Türkiye - Cappadocia

We visited Istanbul twice in the mid-1990's, but this was our first trip to the unique and remarkable region of Cappadocia*. Once on the western edge of the great Silk Road, it has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Over time it was ruled by the Hittites, Persians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. The soft rock, eroded through millennia into exquisite shapes, allowed the excavation of houses, churches and even complete cities beneath the surface. Cool in summer, warm in winter and readily defensible. We visited the key sites - Devrent, Cavusin, Uchisar, Kaymakli and Goreme. We watched the mesmerising Whirling Dervishes in an ancient caravanserai, and hiked through the beautiful Pancarlik and Red Valleys, with their hidden churches and pigeon houses. Amazing! (* = UNESCO World Heritage Site)