The drive from Antalya to Ürgüp, in Cappadocia, was the worst weather day of the tour, cold, wet and windy. I was glad we spent the majority of our time in the bus.
We stopped at Konya, the mystical center of Islam. The great prophet and poet, Rumi, is buried here. His life inspired his followers to establish the Mevlevi order, more commonly called the Order of the Whirling Dervish.
Rumi was born in 1207, the son of a Persian theologian and mystic. Rumi was an established Islamic jurist when, at the age of 37, he met Shams, a dervish. As a result of the encounter he became an ascetic, forgoing all forms of indulgence. The picture above shows his tomb.
Rumi believed music, poetry and dance provided a path for knowing God. He was an accomplished musician. His volumes of poetry are still widely read.
Konya was the cleanest city we encountered. There wasn’t any litter. Though many buildings were over 700 years old, the religious complex was trim, extremely well maintained, and despite the post Ramadan High Holy Day crowd, spiritual.
We continued on along a road which had been part of the Silk Road. Our stop in Aksaray was the site of a magnificent 12th century caravanserai. These medieval travelers lodges supported and promoted commerce. Caravans were able to rest and resupply. The caravanserais sponsored by the Ottoman Empire, provided free room and board for up to three days. The complex is very large with space to accommodate 100’s of camels and rooms for the merchants. Merchants could also purchase insurance and seek medical aid at these stops. There were many private caravanserais in addition to those sponsored by the Ottomans.
I had visited Cappadocia in 2013. The region had many more hotels and tourist facilities. Turkish hotels catering to tour groups tend to offer both breakfast and dinner. The food at our hotel in Ürgüp was quite good. As a bonus, their small spa offered a 30 minute foot massage for 20 euros.
The Cappadocia landscape has inspired authors and screen writers. The unusual rock formations can appear eerily human. The fairy chimneys in Turkish legend, are a story of a forbidden love. The daughter of a powerful pasha fell in love with a goatherd. The couple tried to flee but the pasha’s soldiers cornered them in a valley. The lovers prayed and were turned into fairy chimneys. They have lived for centuries in the valley and procreated hundreds of children.
In addition to incredible above ground rock formations, the region has several underground cities. The soft tuff, volcanic ash, that is characteristic of the area, is easy to carve and sculpt.
The geomorphology of the region, soft tuff rock with little underground water, facilitated the creation of underground cities. These vast tunnel complexes could accommodated 20,000 people with several levels ingeniously designed. The honeycomb pattern of the levels provided sufficient support to prevent collapse. The site at Derinkuyu has 18 levels and a depth of over 280 feet, a ventilation system and a deep fresh water well.
It’s believed these cities could have existed since 2000 BC. The caves have hosted many different inhabitants. Animals were stabled on the top level. The complexes included storage rooms, meeting rooms, olive presses, and later on chapels. During times of attack, the entry sites to the complex could be sealed by moving giant circular rocks into place. A narrow, steep and twisted tunnel would dead end at the rock wall. As the invader attempted to break through the rock, he would be speared through a hole in the top or side wall of the tunnel. The last inhabitants of the tunnel were ethnic Greeks who were forcibly exiled in 1923.
Though Cappadocia has become a tourist destination, the nature of its natural attractions, large outdoor expanses of fascinating rock formations, can leave you awed. However, touring through the confines of an underground cave city, especially on a holiday weekend, is a bit claustrophobic.