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ABOUT
CAPPADOCIA
 For
millions of years, the mighty volcanoes
of the Central Anatolian Plateau erupted
and spewed their contents across the
land that would become the cradle of
civilization. Blessed with a moderate
climate and fertile soil, one of the
world's earliest known communities was
founded 10,000 years ago at Catalhoyuk
along the river banks of the Casambasuyu
near Konya. Mankind's first nature
painting was found here and it portrays
the most recent eruption of Hasan Dagi
almost 9000 years ago. Today, its snow
capped peaks dominate the Konya plain,
awash in golden hues where vast wheat
fields blend subtly with the ochre
colored soil and the monochromatic
palette is interrupted only where rivers
flow and tall poplars flaunt their
greenery.
Another great volcano rises in the
distance to the east of Hasan Dagi. Once
called Mt. Argeus, the awesome presence
of Erciyes Dagi inspired legends as the
"Abode of the Gods" and the Persians
built a Zoroastrian fire temple nearby.
These two ancient volcanoes mark the
western and eastern boundaries of a
region known for its curious volcanic
landscape that has been relentlessly
carved by nature and by the people who
have lived here. 'Fairy chimneys,' cones
and strange rock formations have been
sculpted by wind and rain while
subterranean towns were excavated by a
populace seeking shelter from the
conquerors and would-be conquerors who
crisscrossed the wide open steppes of
the Central Anatolian Plateau. Ancient
Anatolian tribes, Assyrians, Hittites,
Phrygians, Turkic tribes from Central
Asia, Mongols, Persians, Syrians, Arabs,
Kurds, Armenians, Slavs, Greeks, Romans
and Western Europeans have all passed
through leaving behind some of their
traditions as well as their genes and
rendering Cappadocians as exotic as
their surreal surroundings.
 Although
the Hellenistic kingdom of Cappadocia
once encompassed a much greater area,
the name now refers to the region east
of Konya that is defined by Aksaray to
the west, Kayseri to the east, Nigde to
the south and Kirsehir to the north.
Guide books and tour buses focus on the
underground cities of Kaymakli and
Derinkuyu as well as the rock formations
and Byzantine churches found within the
triangular area bounded by Avanos,
Nevsehir and Urgup. For those who take
the time to explore the less traveled
byways, Cappadocia is a land of
discovery. Away from Goreme, Zelve and
the major tourist sites, there are
partially excavated Hittite centers,
cavetowns and hundreds of churches that
are rarely seen, gorges to explore and
some of the most vivid, pastoral scenes
to be captured in all of Turkey. |
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