What is Cappadocia? What is Cappadocia famous for? Byzantine period in Cappadocia

Modern Cappadocia is a major tourist center, visited by many tourists every year. You can get here by bus from any city in Turkey.

Where to stay?



Tourists are offered a wide variety of hotels that meet the tastes and requirements of any client. There are luxury hotels here, where accommodation starts from 269 euros per night, and there are also quite simple hotels, the design of which is reminiscent of the structure of a traditional Turkish house, with quite affordable prices.

Sights of Cappadocia

There are approximately 350 Christian churches preserved in Cappadocia, which mainly date back to the 9th to 11th centuries AD. Although there are also more ancient ones. All of them are carved directly into the rocks, and their decoration is not striking in luxury or size. In some temples, paintings are applied directly to bare walls. At a later time, the painting technique was improved, and frescoes began to be painted on a plaster base. Many of them are perfectly preserved, as they have never been exposed to sunlight.

Nowadays, services are no longer held in Christian churches; Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople comes here only once a year, in the spring, and holds prayer services in some churches.

IN Valley of the Earthen Pyramids, which is 17 kilometers from the city of Nevsehir, there are many rock churches, among which, dating from the 11th century, originally built as a monastery, the Buckle Church, considered the largest of the rock temples, the Sandal Church, consisting of two floors, the with apples, so named due to the apple trees located around the temple, the Snake Church, dating back to the 11th century, the Church of St. Barbara and the Maiden Convent.

Underground cities, along with rock churches, are the main attractions of Cappadocia. The largest of them is Derinkuyu, which is 85 meters deep. Once upon a time, about 10 thousand people lived here at the same time.

Another underground city is Kaymakli, in which only six underground floors have been excavated to date.

Ozkonak is also known, which has not yet been completely cleared, so the exact area of ​​this underground city has not been established.
Cities began to be carved into rocks in the first millennium BC. In this way, local residents hid from numerous enemies. The ventilation system works well in these cities. It can even get very cold on the lower floors, so it's worth bringing some warm clothing when visiting these attractions.

The best time to visit Cappadocia is in spring, early summer and autumn, that is, at a time of year when there is no sweltering heat. Museums are open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. The entrance ticket to the underground city is 15 liras, that is, about 8 dollars.

Cappadocia is known as a center of pottery production. There are many small factories producing ceramic dishes and souvenirs here. For little money you can buy a wonderful wall plate or clay jug, which will remind you of your trip to the wonderful country of Cappadocia for many years.

When you fly in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia in bright sunny weather, such bizarre and surreal pictures open before your eyes that you get the impression that you suddenly found yourself above the expanses of another planet, or at least in a parallel reality - the sights of this area look so unusual and incredible, joint work of nature and man.

It is interesting that Cappadocia (translated as “Land of Beautiful Horses”) is not the name of a city or settlement, but the historical name of an area located in Central Anatolia in Turkey. It is notable for the fact that on its territory there is a huge number of interesting sights - stone pillars created by nature, dwellings and temples of monks carved into the rocks, as well as huge underground cities with tunnels connecting them to each other.

This region is quite far from the capital of Turkey: if you take the Istanbul Cappadocia bus, you can get there in 10-11 hours (the flight will cost about thirty dollars). This region includes five regions, and Cappadocia is located on the map between four cities:

  • Kirsehir - located in the north, you can get to it by bus, covering a distance of 638 km from Istanbul;
  • Nowhere is a city in the south; to get here from the capital of Turkey, you need to travel 795 km;
  • Kayseri - to get to this eastern city from Istanbul, you need to cover 772 km;
  • Aksaray - the capital of Turkey is separated from the western city by 674 km.

Formation

Cappadocia is an almost flat, almost devoid of vegetation, low-water plateau, located at an altitude of 1 thousand m above sea level. m., bounded in the south by the Erciyes and Melidz mountains. Cappadocia has such a unique geology that a similar area on our planet simply does not exist: in order for Cappadocia to form, more than 50 million years ago, two forces that were completely opposite in nature were almost immediately involved.

Volcanic eruptions formed mountains, and with them faults, after which lava, pouring out, filled all the lowlands of the area, leveling valleys and forming a plateau. Since Cappadocia is characterized by weather with sharp and severe temperature changes, cracks appeared in the rocks as a result of erosion and weathering, and the water trapped in them constantly froze and thawed, which contributed to the destruction of the rocks.

