Day 9 - Cappadocia

Welcome to day nine! Today we woke up in Cappadocia, located in central Türkiye and prized for its vibrant and dynamic geography. The region is comprised of a basin surrounded by four major volcanoes, which are currently categorized as inactive as they last erupted more than 10,000 years ago. The ancient eruptions of these volcanoes created the layers of compressed ash, or Tuffa, and basalt, creating the distinct layers that can be seen in the cliff sides and fairy chimneys throughout the basin. Through thousands of years of erosion, mostly by water, a flat volcanic landscape has transformed into a labyrinth of sand and stone. By the third century AD, this landscape would become a safe haven for Christians of the Roman Empire as they fled religious persecution. The remnants of their presence persists within the landscape in many ways which we were able to explore today, including the Göreme Open Air Museum as well as one of the three hundred underground cities that have been discovered in the area. We also stopped in Fairy Chimney Valley to witness the famous natural formations characteristic to Cappadocia.

Part 1 - Göreme Open Air Museum

Our first stop of the day was the Göreme Open Air Museum. This site includes what remains of a monastic complex, dating back to the sixth century, in which nuns, monks, and other members of the community lived. Within this site we were able to get an idea of what life looked like in Cappadocia for those Christians who fled from their homelands throughout the Roman Empire. The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes five churches and multiple living spaces, although the complex was believed to house fifty five churches in its day.

One of the defining features of this site is its display of both the pre-Iconoclastic and post-Iconoclastic eras of Christianity. Iconoclasm, or the breaking of the icons, was a rule instated within the Church by Emperor Leo III in 754. This rule condemned the creation and worship of religious images as blasphemy, thereby banning such activities. One explanation for this decision is the possible influence of Islam on the Christian Church at the time. The success of Islam juxtaposed the military failures of the Christian emperor, who took these circumstances to be a judgement of God on the Church. Hence, he adopted a feature of Islam, the prohibition of images, in hopes that this change would raise the empire to the level of success that Islam was experiencing at the time. Iconoclasm was discontinued in 787 at the Second Council of Nicaea. By the mid-ninth century, Christians had begun creating religious images once more. 

The churches in the Göreme museum exhibit layers of time and history through their pre- and post-iconoclastic imagery seen in the incredibly well preserved frescoes that cover their walls and domed ceilings. The Pre-iconoclastic imagery that can be seen throughout the complex is characterized by a more primitive style, with very simple designs of a single color. These are likely from around the sixth century when this monastic complex was established. The post-iconoclastic frescoes are very detailed and leave no blank space, covering the surfaces with many colors whose hues remain vibrant today. While the pre-iconoclastic designs utilize mostly shapes and symbols, the others depict detailed figures and biblical scenes.The three churches we visited within the Monastery include the Apple Church, the St. Barbara Church, and the St. Onuphrius or Black Snake Church. The St. Barbara Church exhibits mostly pre-iconoclastic paintings, while the Apple Church and the St. Onuphrius Church display mainly post-iconoclastic frescoes that have chipped away to reveal those that adorned the church years before. Although we were not permitted to take photos inside of the churches, these paintings were one of the most remarkable aspects of our visit.

Hundreds of years later, people continued to occupy these dwellings until the 1960s when the Turkish state decided to preserve them by creating the Göreme Open Air Museum. Interestingly, a kind of second iconoclasm occurred when Muslims occupied these spaces, as many figures or eyes of figures were scratched out or covered so that these Christian images would not be visible in an Islamic space. This detail reveals a parallel to the Hagia Sofia, which we visited on day two, where Christian mosaics from its Byzantine days are covered up.

Another defining feature of the site is its existence as a point of convergence of many different cultures. At the time when Christians began to flee the Empire, Rome surrounded the Mediterranean, stretched from the Atlantic coast of Europe to the Middle East,  and included parts of Northern Africa. Needless to say, it encompassed a vast variety of cultural groups. Consequently, the Christians who gathered in Cappadocia brought a variety of cultures with them. We were able to see an example of this within the St. Barbara Church, where pre-iconoclastic frescoes depicting palm trees can be seen in the main dome of the building. As these trees are not native to the region, we know that this painter sourced their inspiration from somewhere else. 

