A trip to the
steppes of Central Anatolia is the
next best thing to intergalactic travel,
at a fraction of the cost and inconvenience.
Centuries of wind and water have sculpted
a surrealistic landscape form the
softvolcanic terrain: minarets, cones,
spires, "fairy chimneys,"
and rocky pinnacles in shades of pinks
and russet-brown soar as high as five-story
buildings and cover an area of about
50 square miles. Ancient inhabitants
of Cappadocia hollowed out the tufa
cones and cliffs to create troglodyte-style
cave dwellings that are still lived
in today. A major trade route between
East and West, Cappadocia was home
to a dozen different civilizations.
The early Christians arrived in the
4th century, sculpting from the rock
domed churches, complete with vaulted
ceilings, columns, and pews. The open-air
museum is the site of an ancient monastic
colony, once said to have had more
than 400 churches, hermitages, and
small monasteries. Today fifteen are
open to the public. Some of the simple
frescoes date back to the 8th century,
but it's the rich Byzantine frescoes
of the 10th and 13th centuries that
are the most astonishing.
Modern-day troglodytes must head for
the utterly unique and charming Yunak
Evleri hotel, a romantic web of tastefully
restored connecting caves dating back
as far as the 5th century.
WHAT: site, hotel.
WHERE: Urgüp, 279 miles/450 km
southeast of Ankara. YUNAK EVLERI:
Tel 90/384-341-69-20, fax 90/384-341-69-24;
yunak@yunak.com, www.yunak.com. BEST
TIMES: Apr-Jun and Sept-Oct. |