Stone pillars

Thanks to erosion and weathering (changeable weather played an important role in this process), one of the most interesting natural attractions appeared in this area - stone pillars or, as the Turks call them, “fairy fireplaces” (moreover, this phenomenon is unique to Cappadocia and is not found anywhere else ).

The cones are usually located either as a solid wall or in separate groups, while some of the formations are quite high (about forty meters).

These pillars are basically mushroom-shaped: on top they consist of basalts and andesites (they form the “cap”), on the bottom they are made of tuffs. If previously the tuff base under other rocks was not visible at all, now, thanks to erosion, a very clear boundary is visible, separating it from other rocks. At the same time, the part of the tuff that connects to the “cap” gradually becomes thinner - and after some time, the top of the column will completely collapse down.


Underground cities

Cappadocia is interesting for another attraction - on its territory there is a huge number of underground cities that were created at the dawn of Christianity, in the first century AD (and according to some sources, even earlier).

Their existence was not known for quite a long time, until in the 19th century one of the French priests came across an incomprehensible hole in the middle of a mountain plateau. The interesting discovery could not help but interest him: he went down and unexpectedly discovered a huge underground city, consisting of several levels and quite well constructed.


Ancient architects provided for the presence of ventilation shafts, wells, barns, animal pens; wine presses and temples were also found. It turned out that the inhabitants of the underground city did not spend all their time underground: many passages leading upward were discovered.

Scientists believe that these underground shelters appeared as early as the second millennium BC during the Hittite Kingdom, and were then discovered by Christians, who expanded them, turning them into large cities of refuge, many of which were connected by underground tunnels. The settlements were so large that the population of some of them exceeded 10 thousand people.

One of the most famous underground cities of Cappadocia is Derinkuyu, which is located near the village of the same name (you can get to it by bus from Nevshehiran, located 30 km away, or from Aksaray).

This city has eleven floors, and its lowest tier is located at a depth of 85 meters (archaeological excavations are still underway, and it may be much deeper). Scientists suggest that this city could easily shelter about 20 thousand people and a considerable amount of livestock.

During the construction of Derinkuyu, the ancient masters did everything to make it difficult to capture: when danger approached, the entrances were blocked by ancient boulders, and if the enemy managed to move them away, he found himself in a confusing labyrinth - the city was built in such a way that only his own could navigate it inhabitants.

Kaymakli

Another underground attraction of Cappadocia in Turkey is the eight-tiered city of Kaymakli, located 18 km from Nevsehir (interestingly, the residents of this city had the opportunity to get to Derinkuyu through an underground tunnel nine kilometers long). About 15 thousand people could easily live on the territory of this city.

Other dungeons

Scientists have not yet determined exactly how many underground cities Cappadocia has: at the moment, more than two hundred such attractions have been discovered between Nevsehir and Kayseri alone, forty of which have three floors, the rest - two.


Cave monasteries

One of the attractions of Cappadocia, which tourists always pay attention to when flying in hot air balloons, is the cells, temples and other buildings carved into the rocks: many monks settled in the rocks of Cappadocia at one time - the huge number of “windows” and “doors” (it was possible to climb into the dwellings only with the help of rope ladders).

The construction of cells and temples in the rocks was so active that there was not enough space for everyone, and, in the end, such construction was prohibited - otherwise the rocks could simply fall apart and collapse.

There are especially many rock monastery complexes located in the Goreme National Park, whose area is about 300 square meters. km (the best way to get to the city of the same name is by bus from Nevsehir, which runs every half hour). The museum is located two kilometers from Goreme and is currently considered the largest monastic complex in this area: there are about thirty rock temples of the 9th-11th centuries, most of which are very well preserved.

Time to travel

The best months to visit Cappadocia in Turkey are considered to be October and April - the weather at this time is not hot, but also not cold (in addition, at this time the number of tourists decreases significantly, which means the opportunity to explore everything calmly and unhindered will increase).

Since it is during these months that the weather changes from winter to summer, it is advisable to have clothes in your wardrobe designed for different seasons - at the beginning of April, for example, temperatures can be about +10°C, and already in the middle of the month +25°C .

