Kapadokya (Cappadocia)

Overview

Anticipation was high the evening we arrived in Kapadokya. We’d spent much of the preceding afternoon gas bagging about our expectations and excitement over the hot air balloon scheduled for the next morning. It’s obviously one of the reasons for visiting this gorgeous corner of the world… but certainly not the only one! We arrived late in Kapadokya and enjoyed a lovely dinner at Hanimeli, a no frills family run Turkish restaurant with solid wholesome tasty Turkish food, and then it was off to bed.

Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas for us. The next morning the wind speed had intensified and we were told our balloon flight had been cancelled. We were sadness personified. Actually. I didn’t factor not going up on the balloon into the holiday plan. In hindsight, it’s a reasonably frequent occurrence and given that Kapadokya is a slight nuisance to get to, it’s probably worth planning 2 or 3 nights here. There is definitely enough to keep you entertained and it just allows for a greater chance that you might catch a still morning.

However, turns out this gem of a region in central Anatolia knows how to create an INCREDIBLE back up plan.

Essentials

Göreme Valley Open Air Museum
Kapadokya’s Underground City – Kaymakli
Pigeon Valley
Uchisar Castle
Urgup – Yunak Evleri Hotel

The Göreme Open Air Museum

As a member of the UNESCO World Heritage List, this vast complex consists of scores of ‘rock churches’, or fairy chimneys, and is the reason people go up in a balloon in the first place. It is most certainly appreciable from on solid ground, although to gain the best vantage – be sure to pack some good climbing shoes. The Museum is open 8 am to 5pm and it pays to go early for 3 reasons: to beat the heat, to beat the tourists (still difficult) and because it’s the primary historical attraction of Cappadocia. Note that entry to the Dark Church, home to the most well preserved frescoes within the entire Museum, has a separate entry fee. It’s marginal and definitely well worth it. There are many areas where photography is prohibited and the officials will be quick to single you out in the crowd if they catch you!

Rooms cut out within the rock represent churches, chapels, monasteries and social gathering spaces. They were carved out between the 11^th and 13^th centuries, in the Roman and Byzantine eras. Christians who fled the Roman persecution hid in the diverse channels of rock caverns and tunnels and they were adorned with intricate and elaborate wall and roof paintings.

If you’re tight on time, my tip would be to have an idea of the churches (and frescoes) that you’d like to see prior to arrival to ensure time doesn’t limit this. You can comfortably visit the site in a 2-3 hours but for a no rush approach, allow an entire morning. My suggested order of attack after entering past the ticket booth is:

• Chapel of St Basil (Aziz Basil Şapeli)– inside depicts St Basil on the left, the Maltese Cross on the right and St George & St Theodore slaying a dragon.
• Chapel of St Barbara (Barbara Kilise)
• Apple Church (Elmali Kilise) – contains well preserved frescoes of Biblical scenes. A gorgeous little opportunity for a photograph out the front which has the ancient rock churches in the background.
• Snake Church (Ch. of St Onuphrius; Yilanli Kilise) – named after the dragon which was frequently mistaken for a snake.
• The Dark Church (Karanlik Kilise) – named as such due to the minimal light entering this cave which has in turn, preserved the vibrancy of colour of these incredible frescoes. Depictions of Christ Pantocrator, the Nativity, the Transfiguration, the Betrayal by Judas and the Crucifixion can all be seen, along with many others. Worth the additional entry fee which helps with the extreme restoration fee.
• Chapel of St Catherine (Azize Catherine Șapeli)
• Sandal Church (Çarikli Kilise) – footprints in the floor represent the last steps of Jesus before he ascended to heaven.
• Rahibeler Monastery
• Buckle Church

Be aware that the open pathways and tracks between the various churches listed above are generally easy to scoot around quickly on. However if you choose to climb up into a church and enter the caverns, you will be battling lines of tourists, generally one going up and one going down, on sometimes quite narrow steps, so a little patience goes a long way.

Pigeon Valley

This stunning valley stretching 6km between Uchisar and Göreme is a photographic masterpiece in itself.

If you have a day and night spare, can I suggest checking in to a hotel such as the Kaya Hotel for an amazing view over Pigeon valley and then indulging in one of the valley hikes the next day. It’s a budget hotel but you will not be sad for the views, particularly the balloons hovering above. Alternatively you can walk the length of the valley if you taxi back to your car or have the assistance of a friend.

There are some wonderful vantage points along the road which winds atop the Valley. Be sure to take out that camera and capture this unique area.

