The Cappadocia region is largely underlain by sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams, and ignimbrite deposits erupted from ancient volcanoes. Some 60 million years ago, during three seperate geological periods, the Toros Mountains rose up and in the north, with the land of the Anatolia Plateau beeing squeezed, volcanoes erupted. The mountains of Erciyas, Hasandagi, Golludag all spewed forth lava. The ashes that piled up on the plaetau formed a soft tufa layer. Some of the upper levels of the tufa became covered with a hard basalt formed by a thin layer of lava. In time, the basalt cracked and broke into pieces and the rainwater running in the cracks began eroding the tufa. The changes in temperatures and the wind also contributed to the erosion. Thus, from the hard basalt stones hat-like cones were formed. People came to call these strange formations fairy Chinmeys. Those tufa layers that were not coated with basalt, thanks to the continental erosion, turned into valleys and strangely shaped canyons. Almost 2,000 years ago, Christians carved their first churches into these stones. Cappadocia, IPA /kæpə'doʊʃə/ (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía), was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The name continued to be used in western sources and in the Christian tradition throughout history and is still widely used as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders characterized by fairy chimneys (image below) and a unique historical and cultural heritage. The term, as used in tourism, roughly corresponds to present-day Nevşehir Province of Turkey.Cappadocia's limits are debated. In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians are supposed to have occupied the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of Mount Taurus, to the east by the Euphrates, to the north by Pontus, and to the west by Lake Tuz, in Central Anatolia. But Strabo, the only ancient author to provide a major account of the area, greatly exaggerated its dimensions. It is now believed that 400 km (250 mi) east-west by 200 km (120 mi) north-south is a more realistic appraisal of Cappadocia's area
Cappadocia was known as Hatti in the late Bronze Age, and was the homeland of the Hittite power centred at Hattusa. After the fall of the Hittite Empire, with the decline of the Syro-Cappadocians (Mushki) after their defeat by the Lydian king Croesus in the 6th century, Cappadocia was left in the power of a sort of feudal aristocracy, dwelling in strong castles and keeping the peasants in a servile condition, which later made them apt for foreign slavery. It was included in the third Persian satrapy in the division established by Darius, but long continued to be governed by rulers of its own, none apparently supreme over the whole country and all more or less tributary to the Great King. After bringing the Persian Empire to an end, Alexander the Great tried to rule the area through one of his military commanders. But Ariarathes, a Persian aristocrat, somehow became a king of Cappadocians. Ariarthes I (332—322 BC) was a successful ruler, and extended the borders of the Cappadocian Kingdom as far as the Black Sea. The kingdom of Cappadocia lived in peace until the death of Alexander, when the kingdom fell, in the general partition of the empire, to Eumenes. His claims were made good in 322 BC by the regent Perdiccas, who crucified Ariarathes; but in the dissensions which brought about Eumenes's death, the son of Ariarathes recovered his inheritance and left it to a line of successors, who mostly bore the name of the founder of the dynasty. Under Ariarathes IV, Cappadocia came into relations with Rome, first as a foe espousing the cause of Antiochus the Great, then as an ally against Perseus of Macedon. The kings henceforward threw in their lot with the Republic as against the Seleucids, to whom they had been from time to time tributary. Ariarathes V marched with the Roman proconsul Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus against Aristonicus, a claimant to the throne of Pergamon, and their forces were annihilated (130 BC). The imbroglio which followed his death ultimately led to interference by the rising power of Pontus and the intrigues and wars which ended in the failure of the dynasty.
After an incredible 2 months in the Middle East with its intoxicating rocky and desert landscapes and beautiful neutral hues, we traveled by bus into Turkey and upon crossing the border into Turkey returned back into the world of color and greenery and into a country whose culture provides a unique combination of the East and West. I didnt realize how much I missed trees, grass and other greenery until we entered Turkey. The sight of so much green brought a sense of peace, relaxation, and elation that I hadn’t felt in months. Don’t get me wrong, the expansive and breathtaking desert and the rocky mountains and hills splattered with brush of the Middle East were fantastic, but there is something about good-old fashioned forests, woodlands and wildflower fields that brings a different sense of satisfaction and appreciation for nature. A similar comparison might be comparing the environments of the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest. Call me crazy, but the air even smelled cleaner, clearer and fresher (I have to believe that plant conversion of CO2 to O2 makes a huge difference). There were other indicators that we’d entered a different region of the world upon our arrival in Turkey aside from just the landscape - the Western alphabet was everywhere (though we weren’t able actually decipher Turkish words, our minds appreciated just being able to recognize familar letters again), advertisments with logos and brands that we recognized began to appear, and our bus spent the majority of the time cruising down large, smooth, multi-lane freeways with organized traffic, painted dividers and even a shoulder along the side of road (examples of traffic infrastructure and concepts that were foreign in the Middle East).
