Cappadocia: One of Turkey’s most spectacular hiking destinations
The beautiful and diverse Aegean landscape can be found in the heart of one of Turkey’s most popular destinations, Cappadocia. With a vast network of canyons and waterfalls, this is a natural wonderland that will certainly leave you speechless.
The beauty of Cappadocia is in its diversity. With canyons ranging in size from the Grand Canyon of Turkey to the Canyon of Dendara, waterfalls of astonishing dimensions, spectacular rock formations and the unique flora and fauna of the Aegean region.
The canyon system, as a whole is divided into four major geological divisions: the Dardanelles, the Terrace, the Troad and the Taurus. On the Dardanelles are the vast canyon of Kara Balcı (Kara Dere), Göbekli Tepe, and the magnificent Gümüşlük rock shelter, on the Troad, are the gorge of Göreme and the Küçükçekmece rock shelter, in the valley of the Temesi River are the small but very cool Göreme cave. In the Taurus, on the opposite side of the road, is the incredible gorge of Agri or Bursa. Here you can see spectacular gorges with a wide variety of rock formations.
It was here that the city of Karainara (literally “the Rock City”, or Karanıklık, one of the major cities of Cappadocia) was founded on the orders of the Sultan Abdül İsa. Karainara means “the rock of stones”.
Aegean culture in Cappadocia
The city of Karainara is the center of various archaeological zones, which together represent more than 10,000 years of Aegean culture and civilization in the province of Cappadocia.
The oldest city in this region is the ancient city of Troy, which was built around 6500-5000 BC during the Bronze Age.
The most impressive of the cities of Cappadoc
