Travelling in Cappadocia

Scenes from 39 years ago

In March 1985 I had the privilege of visiting Cappadocia, a unique region in Turkey with  deep Christian roots. The landscape consists of large conical formations of sandstone. The “softness” of the rock allows for the carving out of whole rooms, moving from the outside inwards. So, instead of  building a church on level ground, it is carved out like a sculpture, the excess stone being chipped away. The cone-shaped “mountains” in Cappadocia got their shapes as products of ancient volcanic activity. Most of the carved-out churches and monastic structures in the region date to the 11th century.