The carved walls of this church are also painted with a pattern that mimics blocks of stone. This style potentially reveals the people’s yearning for the freedom to build a church of their own and to practice their religion above ground, both literally and figuratively, without having to carve one hidden within the stone. Although this monastic complex was not part of a particular order of Christianity, a sense of unity is clearly felt when venturing through the museum. The people of this Monastery not only persevered through religious persecution, but created a space where that religion could not only survive, but thrive within a multi-cultural community. Whether visitors are religious or not, the space emanates an inspiring sense of community where unity was multi-faceted.

Part 2 - Fairy Chimney Valley and Underground City

The next stop of our day was to the Fairy Chimneys. The Fairy Chimneys are unique geological formations known for their tall, cone shaped structures that rise from the ground. These structures hold thousands of years of history and culture which led to the need to keep it preserved and protected. To help with this they were added onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. Today, we were able to spend some time exploring the area and generating our own observations from several different angles. 

One of the first things that caught my attention had less to do with the rocks and more to do with the name. Before coming to Cappadocia I wasn’t really aware as to how these formations had gotten their name. The Fairy Chimneys are believed to have gotten their name from local legends and folklore. The unusual shape of the structures brought on the question of who or what had built the chimneys, and the answer came to be fairies. The Turkish name for these chimneys is known as Peri Bacalari, where peri means fairy, and baca means chimney. According to one popular tale, the unique formations were thought to be built by fairies to be their homes. Another story that is believed by some Turkish people is that these were built by gen (jinn/djinn). Gen are mythical beings that shape shift and are known to live in the cracks or crevices of rocks. Even though the name and the stories create a type of whimsical air to the land, it isn’t exactly the truth. 

The beginning of the creation of the Fairy Chimneys goes back millions of years. The natural process was a combination of volcanic activity, erosion, and time. About 60 million years ago, volcanic eruptions in the area deposited layers of ash, lava, and basalt. The mixture of these components created thick layers of rock called tuff/tuffa which are relatively soft and easy to carve. The second part of the creation process was erosion. Over the years, the rocks had to deal with many natural forces such as wind, water, and temperature fluctuations. These elements wore away the softer tuff layers and eroded them into distinct formations. The harder basalt layers are usually found on top and are more resistant to weathering and erosion, which is how the mushroom-like shapes of the chimneys were formed. The combination of all of these elements over millions of years is how the Fairy Chimneys came to be. 

The way the chimneys were formed allowed for humans to come and create their own uses for them. The layers of tuff gave an easier way for people to carve into the rocks and form houses, churches, and even storage areas. The layers of tuff weren’t only found in the Fairy Chimneys but all around Cappadocia. A group that took advantage of this were the persecuted Christians during the Byzantine era. 

Our final stop of the day was to the Underground City. These cities are another site on the UNESCO World Heritage list that are being preserved and protected for their cultural significance. The city that we were able to visit today, one of three hundred known cities, was a series of narrow and winding passages and small cell-like rooms. We were only able to see a small portion of the vast city but the little we saw gave us a glimpse of how life would’ve looked like. 

It is believed that these cities were built at the beginning of the 8th century by the Phrygians as a place to hide from invaders. They used the natural rock formations, expanding them into more structured spaces for living, storage, and even religious purposes. It was built like this to house around 30,000 people for 3 to 4 months at a time. These invasions went on at the beginning of the summer every couple of years for 50-60 years. These cities were located along the Silk Road which was the exact path that the invaders would take to get to the west. The structure was originally inspired by the underground tunnels the Hittites used to get behind their enemies, which was meant for attacks, but it ended up being made for more of a defensive move. 

When the cities were in use, each family was given a “cell” to stay in and were expected to keep it stocked year round with food and water in case of a surprise invasion. The architecture of the cities was specifically designed in a defensive manner to keep everyone safe from attackers. Their water supply most of the time had wells or cisterns underground to allow as little contact with above ground as possible. With the arrival of the Seljuk Turks came the end of the raids. This meant the beginning of the declining use of the cities. When the area began to get more settled and modernized its purpose went from hideout to food and wine storage. Now, many of the cities are open for people to visit to get a closer look into the lives of the ancient civilizations. 

All of our visits today demonstrate the various purposes that these spaces have held over time. Beginning as places of refuge, throughout the years they blended into modern day through continued use. In every corner of Cappadocia, cave dwellings can be seen embedded within modern-day towns, used as hotels, and even next to the road while driving through. These spaces have changed hands many times, and each inhabitant has left their mark. This is one reason why the purpose of many of them have changed once again to become the educational spaces we had the privilege of visiting today.

Thanks for joining us in Cappadocia, see you next time!