Cappadocia - the land of fairy castles



Cappadocia – it’s an alien landscape of strange rock structures and plenty of caves. A little out of StarWars and a little out of Dr Seuss.

I have to admit that the blog is running about a week behind me and in order to prevent that slipping away to two weeks I’m trying to grab time wherever I can.  

I loved every minute in this province of Turkey. Cappadocia is an area in central Turkey which is known for its fairy chimney landscapes and ancient church caves. It is quite spectacular and rather hard to describe and I’m not even sure that the pictures do it full justice.



The town of Goreme



I flew from Istanbul to Kayseri and then took a transfer bus from Kayseri to Goreme. This tiny town is basically a world heritage site due to the startling scenery that surrounds it. It looks a little like a planet in Starwars and for all I know, the film could have been filmed in this area.

My hotel in this area was a brilliant budget hotel. The people were really great at suggesting things to do, providing maps and suggesting places to eat. There was one assistant helping out who always seemed to be around when I came out my door and I was constantly greeted by a thick accented slightly sing-song “ello” and a huge toothy grin. It was rather lovely.

The landscape near Goreme

Fairy castles are rock formations that were created when 3 volcanoes in the area were active. They basically filled the valley with a soft volcanic rock called Tufa and then provided a hard layer of basalt. Through erosion, the landscape changed and now towers of rock reach up toward the sky with little caps of basalt.



Outside my first church



A few hundred years ago, the people of the area found that the rock was able to be dug out when it was damp. They proceeded to create houses and whole cities beneath the ground and in the fairy castles. The Christians moved into this area during the time of persecution around (I think) 100AD. And they stayed until about 1100AD. During this period they created a number of churches and monasteries dug into the rock.



Inside the church





         They painted the churches in startling colours and some of the most stunning murals I’ve seen. When the Muslims moved into the area, they destroyed a number of faces on the murals as to them it was irreverent to have faces looking at them. (I suppose the fact that they were Christian images didn’t really help the cause.) So now, excavations have been done and the churches were re-discovered and now people from all over the world come to see the wonder hidden in this unusual landscape and hear the history of the peoples that lived there.



Cavusin village and fairy castle

 

People at the top of Cavusin Castle



The first day the hotel suggested walking into the hills and aiming for Cavusin – another tiny village about 4km by road away with a rather larger than normal fairy castle. So, I headed out between the fairy castles with only a vague idea of where and what Cavusin was and ended up getting completely distracted by the numerous caves and caverns that existed amongst the hills. I eventually bumped into an Australian – Italian lady who could speak any number of languages and we continued our wondering through the wilderness until we crested a rise to find a make-shift café selling fresh (squeezed in front of you) pomegranate and grapefruit juice. Once we had our juice we continued down one of the many paths following a red spray painted sign that indicated that there was an ancient church in the valley.  This was my first chance to see fresco’s as they are called here – paintings that depict Christ and various scenes from the Old and New Testaments. In some churches there are even crafted pillars and domed ceilings and enclaves all carved into the rock. It is truly amazing – breath taking to think that over 1000 years ago people lived in these places and created such paintings and sculptures.

Getting lost in the hills at night is not really my idea of fun and as the sun was setting and Goreme was in the distance I was wondering how I would be able to get back. But my multi-languaged friend managed to find some Italians with a car and they not only lifted us to Goreme but through Cavusin where we were aiming so I managed to see it all.

 

View of Goreme





Kiwi, Me, Aussie


 The next day I went on the “Green tour” which takes you to sights that you basically can’t see easily by yourself. This was where the fun really began as I met up with other people travelling by themselves from Aussie, NZ and Ireland. Our tour also contained a group of Bulgarians who were loads of fun but you wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley. After the first sight-seeing stop, the guide told us we had 5 minutes. The Bulgarians then naturally ordered beer. After checking no-one had to be back by a certain time, the tour slowed to a crawl with a lot of laughter.  The guide was great and the company good.

In the underground city

We toured through the underground city (it can hold over 600 people) and were showed various holes in the floor, wall and ceiling. Each apparently had a different purpose. Some were booby-traps, others ovens, wine presses, ventilation shafts, communication tunnels, wells etc. In certain places there were large millstones that could be rolled across the door to prevent access. The tunnels were low and narrow, where a good sized American may struggle a bit (though the tunnels were not as small as Vietnam I’m told).  