Naturally, you can visit this area at other times of the year. It should be taken into account that since the climate here is temperate continental, the weather here in summer is very hot (about + 30°C), and there is very little rain - in August, which is considered the driest month, there are no more than three rains.

But although Cappadocia is beautiful in winter, the weather is frosty: the thermometer at night can easily drop to minus 15°C. The weather here is not always like this, so during the day the temperature usually ranges from +1 to +5°C. Therefore, there are no particular difficulties when visiting this area in winter - transport runs well, and in the most visited places the snow is removed.

But it is better to avoid traveling to distant and rarely visited valleys - not only is it difficult to get there, but you can also get stuck in the snow, and in particularly cold weather wolves often come here.

I lived in Turkey for almost a year, and I can say with confidence that this is an absolutely magical country. I would even say that these are several different countries in one country. Let's take kebabs: there are as many varieties of them in Turkey as there are regions in the country. Adana kebab, Izmir kebab, Urfa kebab, Iskender kebab (invented in Bursa)... Do you know why? Because every city wants to do things in its own way, in a special way, better than its neighbors.

Kayseri and Nevsehir are already Cappadocia, but not yet what you need. The center of Cappadocia is Goreme, from Nevsehir and Kayseri it is an hour away by car/bus/taxi.

Transport

Trips to the cities of Cappadocia cost from 0.5 EUR (2 TRY) to 4 EUR (15 TRY) - it all depends on the remoteness of the cities you want to see. In Cappadocia, you can often get to a neighboring village/city by hitchhiking - then everything varies from “free” to “as agreed with the driver”.

Nutrition

There are a lot of cafes and restaurants in Goreme, the average bill for lunch of salad, soup and main course is 6.3 EUR (25 TRY). Eating on your own is problematic; there are only two cities in the region with large supermarkets: Avanos and Nevsehir; in other cities there are “general store” stores with the most necessary set of products (vegetables, sausage, bread, cheese, chips, juices, etc.) It’s quite possible to take bread, cheese, wine and tomatoes with you on a hike.

Main attractions. What to see

Frankly speaking, even if you just leave Goreme and walk wherever your eyes go, you will find a lot of beautiful places, cliffs, caves and valleys. Of course, you should come to Cappadocia primarily for the extraordinary “alien” landscape: craters, volcanoes, rocks, cave cities - all this is a real miracle of nature, which resembles a beautiful oriental ancient fairy tale.
If you are interested in Christian shrines, then, of course, out of all of Turkey, you should choose Cappadocia. After all, the entire rocky Cappadocia are former Christian cities, the inhabitants of which were forced to hide from persecution and persecution. True, all churches and temples are now inactive, except for Easter and Christmas, no services are held there. But many of them have preserved ancient frescoes, which tourists from all over the world come to see.
And, of course, many newlyweds spend their weddings and honeymoons in Cappadocia, because it’s warm, delicious, a lot of wine, beautiful sunsets, caves, rocks and hot air balloons :)

Top 5


Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

There are a lot of churches and temples in Cappadocia, because these are real Christian cities, where early Christians first simply settled and later hid from persecution. There were quite a few of them, and quite a few churches remained after them (frankly, at every step). These churches and temples do not operate, but services are held in some of them twice a year: on Christmas and Easter, and the rest of the time they are open to tourists. Almost all churches with frescoes have an entrance fee (2-3 EUR). If you plan to skip the paid museums and churches, Cappadocia has a large number of free, well-preserved churches.



There are a lot of beautiful churches on the territory of Cappadocia; where there are frescoes, photography, unfortunately, is usually prohibited. Don’t try to visit absolutely all the churches in the area – even a month is not enough for this. Choose a couple of paid and a couple of free churches to get acquainted with, after all, almost all of them were built at the same time and according to the same model.

Museums. Which ones are worth visiting?

Of course, almost every major city in Cappadocia has a city, archaeological or ethnographic museum. But the number 1 museum in Cappadocia is, of course, (Goreme Open-Air Museum). This museum is located within the Goreme National Park. All the churches that I wrote about above are located in the open-air museum.
This is a large monastic rock and geological complex with bizarre tuff mountains, hills in which Christian dwellings and churches have been preserved. This site is protected by UNESCO. Entrance – 5 EUR+2.5 EUR for entry to the Dark Church.

