CAPPADOCIA, Sept 20 — If ethereal beings roam the earth, there is little doubt among those who have visited Cappadocia that the region on the Asian side of Turkey is where they would call home. It’s the kind of place that elicits wonder and awe from even the most well-travelled among us, but not for shiny, uber-modern architecture or imposing man-made landmarks.
Rather, what Cappadocia offers in spades were all created by Nature and perfected by time. Like a scene out of the most surreal fairy tale, this Central Anatolian region on the Asian side of Turkey mesmerises all who set sights on its whimsical rock formations. Rising from relatively flat ground and scattered across its sandy terrains are rocky cliffs, stone towers and conical hills — except they are neither your average geological formations nor do they appear in the shapes that we are accustomed to seeing. In Pasabag, for example, humongous “mushrooms” stand among gigantic “cats” and other animals.
Far from ordinary, Cappadocia’s landscape is a riot of whimsical silhouettes and quirky structures that look like they were either rolled out from an experimental baking lab or are the escaped residents of a Stone Age zoo. Known aptly as fairy chimneys for their fantastical features, they are actually a type of rock called tufa, a blend of the ash from three volcanoes. Whipped into shape by the region’s harsh environment, tufa rocks are soft enough to be cut into and for centuries, locals made full use of that natural attribute by carving out caves that they then turned into homes and churches. There was no need for any other construction — nature was their best architect. Inside the caves, temperatures were naturally regulated so that it was always cool in summer and warm in winter.
Troglodytes of a feathered variety also found their habitat in these rocks; looking down across Pigeon Valley, the most striking eye candy are the low-lying ranges formed by hills of cream coloured meringue-like folds that one imagines were patted into form with a giant spatula. The valley’s popular walking trail cuts through the canyons where niches, now empty, had been carved into the side to let the avian creatures nest. They were lured here by the constant supply of grains provided by farmers who would collect their droppings for fertiliser, and stopped coming when the feed dwindled as locals turned to more stable economies in the tourist towns of Goreme and Uchisar.
The latter is where you’ll find the region’s tallest fairy chimney, the eponymous Uchisar Castle — though it was never home to any monarchy but did house quite a few cave dwellings — that sits atop a hill and commands breathtaking views of the area. From its vantage point, the town reveals its buffet of pointy hills that resemble magicians’ hats, all pockmarked with windows and doorways through which humans or pigeons used to venture.
Some years back, worried over rockfalls and the constant assault of wind and water, locals began moving out of their cosy chimney homes and into modern abodes built away from the rocks. The erosion continued as the elements have always done and people soon realised that the fairy chimneys stood up to the test very well, as evidenced by their firm existence till today. Slowly, the cave homes came back into function although more usually as storage spaces while the more enterprising Turks have taken it a few steps beyond. Tourists always clamour for authentic experiences and in Cappadocia, what could be more unique an encounter than to live like locals once did and make their home away from home inside these fairy chimneys?
Cave Man is one such set-up, a slim cone of a cave that is split into six floors and welcomes visitors for a peek — you can look out through the pigeon openings and over Uchisar valley — or to stay. Accommodation is free and your “bed” is the entire floor, blanketed by thick Turkish carpets hand-weaved by local women and sold everywhere. No frills, no creature comforts and no charges but you will have a great story about living as a 21st-century Flinstone to share over many dinners.
While Cave Man is, true to its name, basic in its offering, there are contemporary and more luxurious versions of similar lodgings in the towns. Esbelli Evi was one of the earliest, opened in 1990 and named after the Urgup neighbourhood where it is located. Owner Suha Ersoz first visited Cappadocia as a young chap of 25 and on his second trip eight years later, bought the abandoned cave house that was to be his future inn. He set about, through trial and error, restoring and converting it into a comfortable guest house.
Returning guests will tell you that in spite of the ever-growing and increasingly posh hotels in Cappadocia in recent years, it is still Esbelli that they want to call home when revisiting the area. Esbelli’s appeal lies in its homey ambience and spacious villas, that each has its defining features. The honeymoon-friendly Volcano Stone Cave Suite, for example, contains the entrance to a 16 kilometre-long hidden water tunnel that an adventurous couple would consider romantic.
Even more Indiana Jones-like is the Museum Hotel in Uchisar, which sits atop an underground city that was only discovered during the construction of the boutique property. Believed to be as old as Derinkuyu, the largest subterranean labyrinth of caves and tunnels in the region that’s on every tourist’s must-visit list, the city became part of the attraction and experience at Museum. The 30 above and underground rooms and suites are each appointed differently but all meet the level of luxury that led to their inclusion in the Relais & Chateaux collection, the first hotel in Turkey to be recognised so. Founder and antique collector Omer Tosun dressed the hotel’s common areas with priceless artefacts so that his guests can immerse fully in the experience of residing within a living museum.
The only other historical gallery that provides a more authentic experience would be Goreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic settlement from the Byzantine era that’s an outdoor complex of rock-hewn architecture that functioned as churches, chapels and monasteries. One of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites in Turkey, the highlight is the gorgeous frescoes that adorn the cave ceilings. Remarkably, the ornate Biblical scenes have maintained their rich colours and fine details, thanks simply to the fact that there are little to no windows to let the sun or light in.
Certainly, Nature has shown her might in more ways than one can count the number of hot air balloons that float over the surreal landscape at dawn and dusk, laden with camera-ready tourists. Here, Nature creates and cares in equal measures. The fairy chimneys that have provided shelter and places of worship remain as vestiges of the people’s culture and religion are protected by the same elements that first transformed volcanic ash into the fantastical garden of delights that is Cappadocia.
Follow Vivian Chong’s travel adventures at http://thisbunnyhops.com