Exploring the Monastery



Rolling the millstone



It was more like a fortress than a city in my opinion. There was a point where you had to bend over so low you needed to waddle like a duck to get through. Our tour also took us sauntering through a beautiful cannon, to great viewing spots and we got to climb all over an ancient monastery through tunnels and staircases back into the sunlight. (With a number of paintings and black ceilinged kitchens to be found). 

  
Near the end of the trip, one of the Bulgarians came up to us, planted his feet firmly and gestured “10 Lira” he said (Turkish money). The Japanese men sitting near me had huge eyes as they tried to figure out why their money was being demanded. But there was no way that you were saying no to that man. It turned out to be the tip for our guide. He was thrilled of course. Rather funny as the Japanese don’t tend to tip. I was told by Emma that it was part of their culture. For them its rude to tip. Anyways, it made for a rather movie-like scene. And of course I have to mention “donkey man” who was one of the Bulgarian. He told us that he loved donkeys but he just didn’t know why. He was completely serious about it but you would never have expected a man like that to be so crazy about donkeys! And of course every time us single travellers came across a donkey it became a point of giggles.  

View from the Monastery



Back at base, I teamed up with the Aussie and Kiwi we found a lovely cheap restaurant where the waiters reminded us of Faulty Towers. Really rather special.

Rose Valley

The Kiwi left us and the Aussie (Tim), Irish (Emma) and I went exploring the hills the next day for a huge day long hike, estimated by the locals to be about 16 km. We really saw a lot and a number of the different valleys and besides being drenched with cold rain for about half an hour we has stunning weather.

Love Valley and shop

Hiking in the rain

We travelled from Goreme, past the open air museum up to the campsite, over the Red and Rose valleys to Cavusin. From there we took the Love valley to Uchisar and then back along the road to Goreme. I have to say that this was my favourite day of the trip so far. We came back exhausted to Goreme to our pre-ordered Turkish dinner (not supper!). It was stunning. A jumble of beef and veggies put into a clay pot, put in a fire oven for some hours and then they break the clay pot when they serve you and this gorgeous meat smells so good. You have to book at least in the morning to have a hope of having dinner at this place. And of course red wine is the essential ingredient.

Emma, Tim and me in love valley

I also went to the Goreme open air museum which holds a huge collection of churches centred in one spot. The murals tell the Bible stories and I over-heard  a guide telling his group that it was used for teaching.  They had the story of Lazarus, the Baptism, the Nativity, the Last Supper and the Ascension. They were really beautifully done in amidst the stone caves.

One day with Tim and Emma, we got stuck in an Uchisar tea house while it was pouring outside! To negotiate in Turkey seems to require a lot of time and some obligatory flirting for some reason and by the end of the negotiation for a lift back into town, the locals had thought of a partner for each of us. We joked with them and I think it was a close call for Emma in particular to make it back to town.

I have to say that some of the places we went to were a bit crazy if you don’t have a head for heights! What passes for acceptable safety ratings in Turkey would probably be illegal in most places in the world.

Uchisar Castle - 175m high



On top of Uchisar Castle - the biggest fairy castle in the land



When exploring you constantly had to be aware of random holes in the floor (either through erosion or man-made), how thick the floor beneath you was, corridors and rooms that ended in cliffs and of course the low tunnels. We ended up with a lot of roof in our hair and on our backpacks and – well it was a lot of fun! Uchisar fairy castle is the largest castle in the area and I was told it was inhabited as late as 1960s. They judged to be unsafe and the government moved all the people out. There are spectacular views from the top if you can handle the fact that there are no guard railings at all.

Crazy German geocachers!

Oh and I have to mention the hike I did on the last day when my new found friends had gone home. I bumped into some Americans on the bus and they decided to come geocaching with me. The first cache I looked for with them was one of those death defying on the edge of no-where places with a steep slope and slippery sandstone. Hence I placed myself firmly at the top of the cliff and didn’t go any further. But there were some crazy Germans geocaching at the same time so, I provided the clues from a safe distance and they acted like mountain goats for me. Half way through some Turkish men came clambering up the sloped cliff with normal work shoes on as if it were the most normal think in the world to climb up a sandstone 60 degree slope wearing a suit! I love the Turkish.



Our path following the shepherd!



