French Jesuit Pere Guillaume de Jerphanion, Turkish Explorer

Burrowing through Cappadocia caves
David Bowden KUALA LUMPUR 12-Aug-07 from The Brunei Times

THEY were not a people to tangle with as they had a habit of pouring hot oil over their enemies. For many centuries, troglodytes living in caves around Cappadocia in central Turkey took refuge from their enemies in holes they carved into the soft volcanic rock and poured boiling substances from concealed holes all over those who pursued them. They covered the openings to the tunnels they burrowed into the rock by rolling giant "rock wheels" behind them.

Today, many people residing on the dry plains of Anatolia still live inside their rocky enclaves as it provides insulation from the extremes of temperature experienced here between summer and winter. The whole area has been recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site

Visitors to the region can stay in conventional and comfortable hotels like the Dinler Hotel in the tourist town of Urgup or something more in line with the accommodation favoured by the subterranean locals, such as the nearby Alpina Hotel which has been carved into the rock face.

It's possible to inspect one of 100 or so underground villages like Ozkanak Underground Village for a small fee. Be warned though, the passageways are confined and narrow and it can get quite stuffy inside.

Back on the surface, centuries of wind, water and seasonal temperature fluctuations have sculpted a somewhat surrealistic landscape from the soft volcanic ash called tuff. Harder outcrops of basalt rock cap the softer cone-like tuff to create a moonscape of "fairy chimneys", minarets, cones, spires and pinnacles of various earthy tones.

Ancient inhabitants of Cappadocia hollowed out the soft rocky cones and cliff faces to create their unique troglodyte dwellings. Many of these are still inhabited today while new excavations to establish restaurants, hotels and tourist cultural dance venues are ongoing.

Central Turkey lies on a one of the major trade routes that linked Asia with Europe and Cappadocia has been home to many different civilisations.

It formed part of the ancient Silk Road and was thus a very strategic commercial centre. As such, the region became a complex web of historical and cultural influences. Different philosophies and faiths merged and influenced one another.

Christians escaping Roman persecution arrived in the 4th century and set about carving domed churches with vaulted ceilings from the friable rock. They also adorned the rocky ceilings with intricate and colourful frescoes painted from natural ochres. Some of the simple frescoes date back to the 8th century, but it is the ornate Byzantine frescoes of the 10th to 13th centuries that are the most noteworthy.

While the forces of erosion and some vandalism have taken their toll, there are still many cave sites in the region that are home to these valuable paintings and historical records.

With an estimated 1,000 rock churches in the area visitors don't have to travel far to appreciate the unique site of a place of worship carved into the rock. Goreme is the best, but most crowded place to inspect both the churches and frescoes.

The Goreme Open Air Museum contains several churches that date back to the 9th to 11th centuries. There are even more houses to be seen and the local inhabitants are usually open to polite requests to see inside.

With the arrival of Islam in the 14th century, Anatolia became the home of several famous Muslim scholars and philosophers.

Many of the region's cave owners have a loom inside where the women weave fine Turkish carpets to supplement the household income mostly derived from growing agricultural crops. Tourist towns like Urgup have many retail outlets selling the carpets and other products from the district like pottery.

Firca in Avanos is another place to visit to appreciate the craft of making ancient Turkish ceramics. Turkish ceramics date back to Hittite times and have developed an enviable reputation for their intricate and colourful glazes.

The Firca family has been make ceramics from their current site for the past 250 years. Visitors to their showroom can see how the ceramics are turned, hand-engraved, glazed and fired. There is a well-stocked showroom for those looking for a uniquely Turkish gift.

Amazingly it was not until 1907 when the rock churches of Anatolia were "discovered" and introduced to inquisitive travellers. Pere Guillaume de Jerphanion was a French Jesuit scholar who came across the religious structures while on a horseback tour of Anatolia.

Contemporary travellers don't have to endure similar hardships these days as there are several flights a day from Istanbul to Nevsehir in Cappadocia on Turkish Airlines. They also offer the best connection from South East Asia to Turkey with four flights to and from Singapore to Istanbul per week.

Choosing the appropriate time to visit Cappadocia is important as there is a vast range in temperature extremes from summer to winter. Get it wrong and you could either be sizzling or freezing on the Anatolian plains. The best times are from April to June and September to October for the best weather and least number of tourists. The highest peak in the region, Mount Erciyes (3,916m) is covered in snow in winter and is one of Turkey's most popular ski resorts. The Brunei Times


Original article (here)