited layers of ash (of varying hardness and density) all over the region here. The weathering effects of wind and water over the next million-over years chiseled away at the softer layers, leaving behind the "columns" which we see today.
Some photos from my walkabouts and drive-abouts:
Let's get one thing out of the way. Cappadocia is everything they say it is and more. There is enough here to keep one occupied for a week, but unfortunately I only had two days, so everything got a bit compressed. I did, however, have a car, so that was a major convenience factor - highly recommended for anyone short on time in this place.
It's probably easiest to introduce Cappadocia with photos, because it's impossible to do justice to the surreal scenes here with mere words. Short note on how the cone-like "fairy chimneys" i.e. unique rock formations were formed: Volcanic activity millions of years ago deposited layers of ash (of varying hardness and density) all over the region here. The weathering effects of wind and water over the next million-over years chiseled away at the softer layers, leaving behind the "columns" which we see today.
Some photos from my walkabouts and drive-abouts:
Interior of the El Nazar "cave church" in the first pic. Churches like these are scattered all over Goreme and the small towns in the Cappadocia region. It's truly delightful to discover one hidden gem after another while taking a slow drive on a lazy afternoon.
Views of Pigeon Valley and its surroundings from Uchisar Castle (on top of the hill of the last pic).
See how caves are carved directly into the rock face?
See how caves are carved directly into the rock face?
Rock formations in the little valley town of Goreme in the late afternoon.
The err... rock formations of Zelve. Talk about phallic symbols.
The famous "mushrooms" of Urgup.
The stunningly scenic Ihlara Valley (top pic) and its collection of stone houses and Byzantine cave churches and monasteries. The last three pics show the interior of the Ala Church, and the ancient apparatus of Bezirhane. I believe the "corkscrew" like device is a gigantic press - perhaps used to extract oil from seeds. The bottom pic is of an enormous mill, used to grind grain. The millstone is the big "disc" of stone on the left.
The pretty riverside town of Avanos and its feathered residents.
The underground city of Mazi and its many spooky chambers.
Goreme Village at Sunset, with Uchisar Village lit up in the background.
And now for the pretty balloon pictures. No further explanation required. Enjoy!
Getting ready for take-off. 5.30am.
Floating off into the sunrise...
At first there was one...
Then there were many...
Then there were millions.
Here are a few arty-balloon-silhouette against the sun photos. I like the last two very much.
A safe and soft touchdown. Well done Mr. Pilot.