Cappadocia: Around Göreme

Growing increasingly tired on the constant full throttle atmosphere of Istanbul, I took a cheap flight away from it all- to the region of central Turkey known as Cappadocia.

Kapadokya is an ancient area of Turkey with some surreal landscapes, yet remains widely unknown to most. Famous for its' "fairy chimneys", or strange rock formations in which the locals have chosen to make their homes. I discovered much more than this. An ancient berth of Christianity and civilization awaited me here. I explored Cave Churched with fantastic faded frescoes, stone alters, complete underground cities, caravanserais, huge kangal dogs, and beautiful treks through untouched nature.

My first day in Göreme, a small tourist town in the regions, I visited the Open Air Museum. Tiny churches carved into the rock filled the area. The frescoes and ancient paintings were fascinating. Most were heavily damaged by the light, or during the Crusades (the radical Christians, believing them to be worshipping the paintings in place of actual God scratched the eyes out of nearly every painting!).

The "Dark Church", located in, you guessed it, a dark, dark cave, was by far the most breath-taking. The paintings were almost perfectly preserved die to the lack of natural light. I was struck for a moment by the timelessness of the place; It was as if they were painted yesterday, not in the 6th century!

I took a few walks through the valleys, taking in the scenery. Stunning. I met a kindly old farmer selling fresh nuts and dried fruits, which I purchased. As I walked, I munched, and snapped away on my camera.