30 April 2023
Today was spent exploring the culture of Cappadocia. We started the day at the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Goreme Open Air Museum. This is set in a valley which contains about 60 cave churches which were once occupied by monks in small monasteries. We were able to visit about 6 or so churches which had the most amazing colourful paintings, but, in an attempt to preserve the colours, photography is not permitted so I can’t show you any pictures of inside. Trust me – the paintings were spectacular and of very recognizable scenes, such as the Nativity, Betrayal by Judas, Crucifixion, and the Annunciation. There was also a really cool little coffee shop in one of the caves.
After a quick visit to the Three Sisters (a rock formation), the rest of
the day was spent exploring the unique crafts of Cappadocia. It is a wine area,
so we were treated to some wine tasting, again in a really neat cave setting which
of course is a constant temperature so perfect for storing wine.
We were shown how Turkish Carpet was made – they are all hand made with double knots and are spectacular. Carpet making provides work for many local women and helps to prevent them being married off at a young age (some as young as 12 or 13), since they are bringing money into the family. The making of the carpets is highly skilled, and we were lucky enough to have a couple of ladies show us how they are made. It is very time intensive and can take many months or years to complete one rug. The colours were spectacular, but I think my favourite ones were made of undyed wool and were simply natural cream, brown and black. Just stunning.
Another stop was at a jewelry manufacturer. They had lots of jewelry on
display (four large rooms full!) and the gems were of a wide variety. There is
a gem only found in Turkey, called zultanite. When treated, this gem can change
colour depending upon the light. A single stone can range from green, to gold,
to purple, to pink, to pastel green in different lights. It was stunning – as was
the price! The other predominant stone is turquoise with very vibrant blues.
As we travelled around Cappadocia, the scenery remained spectacular and unusual. There seem to be so many cave apartments. The balloons were unable to fly this morning due, but hopefully those in our group keen to go up are able to tomorrow morning and will get to see this amazing landscape from the air.
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