This is the most visited place in Cappadocia, come as early as possible (opening at 8.00), especially if you come during the season, to calmly explore everything and avoid standing in lines (15-30 minutes). Perhaps this is the only paid museum that I would still recommend visiting. But if your budget doesn’t allow it, don’t despair, Cappadocia is full of beautiful fantastic landscapes and free churches. Every tourist who has stayed there for more than 1 day will have his own favorite secret place - a mountain where it is best to see the sunrise, a cave with the most bizarre tunnels, a crevice in which you can hide - there is a lot of free Cappadocia and enough for everyone.

Food. What to try

You could write collected works in 10 volumes about Turkish cuisine, and it wouldn’t be enough. Here, you can read about Turkish cuisine in general; many dishes are also found in Cappadocia.

But in general, the cuisine of Cappadocia is a special cuisine, which in some places is very different from Turkish. Famous Istanbul mussels drizzled with lemon? Who can say why they are not in Cappadocia? That's right, the nearest sea is six hours away. Shrimp, gobies, trout and other red mullet? They are served in Cappadocia restaurants, but they will never be as tasty as fresh ones, alas (although some craftsmen may argue with me).

The cuisine of Cappadocia is, first of all, all kinds of pots and tandoor. Stewed vegetables + stewed meat + pickles in a clay pot = home cooking. A long cold winter (and the Turks believe that Cappadocia has cold winters, yeah, +2C on average in January), a lot of clay around - all this contributes to the preservation of food and an abundance of dishes in pots and in a clay tandoor.

Tandoors remain in many underground cities, churches and monasteries. It was possible to warm up near them in a cold cave. And in working tandoors they prepare soup, meat and magnificent long and flat (like a big boat) local bread. Many cafes and restaurants make long, crispy, fresh bread (sometimes as long as your table), and this bread with fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and sausage (from the local grocery store) can be taken with you on hiking trips. And to watch the sunset, you can also take local raki (aniseed vodka) or wine.

A real gastronomic attraction of Cappadocia is “testi kebab”, or it is also called “potyri kebab”. At the very beginning, I wrote that there are as many kebabs in Turkey as there are cities, and I didn’t lie. Cappadocian kebab is prepared in a tandoor in a clay pot, which is broken in half with a large knife before your eyes, already on the table. This is lamb with vegetables, juice flows from the dish, which remains in the rim of the pot and can be dipped into with fresh bread. This is authentic hearty Cappadocian food, served in almost all cafes and restaurants.
They really love eggplants in different varieties (this is my favorite vegetable, I can return to Cappadocia again and again for this reason). Pickles, jams, marinades, all of this is present in huge quantities in home cooking.

Also in Cappadocia they love to cook lamb on a spit and all kinds of steaks. And, of course, rich lentil soup, however, it is loved throughout Turkey.

The nearest large supermarkets are in Avanos and Nevsehir, so if you are staying in Goreme and have nowhere to go to buy groceries, be aware that the local stores do not have a very large selection. Fruits, vegetables, local meat (no pork), olives, sweets. There are no problems with alcohol: wine, beer, and crayfish are sold almost everywhere.

Be sure to try the local wine (if you drink alcohol, of course). Cappadocia is Turkey's wine region, home to a large number of vineyards, and some winemakers still make wine using the ancient method - in a tank dug out of the rock. And the corks are sealed with clay to give the bottle a resemblance to the Cappadocian rocks.

Be sure to buy some local wine (if it does not contradict your beliefs) and drink it on the terrace overlooking Cappadocia at night (the stars are especially visible in this area). You can also smoke hookah and cigars on the terrace (check with the owner of the restaurant/hotel).

Safety. What to watch out for

Cappadocia is a very calm area. It is not at all noisy with a bunch of thieves, beggars and suspicious taxi drivers :) One girl can go to Cappadocia and not be afraid of anything at all. Even night buses are very comfortable, and you will be waiting for them at a busy stop.

The main thing to remember in Cappadocia is that you are in the mountains, and actively climbing them without special training, in non-tourist places, in uncomfortable shoes, imagining yourself as a climber, and especially in winter, when it is slippery, is dangerous.

