On the way to Goreme I was almost dropped off outside the city so the bus could stay on major roads. Luckily the bus steward seemed to argue for me and I was taken to my intended destination. Even though I was the only one getting off at Goreme, I think the other passengers enjoyed the detour. As soon as we turned down into the valley everyone was looking out their windows and taking pictures of the dramatic rock formations that make Cappadocia famous. Volcanic tufa has been continually built up and eroded to form these “fairy chimneys”. Cave houses were carved into the soft rock first by the Hittites, but were used continuously by people living in the region. Smaller nooks were carved for pigeons to roost, which the locals used for food and eggs.
It’s hard to describe how amazing this place is. It welcomes the modern tourist industry while still maintaining a close-knit village community. There are tons of hostels offering “cave rooms” like the one I stayed in. The physics are hard to argue with. Whether it’s scorching hot or freezing cold, the underground rooms are always around 60 degrees. Walking around the city you’re just as likely to see a group of backpackers on rented ATVs as horse-drawn wagons carrying hay or vegetables. The first night I arrived I went out with another American family and a Dutch girl working for my hostel to a traditional dance performance.
Christians used the caves extensively when the Romans had outlawed their worship. The second day I went to the Open Air museum where many of these cave churches are on display. The most impressive was the Dark Church, which, because it received very little light, best preserved its vivid mosaics.
On the walk back from the museum I found some walking trails and decided to go for a hike. Soon I was surrounded by rock formations, many with simple caves dug into them. I started climbing through them and saw some amazing views through the carved windows. Eventually I looked through one to find only a steep drop down.
On the third day I took a tour of Ilhara valley. First we saw a panoramic view of the city. Then we visited an underground city. Different groups also used these over time. The extensive, 7-floor layout had rooms for cooking, storage, sleeping, teaching, and worship. Communities lived inside for years at a time, with just one or two leaving occasionally to catch food or spy on enemies. They think there are more like this throughout the area, but so far only 2 have been excavated. After that we went on a hike through peaceful Ilhara valley and ate lunch on a platform built onto the river. Then we visited Selime village. If it looks familiar it’s because it was used as a backdrop for the planet Tatooine in Star Wars. We ended our tour with a visit to an onyx factory. Normally I wouldn’t mention this but I answered our guide’s trivia question and got the onyx egg we just watched being carved.
