The Hindu Business Line : On a whirl

Looking back at my visit to Cappadocia, there are a few things that have got etched in my mind. For instance, the first night at the Cave Hotel, which has small cave-like rooms connected by narrow tunnels, was pretty long and eventful as every corner of the room conjured up images and stories.

Then an unforgettable experience in a hot-air colourful balloon early in the morning. The Goreme Valley is filled with peculiar looking rock columns; from the balloon basket the landscape appears like an enchanted world.

Our guide, Gurkan Adali, said these rock formations had been used by early Christians as hiding places from the Romans. We visited an underground city that went down four levels; at the lower levels were huge circular wheel-shaped rocks that could be rolled to block a tunnel entry. There were several of these, and since the tunnels allowed only one person at a time, the Christians could even trap their pursuers by rolling shut two of these round rocks.

An outdoor museum in the midst of rocks was interesting. There were chapels carved into these rocks too. There were small rooms, a dining room, and what may have been a kitchen since the rock ceiling had blackened.

Whirling Dervishes

As a self-confessed lover of Sufism, one was extremely impatient to witness the Dervishes’ performance.

We were taken to the historical Sarihan Caravanserai. Sarihan, situated 15 km from Goreme, on the banks of the Damsa brook, is said to have been built in 1249.

An amazing structure with an indoor area of five naves and a courtyard, it looks majestic in the middle of nowhere. One was fortunate to capture the moon over the serai, an enchanting picture!

The ritual began with the eulogy, followed by the haunting music. The entire experience was extremely moving and mesmerising.

Belly dancing, Turkish bath and more…

From Whirling Dervishes to belly dancing… it promised to be an absolutely contrasting experience. If you are lucky, then you will get to see Asena, Turkey’s famous belly-dancer, moving to some amazing Turkish numbers.

A visit to a hamam (Turkish bath) can be a very pampering experience. There are attendants at the hamam to scrub, massage and wash guests. The attendants work away your stress with their invigorating massages, starting at the neck and working every muscle down the entire length of the spine to your feet.

The tradition of the Turkish bath was adopted from the Romans and Byzantines, and perfected by the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks. Cappadocia has both traditional and modern hamams.

From the Cappadocia region, a day-long, beautiful drive through the countryside took us to the Sirene Belek, Golf & Wellness Hotel — a paradise of golf courses, beaches and water sports. Staying here, I could experience the spirit of Turkey which does not allow visitors to feel like foreigners. No matter how you opt to spend your time, you’re sure to discover your own reasons to love vacationing in Cappadocia.

Sail through history, go up in the skies, go down to the underground cave cities and indulge at a Turkish hamam.

The region of central Anatolia called Cappadocia shows a spectacular ly different landscape, with its wind- and water-eroded volcanic-tuff based soil.

Throughout the region there are thousands of natural, pyramid-shaped rock formations and cave-like settlements carved by humans since the early ages .

Cappadocia is located approximately 50 km to the south of Mount Erciyes (Argaeus), which was a volcano.

The violent eruptions of Erciyes covered the whole area with a thick layer of volcanic ash. And with passage of time, and as a result of wind and water erosion, this hardened tuff created a bizarre landscape.

Some of these chimney-like rock formations were cut and shaped into homes or sometimes even a church by the local people.