Also, be careful away from tourist trails, where you can’t see what’s around the corner (in Cappadocia there are ATVs, bicycles, and motorcycles), all of these vehicles speeding up can cause you harm.

And finally, balloons. Hot air balloon crashes are an extremely rare occurrence; more often than not, everything ends badly when a tourist refuses to buckle up during an emergency landing due to the wind and continues to take pictures of the picturesque views.

Things to do

So, you are in my beloved Cappadocia. Things to do? Pfff. Guys, just leave the hotel and walk, walk, breathe, climb rocks, kiss in caves, read a book in Old Gör, fly in a balloon, wake up at dawn (I’m a night owl myself, but Cappadocia just requires getting up early if you don’t want to skip the flight of the balls).

How to get around the region

Cappadocia - holidays with children

I would not say that Cappadocia is an ideal place to travel with children. Although this depends on the children and on the parents (some calmly climb into the mountains with a child almost in a backpack), while others are afraid to go beyond the Moscow yard.

Of course, these are not the resorts of sunny Antalya, where there is the sea, sandy beaches, buffets, baby clubs, water parks and zoos. This is a harsh mountainous Cappadocia with hiking, mountain climbing, dust, clay, transfers to planes, buses and minibuses.
Be sure to check with hotels/excursions/balloon flights whether children are allowed. Some hotels do not accommodate children under 15 years of age, and some businesses do not allow children under 10 years of age on hot air balloons.

If your child is a fidget, you need to be prepared to keep him from very dangerous jumps in the mountains, and if he is just small, and you are not used to taking him with you on hikes and trips, then leave your baby in Cappadocia with someone , it will be a little difficult. Well, this vacation is not designed for families with small children.

Although, if you have a car and/or your children feel great on the road, then why not? We can say that this is a kind of “Disneyland”, only created by nature.

It originates from the depths of centuries. The name "Cappadocia" has a controversial origin. It is believed that the Hittites gave this name to the area. "Katpatuka" means "Land of beautiful horses" or "Land where good horses were bred." In principle, this idea has merit. When the Hittites came here, the local population was already leading a sedentary lifestyle, engaged in, among other things, breeding horses. Horses, like their distant ancestors the hipparions, have been found here since time immemorial. Therefore, the local population, of course, mastered this branch of livestock farming.

However, linguistic research also produces theories. For example, in 2000 BC. In this area, belief in the goddess Khepat (Kuta-Khepat, i.e. Sacred Khepat) was widespread. Perhaps this is the basis that later in the Hellenic language was transformed into “Cappadocia”. And it means “Country/People of the Holy Hepat.”

If scientists cannot come to a common denominator with the origin of the name, then with the formation of a local unique landscape everything is more or less clear. A long time ago, back in the 3rd geological period, millions of years ago, the Middle Anatolian Plateau was a sea located on a plain and surrounded by forests, where mastadons, hipparions (ancestors of horses) and other living creatures of that time lived. As a result of geological disasters and the uplift of the Toros mountain ranges in the south, a volcanic chain is formed in this area, incl. now living (but thank you, Lord, inactive) volcanoes Erciyes (3917 m), Hasan (3268 m) and Melendiz (2935 m). About 10 million years ago these volcanoes were very active. As a result of their activities, an incredible amount of ash was thrown out and lava was poured out. All this was deposited in layers. As a result, this area rose 200 m from its original level. Over the years, the ash turned into tuff, the lava into basalt. Erosion occurred under the influence of wind, rain, and temperature changes. Tuff is a very favorable material for this matter. As a result, this unreal surreal area came into being called: all these magical fairy chimneys (in Turkish called peribacalar / peribajalar, or in English fairy chimneys), unimaginable canyons, valleys, unreal figures. Unfortunately, what once created this fantastic area will also destroy it. Erosion continues, which means that someday all this beauty will disappear.

peribajalar

People have lived in this area since time immemorial. They were engaged in gathering, hunting, and fishing. They settled along the main water source of the Kyzylyrmak River, leading a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. Gradually, people began to develop fertile local soils, which led to their complete settlement and the emergence of populated areas. Thanks to the work carried out by the Ankara Archaeological Institute since 1964, various stone objects dating back to the Paleolithic have been found. Populated areas dating back to the Neolithic have also been identified. The largest of them are Adzhigol and Tatlaryn.

