Cappadocia region displays a beautiful combination of nature and history. The geographic
movements had formed the fairy chimneys and during the historical development process,
mankind had settled and inhabited these natural wonders, fairy chimneys and carved houses
and churches inside these formations and adorned these settlements with frescos, carrying the
traces of the thousands of years of their civilizations.
The relatively soft volcanic tuff that overlies the region of Cappadocia around Nevsehir came from
the nearby Mt. Erciyes. This is an extensive region of odd, conic forms of gray-yellow, some
topped with off-angle hats, and many more than 15 m. high. When the tuff is exposed to air it
hardens, making it ideal for people to hollow out rooms of any shape or height, since the walls
and ceilings do not need supports. These cones have been poetically called Fairy Chimneys.
The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia are a striking example of how geography and human
habitation have worked together, and how geography has influenced people’s imaginations.
Perhaps the fact that the art has survived is not only because of the isolation that the region
has enjoyed, but also because of the respect and awe which the geography help evoke.
DERINKUYU & KAYMAKLI UNDERGROUND CITIES
The Underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli near Nevsehir open for visitors. These were
early Christian centers and must have housed several thousand people in the 8th and 9th
centuries. They extend downward in the earth for at least 8 floors in a maze of tunnels and
rooms and were easily defended by blocking the entrance with large rocks.
So far 36 underground cities are known. |
