Hot Air Ballooning Over Cappadocia’s Incredible Landscape
Cappadocia is an area in Central Anatolia in Turkey with the
most dramatic landscape in Europe. Over thousands of years, wind and
rain eroded layers of sandstone and consolidated volcanic ash to form
the lunar-like landscape with fairy chimneys rock formations. During the
4th to 13th century AD, occupants of the area dug tunnels into the
exposed rock face to build residences, stores, and churches which are
home to irreplaceable Byzantine art. Because of the unique geological,
historic, and cultural features, Cappadocia is a popular tourist
destination, and hot-air ballooning is a favorite sport.
The
Cappadocia region was formed as a result of volcanic eruption
approximately 9 to 3 million years ago. Over hundreds and thousands of
years, the sedimentary rocks and deposits from volcanoes were eroded
into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like forms, that reach
heights of 40 meters. Within these rock formations people have excavated
a network of caves which served as refuges, residences, storage and
places of worship dating from the 4th century. The tunnel complexes
formed entire towns with as many as eight different stories hidden
underground, making it one of the world's largest cave dwelling
complexes.
Cappadocia was inhabited as early as the Hittite era, circa 1800 to 1200 B.C. and later sat uncomfortably on the boundary between rival empires; first the Greeks and Persians and later the Byzantine Greeks and a host of rivals. This precarious political position meant that residents needed hiding places—and found them by tunneling into the rock itself.
During
the early days of Christianity, the caves of Cappadocia gave refugee to
Christians fleeing Rome’s persecution who arrived in some numbers and
established monastic communities here. The monks excavated extensive
dwellings and monasteries and created Byzantine frescoed paintings in
cave chapels beginning in the seventh century, which endure in
well-preserved isolation to this day.
Not all of Cappadocia’s
troglodyte dwellings are museums. Some still serve as homes and others
as hotels, which offer a truly unique hospitality experience.