In the 4th century. 3 Great Cappadocians lived here: Gregory of Nyssa, Basil of Caesarea and Gregory the Theologian. They are respected in both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

Church of the period of struggle against icon painting. Church of St. Vasily. Gomeda Valley

Christianity in Cappadocia flourished in full bloom both under the Seljuks and under the Ottomans. Islam and Christianity coexisted here for centuries in complete love and harmony. Love ceased to exist in these places only in the 20s. 20th century with the beginning of a sad page in the history of Turkey, called very neutrally “population exchange”, i.e. when in fact the local Greeks were expelled from Turkey, and the Turks from Greece.

Then again years of oblivion. Monasteries and churches with their unique frescoes are destroyed or converted by local peasants into storage facilities, sheepfolds or dovecotes. The tourism boom hit Cappadocia only in the early 80s. and continues to this day. Hotels and other tourist infrastructure are beginning to be built here, some monasteries and churches are being restored. Today Goreme National Park (almost 300 sq. km) is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

(English)Russian). One of the tribes of Cappadocia that he mentions is the Moschians, identified by Flavius ​​Josephus with the biblical Meshech, son of Japheth: “The Mosochens, whose ancestor is Mosoch, now bear the name Cappadocians.”

Location

Cappadocia on the map of Asia Minor. Other borders of Hellenistic states and Roman provinces are indicated

The boundaries of Cappadocia changed over different periods of time. Currently, this name is commonly understood as its main core. The region is located in the center of the Asia Minor Peninsula, without access to the sea. This is a mostly flat, devoid of vegetation plateau with a continental climate, rare rivers, which is located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. From the south it is bounded by the Erciyes (3864 m, Argean Mountain) and Hasandag (3253 m) mountains (Taurus ridge) and extends to the north by rows of valleys to the Kyzylyrmak River and the salt lake Tuz.

Of the rivers of Cappadocia, the main ones were Galis (now Kyzylyrmak) and Iris (now Yeshilyrmak) with a high-water tributary Lik (now Kelkit). The former historical regions of Asia Minor surrounding Cappadocia are as follows: Pontus to the north, Armenia to the northeast, Mesopotamia to the east, Syria and Cilicia to the south.

These territories in ancient times were known as Cappadocia the Great or Mediterranean. Periodically, lands facing the Black Sea were included in Cappadocia; they were called Cappadocia Minor, Pontic or Upper, (although in history they are better known under the independent name Pontus, which was an independent state from time to time).

Cities

Most of the cities of Cappadocia are either known from ancient times and are mentioned in many sources of antiquity, or were founded by Islamic conquerors ca. XIII century

Historical regions of Asia Minor during classical antiquity

Language and population

Cappadocia, especially ancient and medieval, has a rather rich linguistic history due to the fact that the region lay at the crossroads of several important migration flows of both Indo-European and non-Indo-European peoples.

Medieval Capaddocia was characterized by the gradual assimilation of Indo-European speakers (Armenians, Greeks) by non-Indo-European speakers (Turks).

In 1912, in Cappadocia (the modern villages of Kayseri, Nigde, Aksaray and Nevsehir) lived: Turks - 202,927 people, Greeks - 78,719 people, Armenians - 39,489 people.

With the transformation of the empire in 1919, the region became part of the Turkish Republic (officially since 1923). As a result of administrative reform, the region was divided between the administrative provinces of Nevsehir, Kayseri, Aksaray and Nigde. In 1923, the Greek-Turkish population exchange took place, when the Greek-speaking population, who had lived there for centuries, left these lands, and only the Turks remained. In addition, the region was affected by the extermination of Armenians.

In the 3rd century, the Christian great martyr George the Victorious, the most revered saint of this name, was born in Cappadocia.