We didn’t find that cache unfortunately and we said goodbye to the crazy Germans. We then wended our way down into Pigeon valley for a nice easy hour walk back to Goreme. However, all paths that we took seemed to end in 100m high cliffs. We were on a ledge with (I thought) the only possible way being to go back. We picked up another 4 people who had the same idea as us and as we were looking for a possible path, the Americans found a shepherd who said that he would lead us the scenic route. So, the now 8 of us set off behind this shepherd with his 9 dogs running up and down the steep slopes around us. Note to anyone going to Goreme. Don’t follow a shepherd taking the scenic route! I don’t think I have been that scared in a while. He took us up a steep slope with the sandstone giving way beneath our feet.

Rope climbing with shepherd

We then (one at a time) had to perch on the top point of a mountain with our legs either side of the escarpment and swing ourselves over onto some sort of thin rope and climb down about 2.5 meters. We slid across the sandstone - trying to go sideways and not look down. Loosing footing would not have been a good idea. He guided us along a 40 cm wide path at the top of the escarpment with steep drops either side. By the time I made my way down out of the sky onto firm ground I was eternally grateful that my prayers had been heard in amidst of my telling myself how crazy I was to do this. Many thanks to the Dutch person who helped me over the really bad areas!

So many memories in this area it’s difficult to really remember and appreciate them all. But I have to say I’m having the time of my life!

Balloons!

Goreme is also known for its hot air ballooning. I have to say that budget prevented me going on one, but I ended up on the last morning with balloons right outside my door. It was a perfect end to visiting this very special place - I was rather sad to leave.

More pictures if you are interested.



Hiking in Cavusin





Inside the Monastery



More Monastery



Goreme at night with lightning



Caching in Cavusin



Goreme

Istanbul - the castles

So the next 2 days were palace days. Yep - every country has a place where the leader of the day is provided lavish facilities, guards, opulence and general grandure. It's no different in Turkey. Except they kept building a new castle every few hundred years.

Me at entrance to Topkapi Palace



Istanbul (previously known as Byzantium and Constantinople) has had a great lineage of Sultans. From about 1478 to 1850, the Sultans and their families lived in Topkapi Palace. After this a new palace was constructed and, they moved to the Dolmabahce Palace which was occupied by the Royal family until 1938. So, I visited the Topkapi Palace and the next day, the Dolmabahce Palace. They are very different from each other, especially in looks. But internal affairs appear to have had some similarities.

The Topkapi palace seems to be number 1 on every tourist's list to do. So, early that morning Ely, Steve and I got in before the crowds to enjoy the sights and imagine the life of a Sultan.

Tile detail


Topkapi Palace has a distinct Turkish flair to it. It has domed ceilings and gardens. A big attraction here is the Harem which means "a place forbidden". i.e. it's the place where the Sultan's family stayed or otherwise known as the woman's quarter. It is a complex series of rooms and courtyards where the woman stayed according to rank. The top of the woman was the Sultan's mother who was in charge of this section. There were a number of concubines and a number of wives. The Sultan's Mother's room is the most opulent and is between the Sultan's chambers and that of his wives. i.e. she can monitor the comings and goings. A little awkward if you ask me! Oh, and I forgot to say - the women were guarded by big muscular eunuchs from Africa (often Etheopia).



All tiles

 This is the Buckingham Palace of Turkey. Opulent, gorgeous, lots of gold and mother of pearl and especially it is known for its patterned tiles. They are absulutely stunning. They date from 15th centuary to about 18th centuary, depending on reconstructions required. It is obvious that the Turkish were the master craftsmen of the era. The trade capital. There is so much amazing stuff that they created from so early on! I mean thinking back to the prior blog, I believe that for a while the Hagia Sophia was the largest building known in the world.

Just to give you an idea of the scale of the Topkapi Palace, just the Harem (which is only the private section of the palace) is made up of 300 rooms, 9 Turkish baths, 2 mosques and a hospital. i.e. it's pretty big.

There were a number of other rooms as well - the treasure room, a room where the wardrobe of the Sultan,  and his family was shown, a room of islamic relics and the gardens with a terrace for the Sultan. All interesting and very different to South Africa.



Hagia Sophia

 After saying goodbye to Ely and Steve I went out that night and took some photos of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia which I want to share... The blog continues after...

Left is the Hagia Sophia and below is the Blue Mosque.

