Mount Aratat & the Wonders of Turkey Expedition Dispatch

July 20, 2013 – Lots of Activities on Our Last Day in Cappadocia

We started today with a hike in Love Valley, a region of exceptional wonders. This natural rock structure sits on a high plateau over a thousand meters in altitude just a few minutes’ walk from our hotel; it was a great hike and we all enjoyed it immensely; it’s hard to say which cultural hike we liked best, Rose and Red Valley or today’s.

After the walk we made a stop at the Fairy Chimney’s, one of the best known features of Cappadocia. The Chimneys are sedimentary rocks, formed from volcanic material between 9 and 3 million years ago, eroded by wind and rain into minaret and pillar forms. The locals then carved houses, churches and monasteries into them. We had the opportunity to visit and walk inside of these places and it was fascinating to see their lay out; the food storage, sleeping quarters as well the kitchen and common room.

We then had lunch in a restaurant which specializes in Cappadocian food which was all brought to our table for us to taste. The meal ended with a dessert made right in front of us; they made baklava, a very sweet rich pastry with walnuts and honey. Some say that it was developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul and others say that it dates back to the ancient Mesopotamia, and was in a Mesopotamian cookbook on walnut dishes. We all enjoyed watching the lady prepare the dessert as well as tasting the dish afterwards.

After lunch we went to Goreme Open Air Museum; a complex of churches and monasteries placed side-by-side. This visit was a special request by Laurens; his wife had come here a few years ago and had highly recommended the visit. It is a must visit in Cappadocia and it contains the finest rock cut churches with beautiful frescoes. It has been a member of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1984, and was one of the firsts UNESCO sites in Turkey. We especially enjoyed the “Dark Church”, the entrance goes through a winding tunnel, quite low height, and ends in a vault like room. The church has images of Christ’s life on the walls. What’s most surprising about these frescoes is how well they are preserved; the frescoes have been defaced though, eyes and features hacked away probably by a sharp object.

We finished our day back at the hotel where we started packing and getting ready to go on our way to Mount Ararat in the east part of Turkey. I am sure we will all miss this region and I already heard some plans to be back here someday; after all Cappadocia is not so far from Holland and it really deservers another visit.