Armenians in Cappadocia

A number of researchers consider the indigenous inhabitants of Cappadocia to be a people related to the Armenians and Phrygians. The Byzantine policy towards the Armenians played an important role in the history of Cappadocia. Bordered in the northeast by Lesser Armenia, and in the east by Greater Armenia, Cappadocia has long experienced the demographic influence of this nation, but during this period it acquired a special scope. The Byzantine Empire, in the context of the struggle against the Baghdad Caliphate, was engaged in the forcible resettlement of Armenians from Armenia to Asia Minor. There was also a regular, fairly intense emigration from Armenia captured by the Arabs, caused by the same war. Resettlement to Byzantine territories took place mainly in Cappadocia (VII-IX centuries), as well as in Mesopotamia, Cilicia and Syria. “For example, the Byzantine commander Leo in 688 ravaged 25 districts of Armenia and evicted 8,000 families from there to Asia Minor. In 747, in 751, in 752, the Armenians were resettled to Asia Minor from Melitene and Karin (Erzurum)." The peak, caused by the aggression of Byzantium and the invasion of the Seljuks, occurred in the 11th century. For example, in -1021, Emperor Vasily II resettled 15 thousand Armenian families from the Van region to Sebastia (Asia Minor). The Byzantine emperors, having destroyed Vaspurakan, Ani and other Armenian kingdoms, provided the Bagratids, Artsrunids and other royal and princely families with new possessions on the territory of the empire. These rulers concentrated power in their hands as Byzantium itself weakened, along whose eastern border Armenian principalities arose in lands inhabited by Armenians, including Cappadocia.

One of such vassal states was the Artsrunid kingdom, which arose in Sebastia in -1020 under King Senekerim, when this ruler, along with a third of the entire population of his Vaspurakan region, left their lands and moved to the upper reaches of the Kyzyl-Irmak. This was the first Armenian vassal kingdom that arose in Cappadocia, which included Sebastia, as well as a number of cities and counties between the Pontic Mountains and the Euphrates. Byzantium hoped to use it as one of the barriers against the Seljuks. The Armenians titled Senekerim "King of Armenia", while Constantinople gave him only the title of "Patrick" (11th rank in the Byzantine government hierarchy), "Commander" of Cappadocia or "Duc of Mesopotamia and Strategist of Cappadocia." After the death of this ruler in 1026, under his successors, the state continued to expand its borders until it was captured by the Seljuks in 1080.

The next period is characterized by erosion and weathering. Due to the sharply continental climate of Cappadocia with sudden and significant temperature changes, cracks formed in the rocks. Water and ice contributed to the destruction of the rocks, along with heavy rainfall and the influence of rivers. (The Kyzyl-Irmak river and the Nevsehir, Damsa and their tributaries flowing into it played a special role in the formation of the valleys of this area). They destroyed volcanic rocks. Over time, individual hills were formed from the volcanic rock.

Stone pillars

This is how the famous "stone pillars" of hoodoo, or peribajalary(tour. Peri bacaları, “fairy fireplaces”, - remains in the form of stone mushrooms and stone pillars of bizarre shapes and outlines. The geological section of these formations is as follows:

  • at the top there are basalts and andesites
  • and below - tuffs

Pasha Baglari Valley (Pashabag). Nevsehir, Avanos, Cavusin, nat. Goreme Park

Previously, basalts and andesites completely covered the tuff base, but now (thanks to the destruction process) they can only be seen in separate parts of the rocks: they hang in large blocks (“caps”) on cone-shaped tuff pillars. A clear horizontal line is visible below them, marking the boundary between rock and tuff. The neck of the tuff cone gradually thins over time, due to which at some point this “cap” will collapse. The remains that are not protected from above are completely destroyed. The process of their formation and destruction, which manifested itself in the Quaternary period, continues to this day.

Tuff cones rise either as a solid wall or in separate groups. Some of these rocks reach a height of 40 m. This type of formation is considered unique to Cappadocia: the 18-kilometer territory of Kyzyl-Irmak, Damsa-Chayi (in the east), Nevsehir-Chayi (in the west), and in the south 288 sq.m. between Oily and Kermil mountains. The typical form is "mushrooms", although there are more exotic forms. So, in the vicinity of Goreme there is the so-called. Love Valley(Lower Valley, also known as the Valley of Penis, Penis Valley), the rock formations of which have obvious forms of phalluses (see illustration).

By the beginning of the 3rd century BC. e. Cappadocia was divided into 10 provinces, the names of which were preserved by Strabo. Five of them were located on Taurus: Melitene, Kataonia, Cilicia, Tianitida and Garsauritida. The names of the other five were: Lavinsena, Sargaravsena, Saraven, Hamanen, and Morimena.

