Walking
In Cappadocia
The violent eruptions of the volcanoes
erciyes (3916 m) and hasan (3268 m) three millions years ago which
covered the surrounding plateau with tuff, lava and volcanic ash,
are at the origin of the most strange landscape on earth. Undergoing
erosion by wind and water, this plateau was shredded creating
monumental rock formations such as rock cones, capped pinnacles
and fretted ravines in colours ranging from warm reds and golds
to cool greens and greys. "fairy chimneys" with flat
stones on the top, cones with distorted shapes combining to perfect
a more confusing surrealist decoration than any of the most delirious
sculptors could design. In other places, are notched small valleys
dug out of canyons at the bottom of which rivers curve, giving
the appearance of a lunarscape.
cappadocia is not only a wonder of nature. Man lived there. In
pyramids and cliffs openings give access to cave dwellings, rock-cut
churches, monasteries and underground cities dug at the beginning
of christianity.
on this tour, we offer you a fantasy of nature and almost like
another planet and to which no description can accurately do justice.
One needs to feel its magic environment, its colours and its luminosity
to appreciate another dimension...
Itinerary 8 Days
Day 1:
Ankara
Meet with our Samistal Travel team in hotel in ankara. Dinner is
free. Night in hotel.
Day 2:
Ankara - Cappadocia (Mustafapaşa)
We have a look at the old city. Then possibility for those who
want to visit the famous and rich anatolian civilisations museum
where are exposed many objets and tools, found during archaeological
excavations in anatolian historical sites. 4 h drive to cappadocia
area through the anatolian plateau, via the salt lake (tuz gölü).
Before arriving in the heart of cappadocia, we have a stop to
visit to the agzikarahan seljuk caravanserai from the 12th century.
The caravans travelling on the silk-road used this as guest-hotel.
The masonry is an example showing the seljuk art.
Then our minibus drives us to derinkuyu for visiting the incredible
underground city (8 floors, going down to 57 m under the ground).
After this visit, we drive to mustafapaşa charming city, which
was inhabited by orthodox greek, until 1923. At this date turkey
and greece signed the lausanne treaty, concerning exchange of
population between the 2 countries. Today, you can recognise greek
masonry on the face of old houses.
Cheek in pension for overnight.
Day 3:
Tahtali , Uzengi And Pancarlik Valleys - Mustafapasa (Walk About
5 Hours)
After breakfast in the pension, our minibus drives us to the trailhead
point of our walk. We walk down to the tahtali, one of most typical
of cappadocia. Millions years ago tuff, a soft stone comprised
of lava, ash and mud have been thrown out to place by volcanoes.
The erosion made this unnatural work; rock formations out of a
fantasy land rise up before you at every turn and entice you to
look longer and wonder at their creation…
Then through small valleys and plateaux we go down to the valley
of uzengi bordered with a high cliff of white tuff where are thousands
of pigeon houses.
Our lunch break will be on the way as a picnic.
Our pathway takes us into the pancarlik valley. It is a fantastic
landscape, a tumble of waves with pastels colours, patchwork of
vineyards and small gardens in terraces. We are in front of sarica
and kepez churches, carved in the heart a fairy chimney. They
are interesting for their architecture.
Drive back to mustafapaşa village.
Day 4:
Valleys Of Avcilar And Kiliçlar Göreme (Walk About 5 Hours)
Short drive to the beginning of vacilar valley. In the heart
of cappadocia, this is a very beautiful valley, with poplars,
fruit trees and gardens between two walls of colour tuff.
We follow all the meanders; the colours change quickly, the
white dominate, the abandoned gardens fall down in this strange
land.
Then our way continues into the kiliçlar valley. Like mushrooms,
fairy-chimneys are standing up and we walk through them. Simple
rock-cut churches, cones and unusual rock formations are the
highlights of this part of the trek. Picnic will be served
for lunch-break.
Then we drive to goreme village to check in pension for 2
nights. Dinner is free. |
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Day 5: Zelve - Pasabag -
Cavuşin - Kizilçukur - Goreme (Walk About 5 Hours)
Transfer to zelve and visit, an old cave-dwellings-village, today
used as an open-air museum. It was inhabited until 1950, but the
government moved the population because of erosion.
Walk to paşabağ valley (also called priest valley). We walk on
the cliffside dominating the most famous fairy chimneys of cappadocia:
some are getting destroyed, whereas some others have still three
"heads"... We cross çavuşin village village, one of
the first christian settlement. We visit here the old church dedicated
to st the baptispte, where you can still recognise the fresco
of salome dancing for herodes. Afterward we continue onto kızılçukur
(red valley), this valley is certainly the most beautiful in cappadocia
with its formations and red colours: during millions years ago,
rain and wind worked together to erode the soft volcanic rock;
you will see here that the result is really fairy. Small valleys,
cones, peaks and fairy chimneys alternate harmoniously on our
way. Because he needed to become integrated into this extraordinary
landscape, man built into this, cave dwellings, frescoed churches.
We will visit some of them en-route.
Night in göreme. Dinner is free.
Day 6: Guvercinlik - Akvadi
- Göreme (Walk About 5 Hours)
We walkin the göreme-valley, which will get us to the pigeon valley
(called so because of the numerous "pigeon houses" built
in the 18th century). After lunch-breach in uçhisar village visit
the high viewpoint known as "fortress": this offers a
splendid view all over cappadocia. In the afternoon we walk in the
akvadi valley following an old river (today dry), with fruits gardens
and vineyards. In this valley, the fairy chimneys are particularly
slim.
Overnight in pesion in göreme.
Day 7: Göreme - Ihlara Valley
- Selime - Ankara (Walk About 5 Hours)
Drive (1hour 15) to ihlara area where.
Walk in the ihlara valley, along the melendiz with the rhythm of
birds’ songs. This valley is particularly rich with flora due to
presence of water. We will see here cave dwellings and rock-cut
churches from the christian period. We visit certainly ones of the
most beautiful orthodox churches (from 6th and 12th century) with
good conserved frescoes on the rock faces of the valley. We arrive
in belisırma village where we have lunch-break at the bank of the
river.
Then drive to ankara (4 hours). Install to hotel for the night.
Dinner is free.
Day 8: Ankara - Home.
Breakfast and end of service.
For
price details and more information, please contact us
