Where are we now?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Traveling from Cappadocia Region to Konya Turkey

Funny because I just love touching electrical wires.

So this morning came much earlier than I would have liked but there would be plenty of time on the road for sleeping so no worries. Our first stop on our road trip to Konya was at the Underground City at Deinkuyu. There are many underground cities in the area (over 200) and many of them are connected.

One of the many staircases we wondered down. I assure you it would not matter who was chasing me there is no way I am living underground.

This underground city covers an area of around 4.5 kilometres, is about 55 metres down and is considered 7 stories however they are not the same as what we would consider 7 stories. They were used by people during raids for protection. People did not permanently live here but would often spend a couple months underground if need be. This city would have held around 10,000 people.

The first room on the first floor you get to is the stable. Of course this was for the animals. Its location made it easy to get them in and out but was also used as an early warning system. Animals could hear danger approaching long before people could and their heighten reactions would alert the city to danger.

Part of an old classroon.

Next we arrived at the kitchen area. All cooking for the city would be done in one place. The chimneys in the kitchen were covered by pumice stone to absorb the smoke so it could not be seen from the outside.

The city itself is very clever and very well thought out. They used snow for refrigeration and they had an internal water system that was not connected to the outside so that it could not be tampered with by enemies. They also had communication tunnels so that people could talk to each other in different areas of the city. There were schools, chapels, living space, graves and at one point even a winery. The cities were used by many different people over time so the use for individual rooms changed depending on the population’s need. The tunnels were not very large and we spent a lot of time hunched over getting through, which was interesting considering they have been widen and cleared out. The original tunnels would have required adults travelling through them to crawl.

Walking back up some of those stairs.

Once we were finished exploring the city we hopped back in the van and drove for about an hour until we arrived at Ihlara Valley.

This valley contains some old cave dwellings and churches and it was the churches that we stopped to see. We spend about 1.5 hours hiking through it.

The area is not a national park like some of the other valleys in the region, but is still privately owned and the land worked by families. There is a small cost to enter (5 YTL) but a very small price to pay for a nice little hike. It was pouring rain when we first arrived and I think we were all a little hesitant to continue with the hike but the rain quickly cleared and it turned into a great day.

One of the churches that we visited.

Some of the paintings that can still be seen on those church walls.

We then continued our travels with a couple stops along the way. We had to stop and take pictures of Mount Hassan. Kind of made me home sick as it reminded me of my view from the condo in Lincoln Park (but it is ok because I would not be on this trip if I had not sold the condo).

We also stopped to take some pictures of the Selime Monastery. It is made up of old rock caves at the town of Yaprakhisar.

We then drove for a bit before stopping at Sultanhani Caravanserai for a pit stop. This was actually a rest stop on the silk road. Travelers in caravans or on their own could stop here and stay for up to 3 days for free. Here the travelers would find doctors and food and services for their camels and other animals.

On arrival in Konya, we stopped by to visit The Alaaddin Camii mosque. This is the oldest mosque in the area. We arrived during prayer but we were still able to visit. Konya is a much more conservative area and this is the first time I was required to cover my head to enter a mosque but they keep extra scarves at the door so it was no big deal. It was a nice little stop.

A shot of the tower at Alaadin Camii Mosque.

We eventually made it to the hotel and after a quick rest we were off to dinner. We headed to this old mansion and sat at traditional tables while eating some traditional food. We have certainly been experiencing the traditional fare while here so far. Not sure if I can say there is anything that I really dislike but I am not sure the last time I ate this much meat.

Yes we had to sit cross legged at these tables.

We have another travel day ahead of us tomorrow but there will be a highlight when we visit the first of many ancient theatres. It should be a great day.

Julie