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Cappadocia Regional Overview

Cappadocia Regional Overview

Welcome to Cappadocia! To the land of "Beautiful horses" in Hittite language. Unique and beautiful terrains, prolific history, amazing traditions and culture ensure it is a destination, quite unlike anywhere else in the world. Quirky cave hotels, thrilling balloon trips, magnificent views are just a few memorable experiences from enticing Cappadocia.

Retrace the steps from well-known civilizations like the Romans, trek through the lush green countryside and experience a once in a life event by ascending high into the skies in a hot air balloon. Listen to the tales and local myths, explore ancient ruins and join in life-long traditions to truly understand the heart of Turkey and its wonderful people. Visiting Cappadocia will open your eyes to a completely different world that is amazing and unique, making it one of Turkey’s natural beauties.

Within the Cappadocia region, there are cities, small towns and villages that play host to a wide range of unusual hotels, day time tours, walking valleys, underground cities and the famous fairy chimneys. Let’s start our introduction to the amazing landscapes of Cappadocia.

The History of Cappadocia

As soon as you arrive in the region of Cappadocia, it will become evident that the area is awash in history that spans so many empires. To begin, we have to go back to the time when volcanoes were active in the area. They released their red-hot lava into streams that ran through the valleys giving shape to large rocks and formations. Over thousands of years, the volcanoes became dormant and people released the rocks and formations were perfect for making homes and building communities. The earliest evidence of civilizations dates back to Hittite Empire in the Bronze era and slowly moves on to be ruled by the Lydian King called Croesus and then Alexander the Great.

The death of Alexander the Great also meant the end of peace in the Cappadocia region. There were a number of rulers that succeeded however a greater evil was to appear in 63 BC with the invasion by the Roman Empire. Their presence in Cappadocia is still evident today, in the form of underground cities that used to secretly house early Christians who were facing persecution because of their religion and beliefs.

In the hundreds of years that were to follow, the citizens of Cappadocia converted to the religion of Islam and in the 15th century, the area fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and remained that way until the demise of the Sultans in 1918. The end of the Ottoman Empire also saw the formation of a new country called The Republic of Turkey in which the Cappadocia region is now a major touristic and historical site.

How to Get to Cappadocia

There are two airports serving Cappadocia which are Kayseri and Nevsehir. Flights to these airports are internal so people arriving from outside Turkey fly into Istanbul, Ankara, or Izmir airport first and then catch a connecting flight. Alternatively, there is a frequent internal bus system to Nevsehir and Goreme of which the traveling time is 12 hours from either Istanbul or Izmir. Bus and train combination also can be used to reach various Cappadocian regions.

Hotels in Cappadocia

Hotels in Cappadocia are widely published as being some of the most unusual hotels in the world. Hotels and houses, over the years have been carved out of the soft volcanic rock and this in turn has led to a unique landscape and even more unique properties. A luxury cave hotel has all the modern cons including hot water, plasma televisions and internet connection. The ambiance and environment is dictated by the unique décor of a cave. Take a look at our hotel booking page, for unique cave hotels in Cappadocia.

Regions of Cappadocia

Within the Cappadocia region, there are various towns and villages which ensure that you are not short of choice when it comes to choosing your accommodation. Generally, back packers and people traveling on a budget will flock to Goreme because of cheap accommodation and the inter-connecting bus system.

The small village of Uchisar is home to some of the region’s most luxurious hotels while Urgup is the hotel location for most of the upmarket package tours that operate in the area. The small pottery town of Avanos is also popular with back packers while the capital of the region called Nevsehir is suitable for those who are looking for city life. If you are looking for hotel accommodation in quiet and traditional Turkish areas, then consider the resorts of Ortahisar, Zelve and Mustafapasa.

The nearest big city to the Cappadocia region is Kayseri which is a major trading hub and can be visited as a stop off point on the way to Cappadocia. Mount Erciyes is the skiing destination that is on the outskirts of Kayseri. Other big cities that make an excellent addition to a holiday is the home of the whirling dervishes in Konya or the capital of Turkey called Ankara and the relatively unknown destination of Aksaray.

The Weather of Cappadocia

During the summer months, the weather in Cappadocia can reach up to 40 degrees and you are advised to book a hotel with air conditioning facilities. At the beginning and end of summer, the day time temperate will average 20 to 25 degrees but the night times can be very chilly. While there are hotels and restaurants open in the winter months for tourism, the months of December to March can be snowy, rainy and very cold; therefore not providing the ideal environment for site seeing and exploring Cappadocia, the ideal period is spring, fall, beginning and end months of summer and winter.

Things to Do and Places to Go

There is no shortage of things to do and places to see in Cappadocia. If you are using Goreme as your base, you will find a great bus system to visit the surrounding villages of Avanos, Uchisar and Urgup. There are also regular day time tours that will take you to visit the mysterious Selime monastery, the beautiful deep gorge of Ihlara valley and the amazing underground city of Derinkuyu. To go further afield or to tour Cappadocia independently, we recommend that you hire a car as it is a great way to see the Cappadocia region at your own pace.

Panoramic view point, Pigeon valley and Rose valley are all destinations that people head to when the sun goes down as the vivid orange color on the horizon and cascading landscapes make the perfect holiday photograph. Further afield is Haci Bektas which is a great introduction to the Alevi branch of the Islam religion while Nevsehir has an ancient castle at the top of steep winding roads and an interesting museum that will keep you busy for the whole day.

The landscape and wind speeds make Cappadocia perfect for hot air balloons trips. Every morning at approximately 5.30 am, twenty or more hot air balloons will drift into the skies to float across the fairy chimney landscape. If you want to keep your feet firmly on the ground a horse safari will take you trekking through the beautiful countryside while a quad bike safari is for those who are looking for an adrenaline rush.

The most famous site to see in the area is the UNESCO world heritage site of the Goreme open air museum. Within the museum are ancient caves that were once used as homes and this site will ensure you are eager to learn more about history once you come across the ancient frescoes that adorn the walls of the Apple and St Basil Churches.

Trekking and hiking is another reason why people flock to Cappadocia as the area has so many hidden secrets that are not mentioned in any guidebooks. Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan with challanging peaks are ideal for mountaineering. We recommend that you take a look at the rest of our site which explains each region of Cappadocia in depth and from there; you can plan the best holiday of your life.

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