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Balloon ride over the Cappadocia region. Cappadocia, Nevşehir Province, in Central Anatolia is where sedimentary rocks created by eruptions from volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like forms. People carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft volcanic deposits. Göreme became a monastic centre in 300–1200 AD.
Uçhisar Castle / Landlord's Castle - a massive rock with a number of rooms carved into it. Many rooms hollowed out into the rock are connected to each other with stairs, tunnels and passages. At the entrances to the rooms, there are millstone doors used to control access. Most of the rooms located on the north side of the castle are in use as pigeon houses (dovecots). Farmers use the dovecotes to collect the pigeon droppings which are then used as a natural fertilizer for the orchards and vineyards.
Rock formation at the Göreme Open Air Museum.
Entrance to the Kelebek Cave Hotel in Göreme, Cappadocia.
Rock formations in Rose Valley, Cappadocia.
The library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, now part of Selçuk. It was built in honour of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (in 135 AD) by Celsus' son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. Celsus is buried in a sarcophagus beneath the library, in the main entrance which is both a crypt containing his sarcophagus and a sepulchral monument to him.
The main thoroughfare of Hierapolis. Hierapolis was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia.
The Frontinus Gate in Hierapolis, is the entrance to the Roman city and leads onto the large plateia, 14 m wide, which crosses the whole settlement.
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water.
Village on the shore of Lake Van.
Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island, a 10th-century church and monastic complex.
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. It is a saline soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes (having no outlet). The original outlet from the basin was blocked by an ancient volcanic eruption. Although Lake Van is situated at an altitude of 1,640 m (5,380 ft) with harsh winters, it does not freeze due to its high salinity except occasionally the shallow northern section.
Traditional mud brick "beehive" houses in the village of Harran, Turkey. The design of the houses makes them cool inside and is thought to have remained unchanged for at least 3,000 years. Some were still in use as dwellings until the 1980s. However, those remaining today are strictly tourist exhibits because most of Harran's population lives in a newly built small village about 2 kilometres away from the main site.
And if you'd like to watch Nicola Philippi's video of the balloon ride over Cappadocia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2GWBobOaco&list=UUjO2CsMrL0LKaO_RwrwXcDA
Uçhisar Castle / Landlord's Castle - a massive rock with a number of rooms carved into it. Many rooms hollowed out into the rock are connected to each other with stairs, tunnels and passages. At the entrances to the rooms, there are millstone doors used to control access. Most of the rooms located on the north side of the castle are in use as pigeon houses (dovecots). Farmers use the dovecotes to collect the pigeon droppings which are then used as a natural fertilizer for the orchards and vineyards.
Rock formation at the Göreme Open Air Museum.
Entrance to the Kelebek Cave Hotel in Göreme, Cappadocia.
Rock formations in Rose Valley, Cappadocia.
The library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, now part of Selçuk. It was built in honour of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (in 135 AD) by Celsus' son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. Celsus is buried in a sarcophagus beneath the library, in the main entrance which is both a crypt containing his sarcophagus and a sepulchral monument to him.
The main thoroughfare of Hierapolis. Hierapolis was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia.
The Frontinus Gate in Hierapolis, is the entrance to the Roman city and leads onto the large plateia, 14 m wide, which crosses the whole settlement.
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water.
Village on the shore of Lake Van.
Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island, a 10th-century church and monastic complex.
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. It is a saline soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes (having no outlet). The original outlet from the basin was blocked by an ancient volcanic eruption. Although Lake Van is situated at an altitude of 1,640 m (5,380 ft) with harsh winters, it does not freeze due to its high salinity except occasionally the shallow northern section.
Traditional mud brick "beehive" houses in the village of Harran, Turkey. The design of the houses makes them cool inside and is thought to have remained unchanged for at least 3,000 years. Some were still in use as dwellings until the 1980s. However, those remaining today are strictly tourist exhibits because most of Harran's population lives in a newly built small village about 2 kilometres away from the main site.
And if you'd like to watch Nicola Philippi's video of the balloon ride over Cappadocia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2GWBobOaco&list=UUjO2CsMrL0LKaO_RwrwXcDA