exploring cappadocia

Ortahisar Castle.

With the more dramatic (hence less stable) of these towering stone settlements, the fear of collapse would have been greater and more frequent, and ultimately, demoralizing on their populations... After some partial collapses, they were simply abandoned for safer ground in the vicinity... It's interesting that there came a point at which this fear for safety begun to outweigh the fear of invasion.

earth monument 4

uchisar

I was surprised at how many of these fairy chimney dwellings are still in use in one way or another. They are by no means just ruins of a dead civilization... This one here was a particularly interesting, fully functional house surrounded by a flower and vegetable garden.

It reminds me that good space is not based on design hatched in isolation, and not necessarily built from scratch, but is like an engaged conversation with the surroundings, and is sometimes a subtractive (not an additive) process... In a context such as this, the effect is pretty amazing.

I had a feeling I would find Fred Flintstone behind that door.

fairytale mornings

The only things missing from making this into a real fairytale are little hats and pipes for my four-legged companions. (Click on image, or here.)

monastery

göreme

Pigeon Valley with King Pigeon outcrop.

There is a definite risk to living in some of these stone dwellings; the soft stone easily erodes; sometimes large pieces sheer off without notice.

Love Valley...

I think "Valley of Freudian Slips" has a better ring to it — it is very slippery... and Freudian.

a terrace with a view

Normally, I wouldn't document something as particular as my accommodations, but in this case I have to make an exception. In every way, Cappadocia was somehow remarkable, and in large part this can be attributed to the charm of the inn a friend and I stayed at, and the familial hospitality of its owners. I couldn't get enough of the picturesque serenity of the place, the unique comfort, the interesting and international company, the good meals, the morning hikes with the dog... and the unexpected surprises... If I ever vanish without a trace, I will most likely be hiding out here.