The Perfect Afternoon & Evening in Kapadokya

Kaymakli Underground City, Çardak – visit
Uchisar Castle/Fortress – climb  
Yunak Evleri Hotel, Urgup – dinner
Prokopi Rooftop, Urgup – post dinner drinks

I’ve been on my fair share of tours over the past decade and a bit. Sometimes you find yourself extremely lucky with a great group of people to banter with and play games well into the evening with. Sometimes you don’t. On those times you don’t, it’s worth improvising. And so it was that myself and my friend found ourselves in a somewhat lackluster group and decided to make our own fun. This afternoon itinerary will suit if you are on a half day tour in the morning and have the option of ‘skipping class’ on the way home, or if you are staying a few nights in the Kapadokya region and can therefore jump in a cab to these cities which are all very close to one another. Similarly, those who find themselves in the situation of a cancelled balloon flight and don’t mind a bit of light exercise, listen in. We decided to ask the bus driver to leave us in Urgup after our morning visit to the Open Air Museum and Underground City and voila, it was one of the most amazing afternoon/evenings I had in Turkey.

Kaymakli Underground City, Çardak

First, a word on the underground city. We did this part of the tour with the group and I’d recommend sticking with a group if you visit an underground city. Kaymakli has quite an obscure entrance, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, amidst some dirt streets in a tiny town with a spattering of makeshift stalls selling yes, more blue evil eye momentos such as keyrings and dreamcatchers, all dangling in the wind. The shop owners are not particularly aggressive or fussed with tourists walking past and certainly do not hassle you to buy. Whether this was because we were walking with a designated tour guide, I am not sure.

It is estimated that there are more than 100 underground cities in Kapadokya, the most frequently visited being Kaymakli (the widest), Derinkuyu (the deepest) and Mazli. These fascinating tunnels and rooms within the soft volcanic rock housed Christians on the run from the Romans and the Arabs.

If you are not terribly claustrophobic, this is a unique visit. The underground cities showcase ventilation chimneys, kitchens, cribs, wine cellars, meeting points, toilets, bedrooms and locking stones on the perimeters that are only operable from the inside in order to protect from outside threat.

Uchisar Castle/ Fortress

Uchisar Castle is the highest point and largest fairy chimney of Kapadokya. Even if you do make it up in a hot air balloon, this is a worthwhile option. Again, many stairs, tunnels and passages connect the rooms within this mountain castle. The top will take you just 20-30 minutes to ascend and commands enticing views over the entire Kapadokya valley. If you time it to sunset, you’ll forget all about life itself. Tip for the beginner: take an anorak or water proof light weight jacket – it gets very windy at the top and can be subject to the odd shower of rain or two.

Urgup

I’ll remember Urgup for two reasons: firstly, the dog that almost bit my head off whilst we climbed the artificially created ‘tuff caves’, facades of ruins above the city (not recommended), and secondly, for the most romantic dinner I’ve ever experienced in my life. Let’s skip straight to the second of these.

After a windswept yet blissful evening chasing sunsets on Uchisar Castle, we walked down the mountain to catch a glimpse of it from the other side and found a splendid little photo opportunity on a love-heart shaped swing, again, covered in the evil eye ornaments. From here we caught a cab to Yunak Evleri Hotel. From the moment, we entered the private driveway, beneath hotel rooms carved into the cliff face and splendidly glowing in spotlights amidst the pitch black sky, I knew this would be special. We were dropped off at the roundabout adjacent the hotel entrance and also the restaurant entrance. A little underdressed, we walked past the fountain and outdoor settings into the most cosy, intimate and moonlit backdrop I’ve ever been privy to. The log fire was crackling next to our table and the little bar full of every spirit known to mankind was calling to us from the side.

After ordering some sides, entree and a main of salmon, we settled in with a bottle of white and reminisced over the days events. We were truly enamoured with Kapadokya and agreed that life away from tour was definitely the trump card. After vowing to return and stay at Yunak Evleri one day, we decided to continue exploring Urgup at night.

Interestingly, there are quite a few small castle-type restaurants and bars within a few streets of each other in this area. After a short stroll past Ziggy Bar which was nestled upstairs in an old house, we landed at Prokopi, a delightful rooftop bar where we were greeted with a wine list and some warm red blankets that quickly had us looking like a mix between Little Red Riding Hoods and Hobbits. The wine was flowing, people were laughing, there was warmness to the air and after a couple of nightcaps, it was time to head back to our vintage accommodation at the Elevres Stone House Hotel at Mustafapasha.