Cappadocia: Where fairy chimneys hold the stories of empires

A kaleidoscope of hot air balloons ascends with the dawn over the Anatolian landscape. The floating figures are synonymous with Cappadocia, drawing crowds to the Turkish region for the experience of a lifetime. Sitting within rickety baskets, people climb towards the clouds to marvel at the majestic geological structures below. Ridges and conical ‘fairy chimneys’ form a tapestry throughout the land. Within its folds lie the rich tales of civilisations that made this scenery their home.

Cappadocia’s hills and tapered rock formations, known as fairy chimneys, were formed by volcanic eruptions. Ash from Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan melded with the rain and air, creating a soft rock known as tuff which eroded over time. When people entered the area, they used the terrain to their advantage. In the fourth century, Basileios the Great, Bishop of Kayseri, instructed people to take residence here. The earth was not conducive to construction, so they built their homes and churches within the rock. Some time after, communities headed underground to escape Arab invasions. Later, the Byzantine Empire claimed the region as their own, using the caves as a refuge during times of war. The arrival of the Seljuk Turks led to the creation of mosques, which were preserved by the Ottoman Empire. Today, the Turkish republic has turned Cappadocia into a hub of tourism. Cave hotels provide eager adventurers the opportunity to live the way people have for centuries.

The Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia feature some of the finest examples of subterranean habitation throughout the years. At the Göreme Open-Air Museum, churches and monasteries are open to all. The Tokalı Kilise, or Tokalı church, is one of the most notable structures here, filled with colourful frescoes that depict the life of Christ and Basileios the Great.

Embellished with relics of various cultures and eras, the topography of Cappadocia requires a bird’s eye view to take it all in. Over a hundred hot air balloons take off daily, elevating the spectacle of this scenery. With vast beauty and a deep history, this area offers a trip through the ages. Cappadocia captures both the stories of humankind and our ancestors' limitless ingenuity.