FAIRY-TALE CAPADOCIA - TURKEY

Abruptly the scenery changed to a fairy-tale landscape of chimneys.

Abruptly the scenery changed to a fairy-tale landscape of chimneys. When the passages between rocks became too narrow for the Land Rover, in order to explore, we walked. The whole area is built out of tuft, a very soft type of stone. It disintegrates under your hands and feet as you try to climb a rock face.



Thanks to the erosion of these soft rocks, many secret hide-aways were being revealed. They were built centuries ago to protect Christians from the Muslim enemy. It is so amazing how entire villages were hewn out of the rocks.  Sometimes going down as deep as 10 stories. Ventilation channels provided air to people and their live-stock. Kilometer long tunnels interconnected many of these villages, creating a secret underground network.