 


 


The Blue Mosque



The enterance to the Dolmache Palace

The Dolmache Palace is very different to the Topkapi Palace. It’s got a distinctly French flavour to it. It also has a Harem where the woman lived and the top four wives lived in luxury apartments. But the guide indicated that they were not allowed outside onto the grounds. Only later in history with the Sultan’s permission were they allowed to wonder around a bit.

 I mean there is everything at this palace – it is huge. They even have an aviary with a bird hospital attached. Luxury. The most impressive thing was the main hall inside and the ton worth of chandelier hanging from the                       massive domed ceiling. The room is completely decorated - the roof painted with little bowls of fruit and flowers and patterns. There are a number of huge marble pillars lining the side of the hall. I have to say the first time you enter the hall it is definitely a wow moment that takes your breath away. The Harem and how it functioned is very interesting. Again, the Sultan’s mother is in control of the Harem. We asked what happens if the mother dies. It seems that there has never been a Sultan without a mother!

Church on Sunday:

My sister did some research for me on churches in Istanbul and she found a tiny Protestant Church attached to the Dutch Consulate (The Union Church of Istanbul). I took the tram over the river and tried to find the next tram only to find that they had been stopped due to May day demonstrations. So I started walking up a really steep hill and every now and again came across groups of Turkish people with banners and horns and drums all heading beyond the church to Taksim Square which was going to hold a huge protest. At the top of the hill there was a police cordon and they were searching everyone that came onto the street. Tanks and everything in the background. They were taking no chances. Similar to South Africa I suppose. I played lost tourist and got through no problems. It was still quiet as it was early. I eventually found the little side road and went through another Police barrier and saw a tiny sign pointing to the church. I’m not too sure if the church normally has a metal detector or whether this was a special May day additional security precaution. I then found my way into a tiny chapel. As I entered, the two people on the worship team were practicing and were playing a hymn that is one of my favourites. I have to say that moment took my breath away. The chapel looked really old and could seat maybe 80 - 100 people max. There were about 40 of us there (most of the normal congregation was absent due to the protests). The service was in English, but they also have Chinese, Turkish and East African services. It was amazing that I flew half way around the world and knew all but one song that they sung!



View from top of Galata Tower



Other things explored:

 Galata Tower – one of the oldest towers in the world. Originally built in 528 AD and then rebuilt over the centuries due to fires. 

Underground Cisterns:

This was very impressive! Really beautiful and lit with slightly orange lighting. Over 300 hundred marble pillars whose base is still in water to this day. This was used to supply clean water to the palace and surrounding neighbourhood. 

But what I find really interesting is that two columns have the face of Medusa. I knew it was a legend, but these columns were built in the Roman era in the 6^th century –now I’ve seen real evidence of this legend!  There are a number of legends about Medusa. One of the stories is that Medusa was a girl who was proud of her black eyes and long hair. She was in love with Perseus, the son of Zeus. But the goddess Athene was also in love with him. She was jealous and turned Medusa’s hair into snakes and cursed her eyes.



Medusa's heads - see the one in the background too?



One pillar has Medusa’s face upside down and the other on its side. They think it was placed like that for a specific reason. The audio guide was a bit vague as to what the reason was exactly though.

The tiny town we visited - see the castle?

A trip up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea:

A 6 hour round trip which was lovely just to see the extent of Istanbul. We travelled for about an hour and a half on a tourist Ferry. It was all Istanbul until right near the end where we stopped at a tiny town. There was time to climb the hill to the local ruined castle. The climb was quite steep and on the race up the hill to get there before the crowds (although a number of people on the Ferry looked like the would never survive climbing this local hill), I met a couple from the UK which I got chatting to. The castle was a couple of towers and walls. Lovely views though. Looking to the Black Sea you could not see the point that was the horizon. It looked like some of the ships were sailing in the air.



The castle



 After the climb there was not much to do but have lunch and wait for the ferry to return. This was rather fun as we teamed up. I was greatful as they had a guidebook of the area and I no longer was wondering around like a lost soul. They also suggested (via the guidebook) a really good resturant in Istanbul for dinner.

Later, I decided to try their suggestion with my Canadian friends - it was absolutely amazing and the prices were about the same as many other average resturants out there. I plan to go back if my budget can afford it! I had a really tasty lamb dish with an aubergine based something around it.



View of the Black Sea



View back towards Istanbul



That’s all for Istanbul. I was then off to Cappadocia to see the fairy castles (huge rock formations with tons of caves in them) and the underground cities. These cities can house about 600 people comfortably underground – some have 16 stories going down!