Cappadocia, Turkey
A look at Turkey's beautiful and unique Cappadocia region, an area defined by both its impressive geology and its influence in history.
Location: Cappadocia, Turkey
In a remote part of Turkey’s Anatolian Plateau lies one of the most unique landscapes in the world. Cappadocia is a large region near Turkey’s borders with Armenia and Syria. Once the seat of a powerful civilization, then a refuge for monks, and later a conquest of the Ottoman Empire, Cappadocia is now a popular tourist destination. What makes it so special? The answer is not only its impressive geological features, but also how people have adapted to the land. Rocky outcroppings have long sheltered the region’s inhabitants, who continue to carve their homes and houses of worship from soft stone. Like its people, the landscape of Cappadocia is always changing.
Geography and Geology
Besides its underground houses, Cappadocia is best known for its ‘minarets’ and ‘fairy chimneys.’ These rock formations are caused by erosion. Over millions of years, volcanic eruptions laid down layer upon layer of hardened ash, basalt, and other rocks. The plateau then saw a gradual whittling away, with the softest rocks disappearing first. The pillars and outcroppings left behind are the survivors of this natural process, though they too will eventually disappear. Each fairy spire, for example, consists of a basalt boulder perched on top of a softer stone column. The boulder acts like an umbrella, preserving the column, which in turn holds the boulder at what used to be ground level.
History of Cappadocia
People have likely lived on the Anatolian Peninsula for hundreds of thousands of years. Our first historical records of life in Cappadocia begin during the Bronze Age, when it formed the heart of the Hattusa Empire, also known as the Hittites. The Hittites represented one of the most powerful civilizations of their era, reigning from about 1700 to 1200 BCE. But their civilization declined, and Cappadocia transferred hands to the Assyrian Empire. To the west, early Greek colonists also settled the Anatolian Plateau. From there, Cappadocia passed from one empire to the next, alternately conquered by Persia, Alexander the Great, and Rome.
When Rome split in two, Cappadocia fell under the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire. During this time, early Christian sects were still settling on the doctrines they would follow. Among them was St. Basil the Great, bishop of Cappadocia, who sponsored monastic communities there. As a consequence, the area was highly influential in the development of Christianity, particularly in Orthodox traditions. Byzantine churches, complete with beautiful artwork, can still be found in some villages.
Cappadocia marked a crucial boundary between the Byzantine Empire’s heart, Constantinople, and the Turkish-controlled lands to the east. When the capital fell in 1453, Cappadocia became a province of the Ottoman Empire. The modern region has thus grown out of diverse cultural backgrounds, especially Greek, Turkish, Syrian, and Armenian.
Modern Cappadocia
The modern region of Cappadocia is now part of Turkey. Visitors from around the world now travel through Ankara to the remote towns and villages carved out of its landscapes. Underground homes are still inhabited by families, providing stable temperatures and safe storage throughout the year. Perhaps the best way to appreciate its environment is by hot air balloon, and balloons fill the skies at the height of the tourist season. Video may not quite capture the real experience, but you can briefly visit Cappadocia yourself through this footage from UNESCO, which recognizes it as a World Heritage Site.
Further Reading
“Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, whc.unesco.org/en/list/357/.
Howard, Douglas Arthur. The History of Turkey. Greenwood Press. 2001.
Kalas, Veronica. “Cappadocia.” In Encyclopedia of Monasticism. Edited by William M. Johnston. Routledge, 2013.
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