Cappadocia Green Tour (Ihlara Valley and Underground City)

We visit Panaromic Pigeon Valley where pigeons contributed to the lives of locals with their manure to fertilize the vineyards.

The biggest rock-cut monastery of Cappadocia with a cathedral sized church. Selime monastery was carved by the monks in the 13th century and apart from the church has monks quarters, a large kitchen, and stables for animals. The wall were once decorated with frescoes of which very little remains.

Ihlara Valley, the township is famed for the nearby valley of the same name, Ihlara Valley, which is a 16 km long gorge cut into volcanic rock in the southern parth of Cappadocia, following several eruptions of mount Erciyes. Through the valley flows Stream. What is uniqe about this valley is the ancient history of its inhabitants. The whole canyon is honeycombed with rock-cut underground dwellings and churches from the Byzantine period. Due that the richness of the watering possibility and its hidden form and easily to hide structure it was the first settlement place of the first Christians escaping from the Roman soldiers. In the Ihlara Valley there are hundreds of antic churches caved in the volcanic rocks. The most known churches are Agacaltı Church with cross plan, Sümbüllü Church, Pürenliseki Church, Kokar Church, Yilanli Church, Karagedik Church, Kirkdamatli Church, Direkli Church, Ala Church, Kemerli Church and Egritas Church.

Goreme Panaroma, the most magnificent landscape around Goreme has been formed from its solidified lava streams, its ash and tuff stone, all dating from Neocene period. It is criss-crossed by deep valleys formed by heavy erosion. This veritable lunar landscape distinguishes itself by its extensive geological formations. The highly typical mophological structures of Cappadocia are the result of thousands of years of continual erosion, which has shaped the tuff deposits into the strangest pyramids and cones.

Derinkuyu Underground City, has all the usual amenities found in other underground complexes across Cappadocia, such as wine and oil presses, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, and chapels. Unique to the Derinkuyu complex and located on the second floor is a spacious room with a barrel vaulted ceiling. It has been reported that this room was used as a religious school and the rooms to the left were studies. Between the third and fourth levels is a vertical staircase. This passage way leads to a cruciform church on the lowest level. The large 55 m ventilation shaft appears to have been used as a well. The shaft also provided water to both the villagers above and, if the outside world was not accessible, to those in hiding.