In Pictures: Fairy chimneys and churches of Cappadocia – Turkey

After driving across the dusty Anatolian plateau the entry into the region of Cappadocia is marked by a landscape like no other. It starts off with one or two fairy chimneys, then a whole valley will open up to these remarkable rock formations.

[Fairy Chimneys]

[Monks Valley – Pasabag]

In addition to the draw of this unique landscape, Cappadocia has a collection of important church caves dating from the regions Christian era. The most accessable of these is at the Goreme Open Air Museum, where there are cave churches from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries.

[Nunnery and Monastery – Goreme Open Air Museum]

I stayed in Goreme, which has a good cross section of what Cappadocia has to offer within walking distance. A short walk from the town of Goreme is Love Valley. No guesses as to why it was called that.

[Love Valley – Goreme]

Outside of Goreme there are plenty of other valleys and churches and abandoned cave homes to explore. They are spread out over the region and public transport isn’t really an option, so either hire a car or take a day tour which will cover the best of the area.

[Camel Rock – Devrent Valley]

[Ceiling of The Church of St John]

Cappadocia is also famous for cave dwellings. Even up to the 1980’s many communities lived in caves carved out the hillsides. Most of these are now abandoned, but there are hotels and guesthouses everywhere that are built into caves and rock formations.

[Cave Hotel]

Balloon rides are popular here as well, and on a clear morning ballooons fill the sky.

[Cappadocia Balloons]

If ballooning is out of your budget, no problem – just hike up to the nearest hill and enjoy the view.

[Cappadocia Sunset]

Travel Photos: Cappadocia Photo Gallery