It's our last day, well actually it's our last few moments in Cappadocia. I think of all the wonderful places in the world, I've been, this one had me gasping the most. The combination of ancient civilizations ingenuity and the incredible geology makes for a great combination in my book.
Yesterday was a full day. We wandered around on the motorbike driving through small villages and hiking along some paths. Steven loves to go offroad on the motorbike and I love adventures so it was quite fun, as we explored the countryside. We made our way to an unassuming village. In a quiet corner of the town lay an underground city. It is called Kaymakli. We decided to hire a guide for this underground labrynith. It is said, this city began to be built 4000 years ago as a place for the Hittites as a place to hide from their enemies. It was abandoned during peace time and many others followed in their footsteps eventually ending with the Crusaders in the 12th century. The Crusaders made it into what it is today. A city that can hold 5000 people for 6 months.. all underground and completely unseen above ground. There are tunnels and communication holes, bathing areas, small living quarters, a place to make wine, churches and booby traps, a communal kitchen and blocked entries for the enemies.... I LOVED IT and loved imagining what it was like living in there. It is not for the claustophobic, that is for sure.
From there we tried to go to another town, but a storm came in so we decided to go back to our cave and hang for the afternoon. it was a wonderful few hours of rest before we went into town to see a whirling dervish performance, have a lovely meal and then watch another amazing performance from two local muscians...
We are on to Istanbul in a few moments and I can't wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment