Turkish Delights Part 1: Cappadocia
Walking through Pasabag Valley, Kapil and I felt like we had been transported to another planet. The moonscape valleys of Cappadocia, in the central Anatolian region of Turkey, have a surreal quality that makes you feel like you are on your very own sci-fi adventure. Cappadocia is a splendid example of the efforts of men enhancing the work of nature—a landscape rippled with dramatic ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations, mysterious underground cities and unique rock-cut churches. A trip to Turkey would be incomplete without a visit to this wonderland.
Goreme, a village in the heart of the region, serves as the perfect base for a Cappadocian adventure. Kapil and I booked ourselves into a cave hotel with sweeping views of the valley and Mount Erciyes on the horizon. In between mesmerised exploration of the lunar landscape, cave churches and underground cities, we stopped to watch local pottery and ceramics artisans at work, indulge in a Turkish bath, and sample mouth-watering Cappadocia pottery kebabs.
Our 3 favourites from our 3 days here:
Goreme Open Air Museum:
Goreme Open Air Museum
1.5km from the centre of Goreme, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a must-see with its magnificent cluster of rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries. It was first a Byzantine monastic settlement and then a pilgrimage site from the 17th century. Most of the churches date back to the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. As if the rock-hewn exteriors of these churches aren’t impressive enough, the inside walls are covered in colourful frescos that leave you spellbound.
Whirling Dervishes at Sarihan Caravanserai:
We were not allowed to film or take pictures during the Sema but at the end of the ceremony we walked out to a superb light show on the walls of the Caravanserai.
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207 - 1273) was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic whose followers established the Melevi order of dervishes after his death. They are known as the Whirling Dervishes because of their practice of whirling as a form of remembrance of God.
The Sema is a holy ceremony performed by a group of whirling dervishes. The dervish whirls with his right hand directed to the sky and his left hand turned toward the earth—ready to receive spiritual gifts with one hand, and pass these down to all of us with his other hand.
Kapil and I are glad we dodged the temptation to see whirling dervishes in other Turkish cities so that we could have this experience in Cappadocia. Believed to have been built in 1249, the Sarihan Caravanserai is an imposing structure that provides a suitably majestic backdrop to the mystical Sema. Driving through the Cappadocian terrain at dusk to get to the Sarihan Caravanserai, and the light show within the high walls of the Caravanserai after the Sema further amplified the transcendental feel of this experience, making it a truly unforgettable evening.
Hot Air Ballooning Over Cappadocia:
Ballooning in Cappadocia: Our balloon floats close to a fairy chimney.
Balloons in the valley - Cappadocia
A short burst of predawn activity on the valley floor and we were floating up, slowly but surely, towards the skies. As the balloons filled up and started to lift up off the valley floor, every single one of us lapsed into silence, as if the weight of words might keep us from soaring higher. By daybreak we found ourselves floating over the valleys and fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From 1000 feet above ground, the dramatic landscape seemed even more breathtaking, now speckled with tens of brightly coloured balloons. By far the best reason we have ever had for getting out of a warm, cosy bed at 4.30am on a cold morning.
