NATURE’S SCULPTURE PARK, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

2006.05.07

Our bus arrived in Goreme at around 08:00.  Surprisingly the bus went all the way to the village centre, instead of the otogar at Nevsehir.  Arriving at Cappadocia in early morning felt like waking up in another world: minimal traffic, occasional herds of sheep, stone houses and cave dwellings.  But it was the bizarre rock formations, some of which towering straight up the sky known as fairy chimneys that captured our imagination.  The unique rock formations of Cappadocia began 2.6 million years ago when eruption of the ancient volcano Mount Erciyes covered the area (about 20,000 square kilometres) with lava and ash.  The ash later solidified into soft rocks exposed to erosion from wind and water.  As most of the soft rocks were eroded away, the remaining hard rocks appeared like stone chimneys towering towards the sky.

We checked in at Hotel Elif Star to begin our temporary stay in a cave.  The owner Jacky and her cat welcomed us.  Jacky pulled out a map and recommended to us a number of hiking trails around the area, and a few lookouts for sunset watching.

In the midst of fairy chimney rock formations, unique valleys and the open air museum, Goreme is the main tourist hub in Cappadocia.

Inhabited since the Hittite era (1800-1200 BC), cave dwellings had been constructed in the era for thousands of years.

Throughout history, cave dwellings and underground structures have been carved out from the volcanic tuff.  These rock-cut houses of Cappadocia provided homes and hideouts for people escaping from wars and persecutions from close and afar.

This world famous UNESCO world heritage town receives significant amount of tourists, reaching a record high of 3.8 million in 2019.  When we visited in 2006, Goreme still maintained a relatively peaceful ambience.

Souvenir shops lined up the main street of Goreme.

Remnants from the past were still visible on the fairy chimneys in the side streets of Goreme.

Other than cave dwellings, other buildings in Goreme are also constructed with the local stones.

We stayed at Elif Star, one of the many cave hotels in Goreme.

This people-friendly cat approached us during our breakfast time at Elif Star.

Late afternoon offers the best moment to photograph the unique rock formations.

There are several popular spots to watch the sunset in and around Goreme.

Everyday, if weather is fine, tourists should be able to appreciate the scenery of fairy chimneys blanketed in the orange glow.

Around Goreme, there are a number of hiking trails to explore the interesting rock formations.

Even without exploring the surrounding valleys, visitors at Goreme can still get close to the fairy chimneys.

Cappadocia offered one of the best sunset scenery we have ever experienced.

We watched the sunset everyday while we were in Cappadocia.

At night, Goreme returns to its former tranquility after tourists make their way back to their hotels.