Turkey Rocks!

Last weekend was Kurban Bayrami in Turkey, the Feast of the Sacrifice. Although Turkey is a secular country, muslim festivals still have a huge role to play in the lives of many people. In big modern metropolis' such as Istanbul the old ways are quickly dying out, but in rural areas you will still be lucky enough to find people upholding the traditions of the holiday. This pretty much involves slaughtering sheep and cows and feasting on the meat for days afterwards. Again, not everyone's cup of apple tea but still a culturally important tradition many 'western' Turks would be foolish to consign to the bin in their push for modernity. Thanks to this holiday and the extra days off, I decided a trip down to Cappadocia for a long weekend would be enjoyable. I had been before during my last trip around Turkey, but one of my most cherished memories is of exploring the area



Sleeping in a cold and musty cave at the end of November probably doesn't sound like everyone's idea of fun, but when that cave is among incredible rock formations in the heart of Turkey then certain allowances can be made. Many of the hotels and hostels in the area have been built around these caves and rocks and it's a nice touch to allow guests to experience the way many locals still live. Waking up at the crack of dawn isn't normally something I encourage other people to do either, but when you get to watch the sun rise over the spectacular landscape of the region while dozens of hot-air balloons launch their passengers in to the early morning sky then the couple of hours of lost sleep don't seem so bad. Fortunately (depending on your point of view), the sacrifices were made behind closed doors, but that didn't prevent the streets literally running with blood and guts.

Cappadocia is known around the world for its impressive rock formations, underground cities, wine and fairy chimneys. The fairy chimneys themselves make this a tourist draw as, let's face it, who wouldn't jump at the possibility of seeing giant penis-shaped rocks as far as the eye can see? I admit to having the maturity at times of a schoolboy, so I won't even try to pretend I didn't snigger like a fool upon seeing them. The rocks themselves were formed from volcanic sediment that over time eroded away to leave them as they can be found now. These fairy chimneys actually proved to be more practical through history than as just a humorous stopover for the various invading armies. During the Roman period of conquest, many persecuted Christians used these freakish columns to hide inside when their oppressors came rampaging through the area. In the valleys and hills of Cappadocia you will find churches and monasteries almost at every turn. The most visually breathtaking of these monasteries can be found at Selime, to the north of the Ihlara Valley.



Although many people will try and tell you that mass tourism to the region has taken the shine off Cappadocia, in my opinion it is still a place of incredible scenery and inspiring dedication to preserving a way of life. There are not many places on my travels that I have happily re-visited or would choose to do so again, but I can say I am happy to have had a second look at this magical place.