Turkey is a wonderful country with an awful lot to offer enthusiastic travellers. Whether you want to test out your haggling skills in the labyrinthine markets of Istanbul; look out over striking landscapes or take a walk around some of the most fascinating ancient settlements on the planet, Turkey is sure to have something to interest you. In our second part of our guide to Turkey, we shall explore the cities of Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale (click here to read our first guide on Istanbul).
No trip to Turkey is complete without visiting the plains of Cappadocia. The landscape here is dotted with minaret-like towers made up of layers of sedimentary rocks eroded away to form pillars. These natural stone columns are now affectionately known as ‘fairy chimneys’ as they look like they belong to a fairy tale rather than to real life. You can take a hot air balloon ride over the tops of these ‘chimneys’ and take in the beautiful landscape from above. If you think that this is something that you would like to do then you should book in advance to get the best deal.
Once you are done flying over the Cappadocia, you should try having a look underneath it. The Underground City in Kaymakli is a network of rooms and tunnels which are carved into the rock 8 levels below the ground. The rooms of the city have been used as living quarters for people over centuries and centuries. A lot of the tunnels are very narrow and some of the rooms are very small. If you are claustrophobic or at all uncomfortable with enclosed spaces then this is probably not the best activity for you. If you can handle the compact surroundings then the Kaymakli Underground City will teach you a great deal about the history of the province over the centuries and give you a wonderful insight into the lives of people persecuted under different regimes.
Once you’ve experienced the amazing beauty and rich culture of Cappadocia then you should head to Ephesus to explore the best-preserved Roman city in the Mediterranean region. Here you’ll be able to visit Ephesus archaeological site and find awesome structures such as the Library of Celsius, Hadrian Temple, Marble Street and Agora. Ephesus is also one of the seven Churches of Revelation and holds the House of Virgin Mary. Virgin Mary and St John were said to have lived in Ephesus and died there.
If history isn’t your cup of tea, then you can head over to Pamukkale. Literally translated as “Cotton Castle” in Turkish, Pamukkale is a natural site in Denizli Province made up of hot springs and travertines (terraces of carbonate minerals left by geothermally heated hot-springs). You can walk up through the formations on the travertines path barefooted and cap it off with a swim in the antique pool at the top. Once you are done exploring the thermal pools, you can move on to exploring the ruins of Hierapolis or touring the exhibits in the Archaelogical Museum.
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