An early morning flight from Izmir brought us to the center of Turkey, the city of Kayseri.
An area different from the others we had visited, the region is known for its spectacular scenery and it’s exquisite cuisine which some say is Turkey’s best.
We boarded a bus that took us on an hour-and-a-half journey to the city of Cappadocia.
Cappadocia sits in a mountainous region of Turkey. History in this area can be tracked as far back as the 10th century BC. In the early days if Christianity, Cappadocia was the location of several missions of St. Paul.
The area has many rock formations from volcanic eruptions. This soft volcanic rock allowed for the creation of over 200 multi-level underground cities in the area. These cities had the ability to be closed off from the inside and sustaining its residents for months at a time. One of the largest, is said to have a capacity to house over 20,000 residents, and is believed to have been around since the 8th and 7th century BC.
If you are unaware of what you are looking for, the Underground city can be easy to miss. Dug deep into the ground, the labyrinth of tunnels and numerous rooms are always chilly and for those who are claustrophobic or have trouble getting through tight spaces, are probably not a good place to visit. But if you are a bit adventurous, the trek is totally worth it.
Walking through the tunnels is impressive. Imagining what is must have been like in the days before electricity to live inside these caverns and walk these tunnels.
Kitchens, wine cellars, churches, if a civilization needed something, they were sure to find it inside these hidden cities.
As we completed our tour of the underground city, we took a drive through the country to take in the views.
This region has some unique rock formations created by the erosion of the volcanic rock, which give this region a distinct look.
We finished the day with a flight to Antalya.
