Cappadocia is one of Turkey's favorite tourist destinations in Turkey, and if you want to know why this is so, here are ten things you probably didn't know about this place.

  1. Cappadocia used to be a part of Ancient Greece, but the Ottoman Turks recovered it from Roman and Greek influence and made it a part of their empire.
  2. Ancient Cappadocia was mainly a monastery. The way of life was established by the Basil of Caesarea, who persuaded the Christian monks to congregate in the monasteries and pray together.
  3. Göreme had three names. This Cappadocia town was originally named Avcılar, meaning Hunters. Then, it was named Maccan until it was changed again about 30 years ago to its current name, Göreme.
  4. Göreme means "one cannot see in here," it was about how the Christians had hidden from the Arabs after they retreated during the invasion. The underground cities became the Christians' hiding places.
  5. These underground cities had everything the people needed to survive, including tubes for fresh air, storage rooms, toilets, and even places for the animals.
  6. Cappadocia's main tourist attraction is its mushroom-shaped, lunar-like fairy chimneys. These were naturally formed through volcanic sediment erosion, which solidified and turned into a solid formation called tuff. These tuff rocks have been carved perfectly into underground shelters. These fairy houses are straight up, and some resemble chimneys.
  7. Cappadocia was formed about four million years after a succession of volcanic eruptions shook the Central Anatolia terrain.
  8. Though this part of Turkey is famous for tourists, not all of its parts are known to travelers or even visited. One of the less-visited parts is Gulsehir, where every visitor is treated with warmth and friendliness.
  9. If you want to see this place in all its glory, the best thing to do is ride a hot air balloon. Up there in the air, you will feel like you are in a spaceship and watching the moon's surface.
  10. One of Cappacodia's pride and joy is Mount Aktepe near the Rock Sites and Goreme. This site is a UNESCO World Heritage site.


    A visit to Cappadocia is like a visit to another planet. The rock formations are unique,  showing how nature plays a role in everything. If you are considering taking a Turkish vacation, this city should be on your list.