In troubled times after the death of Ariarathes IV (-), Cappadocia found itself in the power of Pontus, which happened thanks to the active work of the aforementioned Pontic king Pharnaces I.

The widow of Ariarathes V Philopator Laodice (Nisa?), in order to extend her reign, killed her five sons one after another. In - years BC. e. power in the country actually remained in her hands, to then pass to her sixth son Ariarat VI. The king of neighboring Pontus, Mithridates V Euergetes, brought troops into Cappadocia “to support the young heir,” and then married him to his daughter Laodice.

As historians note, one of the country’s sources of income was the slave trade, which was organized by the kings of Cappadocia and Bithynia, filling, for example, the slave market of the island of Delos, which supplied slaves to Rome. Cappadocian slaves are mentioned by the poets Horace, Persius, Martial, and Juvenal.

Key dates

List of rulers of Cappadocia

Persian satraps of Cappadocia Ariartids
  • Ariarat IV Eusebus
  • Ariarathes V Philopatra
  • Ariarat VII Philometor
Ariobarzanidae Macedonian satraps
  • Eumenes(323-316 BC)
  • Aminta(302-301 BC) - governor
Ariartids (350-95 BC)

  • Regent Gordius(101-96 BC)
  • Ariarat IX(96-95 BC)
  • Ariarat VIII(secondary; 95-86 BC)
Ariobarzanids (95-36 BC)
  • Ariobarzanes I Philoroman(95-62 BC)
  • Ariobarzanes II Philopatra(62-52 BC)
  • Ariobarzan III(52-42 BC)
  • Ariarat X(42-36 BC)
  • Archelaus(36 BC - 17 AD; did not come from the Ariobarzanid family). Spouse - Pythodoris
Armenian rulers and kings
  • Senekerim Artsruni (1022-1026).
  • David, son (1026-1065).
  • Atom, son (1065-1083)
    • Abusahl, brother (co-ruler: 1065-1083)

From the XI-XV centuries. active Islamization of these lands begins.

Cave settlements of Cappadocia

In world culture

In literature

In cinema

In computer games

  • Cappadocia is one of the locations in the game Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Sights and tourism

Cappadocia is one of the tourist centers of Turkey. This is due to the presence of unique attractions created both by the forces of nature and by human hands.

The main groups of attractions in the province:

  • Volcanic landscapes are rocks and remains of bizarre shapes created during the process of weathering.
  • Cave and underground cities are settlements carved into soft rocks or underground.
  • Canyons combine specific weathering patterns and, often, cave settlements.

Most of Cappadocia's attractions are located around the city of Urgup. There are Goreme, Zelve, Cavusin, Uchisar and other open-air museums here.

Tourist services in Cappadocia are established at the level of the main resorts in Turkey. There are hotels of all kinds, from manor-type houses to specific cave hotels. Transport links - by car, buses or minibuses - allow you to get to the main attractions. Tourist offices of various companies are located in all cities, providing guide services and all kinds of excursions throughout the province.

see also

  • Great Cappadocians - Church Fathers
  • Cappadocian Greek is considered a possibly extinct language.
  • The Karamanlids are one of the peoples who inhabited Cappadocia.
  • Meteora Monasteries - another cave monastic complex

Lists:

Notes

  1. Richard Nelson Frye.. - Verlag C.H.Beck, 1984. - P. 70.: "The position of the Cimmerians in the great power struggle between Assyria and Urartu is not easy to determine, but it seems that they moved westward against Phrygia and into Cappadocia, from whence probably the name Gomer came into the Bible and Gamirk" in Armenian "
  2. Schmitt, R. Kappadoker // Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie. - Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1980. - Bd. 5. - S. 399. And Summerer, L. Amisos - eine Griechische Polis im Land der Leukosyrer// Pont-Euxin et polis: polis hellenis et polis barbaron. Actes du X e Symposium de Vani, 23-26 September 2002: Hommage à Otar Lordkipanidzé et Pierre Lévêque / Kacharava, D. ; M. Faudot et E. Geny, éd.. - Besançon: Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l'Antiquité, 2005. - P. 129-166. - 298 p. - ISBN 978-2848671062.. According to an older theory ( Ruge, Walther. Kappadokia //