TURKEY CAPPADOCIA
Beautiful Cappadocia offers visitors a landscape of natural
wonders that seems sprung from a dream.
CAPPADOCIA, meaning the Land of Beautiful Horses in the
Persian language, comprises the provinces of Aksaray , Nevsehir , Nigde,
Kayseri and Kirsehir. Major towns include Uchisar , Avanos , Urgup ,
Derinkuyu,Kaymakli and Ihlara.
Millions of years ago, the volcanoes of Erciyes, Hasandag
and Melendiz mountains erupted and covered Cappadocia with a layer of tuff.
Over millennia, this tuff layer was eroded, producing earth formations that, in
turn, inspired cave art that has carried the imprint of ancient civilization to
our times. The earliest human settlements in Cappadocia date to the Paleolithic
Period and the written history of the region goes back to the Hittites.
Throughout its history, Cappadocia has served as an important trading post and
bridge between the various lands of the Silk Road.
In the Upper Miocene epoch, the volcanoes under the lakes
erupted and spouted lava. The lava formed a plateau , a landscape that smaller
eruptions constantly altered . During the Upper Pliocene epoch, the
Kizzilirmark River, together with lesser streams and lakes, cut deep into the
tuff plateau and the region gradually began to take its present shape.
Wind and rainwater flowing down the sides of valleys eroded
the tuff structure and sculpted the formations known as “fairy chimneys”. The
principle type of “fairy chimney” in Cappadocia is the conical rock structures
topped with a hat, either a cone or a mushroom shaped cap.
The cultures of the Prehistoric Period of Cappadocia can
best be seen in the following formations: Kosk Mound in Nigde, Asikli Mound in
Aksaray and Civelek Cave in Nevsehiir. The human settlement in Cappadocia began
during the Prehistoric Period and the era of Assyrian Civilization in the
region began during the Early Bronze Age. Trading reached its zenith in that
era and it is to this period that the first example of writing in Anatolia
date. The “Cappadocia Tablets”, written in Old Assyrian Cuneiform script, deal
with methods of taxation, interest rates and marriage contracts.
The early Hattian settlers were followed by the empires of Hittite,
Phrygian , Persian , Roman , Byzantin , Seljuk and Ottoman and each left its
mark on the enchanting landscape of Cappadocia.
Cappadocia, situated on the principal trading routes of the
Silk Road, was a meeting place for different philosophies and religions, each
of which left a historical and cultural impression on the region. Christians
who had left Jerusalem in the 2nd century AD passed through Antakya
and Kayseri to arrive in Central Anatolia and settled in the vicinity of
Derinkuyu.
These early Christian, facing the oppression of the Roman
Emperors, found refuge against raids in the subterranean cities of the region.
Here the soft rock allowed the excavation of elaborate dwellings, food stores,
water wells and cisterns, wineries and places of worship, enabling habitation
for a prolonged period.
These unprecedented
subterranean cities predate Jesus Christ and have always provided a safe haven
to people looking for peace and tranquility. They are the product of a perfect
technique. Ventilation systems, air movement tunnels, safety and security system,
interesting techniques of the entry and exit parts, wells on the ground and
garbage collection mechanisms amaze visitors even today.
It has been claimed that there are more than 1000 churches
in Cappadocia. The construction, architectural details, artistic arrangements
and decorations are awe inspiring.
Many of the churches have a basilica or cruciform plan, with
a nave, narthex (vestibule), columns arches, vaults and domes.
The fresco art that adorns the churches was the fruit of
elaborate artistry. The maintenance, repair and restoration of these frescos
continue unceasingly and the subterranean cities and churches are open to
visitors.
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