Kaymakli Underground City and Other Turkish History

There is so much ancient history in Turkey, some of it dating back to the time of the Hitites, 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.  One of the places I was going today was the Kaymakli Underground City but we also went for a drive through the countryside.

Selcuklu Camii

The first part of our journey took us into a little village that hosts one of the oldest mosque buildings in the Cappadocia district.
The doors of the mosque weren't open so we didn't go inside but while I was wandering around the building I spotted an open air stone building with 3 women inside.

As I got closer I realized they were baking bread.  I asked our guide Numan to ask the women if it would be okay to take pictures of them and he confirmed it would be.  Then they handed him a circle of bread right out of the oven!  We
shared the fresh bread as we drove along and it was so delicious.
We meandered through the countryside rather than on the highway, enjoying the farmland views.  People were planting or picking in the fields and cows, horses, and sheep were grazing on the hillside.  Every once in awhile we would pass a village or a small town.  Some were obviously very old townsites, some quite modern.

Kaymakli Underground City

Our next stop was the underground city of Kaymakli.  Kaymakli is built under the Citadel of Kaymakli and dates back to as early as the Hittite times.  This particular underground city is the widest underground city that is open to the public.  The deepest is Derinkuyu Underground City but is not the best choice for older travelers..... like me :))  I had to do a fair amount of crouching to manouver through the tunnels.

Our Guide - Levent

Our guide at the underground city, Levent, had just finished his time in the Turkish army and we were his first customers.  He was very excited about his new position.

Standing by a wheel that was rolled
In front of the passageway for protection

Levent gave us a great tour and guided us through the underground city safely.  Archeologists have reported that supposedly at one time this underground city housed up to 3,500 people from all walks of life.
The higher levels (closer to the surface) housed the richer occupants.  By the time we were down to the 5 level it was difficult to stand up completely in spots because of the low ceiling.
Living in the underground caves made it much safer during war times too.  Levent was very knowledgeable and explained everything about the 5 levels we visited. For me the wine cellars and the shared kitchens was very interesting information.
There are 3 more levels that have been discovered but they are currently closed for safety reasons.
Another neat thing about our tour guide was he and his friends played in the underground city when he was growing up.  What a great playground!  It was also good to know that we were supporting one of the local people.

Ayvali Area

Next we headed back along another country road to Ayvali.  For anyone wanting to escape from it all this is a wonderful place.  Don't expect to run down to the corner store easily! There was definitely a rooster to wake you up in the morning though!

We continued our drive and the next thing we knew we were heading "off-road!" A neat thing about the car we were in was it was atomatic or standard - whatever was needed. Numan stopped at a site that would be perfect for a roadside picnic.
It was peaceful and tranquil and magical.  Down in the valley we could see footpaths meandering through the rocks and greenery.

Off the Beaten Path

The sun was getting lower in the sky.  It is difficult to explain the sunsets here.  You have to experience them yourself.

Four hours after we started the tour we were back at the hotel and I was ready to put my feet up.  It was a wonderful day!

Numan our Guide

If you are planning to see the sites around Goreme and Cappadocia and need a guide, contact Numan at www.turtletour.com
for excellent service.

Cave Homes and Wishing Trees, Goreme, Turkey

Local people occupied cave homes surrounding Goreme, Turkey up until 10 years ago.  Then the government stepped in and people who had the caves as their home, in some cases all their lives, had to leave.  Imagine living in such a place and having to haul your water in, living without indoor plumbing, but at least it was all yours?  And then being told to leave.  It must have been devastating for some of the elderly people.

I had a wonderful opportunity to travel around Goreme yesterday with my friend Judy and see some of the amazing structures created by the winds and rains over the centuries.

There are many shapes and sizes and colours and hues on the hillsides as well as in the center of town.  I did a double take in one section with the number of phallic symbols represented, all created by mother nature.  You'll have to visit the place yourself if you wish to photograph them but I'm sure they are the start of many interesting conversations!

Something interesting near Goreme is pigeon valley.  The area housed thousands of pigeons at one time and farmers would gather the pigeon droppings and mix it with the tufa soil to make extremely rich fertile soil for growing vegetables.They pigeons slowly disappeared but recently new pigeons have been introduced to the area so growers can once again harvest the droppings from the pigeon

The area offers a number of hiking trails or there are places to ride ATVs or horses.  So far I've preferred to go by foot or car but you never know.  A horse might be fun too.

We stopped at one of the sites and took an opportunity for a photo with one of the local wishing trees.  As the story goes, the nomad women would make a wish by tying a piece of rag on a tree that supposedly held the soul of a dede (respected, wise old grandfather).  The wishing tree was a spiritual symbol.

Now people can make a wish by tying an evil eye to the tree.

I finished my tour of the caves and fairy chimneys by taking a picture of the ridge people walk along to watch the sun setting over the valley.

Ballooning over Cappadocia, Turkey

This was my view this morning out my window at sunrise and is specifically for my granddaughter, EmmyLou.  She likes red balloons but this is the closest I could get!  It's times like this I wish I had photographic equipment like my daughter Paula, who is a professional photographer but my Android phone will have to do.

It's hard to describe the colours I'm seeing, not just of the balloons, but of the Fairy Chimneys, as the sun peaks above the horizon.  The many hues of the rock formations quickly change colour as the sun climbs higher in the sky.

Cappadocia is well known for their amazing balloon rides, mainly because of the incredible views from the sky of the Fairy Chimneys and formations.  My room location is perfect as it allows me to watch the climbing balloons as they take off. Even if you don't plan to go to Turkey please check out the Cappadocia Balloon Flights website for some of the fabulous pictures of the ballooning here at www.cappadociaballoonflights.com

Enjoy the following music clip by the 5th Dimension as you think of doing something like this.  Definitely part of my musical memories!

Ballooning became a method of travel back in 1776 and became popular in Cappadocia in the 1990s because of the wind streams flowing through the beautiful valleys here.  It's the perfect conditions to fly silently through the valleys.

Am I going to go ballooning while I am here?  I'm not sure yet. If I do though it will have to be in a red balloon (or at least have red on it)!
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