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A Rocky Wonderland

CLOSER’s intrepid travel writer explores the wild terrain and ancient cultures and traditions of Turkey
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Together with three travel buddies, we rent a car and drive from place to place at our own leisure. Our trip starts in Göreme, a town in Cappadocia – an area in Central Anatolia in Turkey best known for its unique moon-like landscape, underground cities, cave churches and houses carved into the rocks.
 
Göreme is the ideal place from which to explore this region full of breath-taking landscapes and ornately decorated Byzantine rock-cut churches. As nature lovers, we delve into the place and its cultures.
 
We’re particularly keen to see the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia.
 
The famous fairy chimneys and fantastic colourful shapes of the landscape make this region a natural wonder.
 
According to our local guide, ancient volcanic eruptions blanketed Göreme with thick ash, which solidified into a soft rock—called tuff—tens of metres thick. Wind and water then went to work on this plateau, leaving only its harder elements behind to form a fairy tale landscape of cones, pillars, pinnacles, mushrooms, and chimneys, which reach as high as 40 metres into the sky.
 
Human hands have performed equally incredible works here. The rocky wonderland is honeycombed with a network of man-made caves; living quarters, places of worship, stables, and storehouses have all been dug into the soft stone. In fact, tunnel complexes have formed entire towns with as many as eight different stories hidden underground.
 
Staying in one of the cave hotels, a specialty of the region, is a must.  There are also many accommodation options in Göreme for budget travellers like us. 
 
Gedik Cave Hotel is where we stay. This small hotel lies in a quiet street on the edge of town, offering panoramic views from its terrace and just a few minutes walk from the town centre.
 
After two and a half days in Göreme, we move to our next destination.Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a beautiful nature site in Denizli Province. It was once the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis, built on top of the white “castle”.
 
The city contains hot springs and travertine; terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. The hilltop hot springs deposit calcium carbonate as a soft jelly, which eventually hardens into travertine. This is what gives Pamukkale its unique whiteness and what created the pools.
 
People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years, not only for the extraordinary scenery and ancient history, but also for wellness. The springs are scientifically proven to cure many diseases.
 
The former Roman Bath of the ancient city has been used as the site of the Hierapolis Archaeology Museum since 1984. 
 
After relaxing in the springs, we visit the great 12,000-seat Roman amphitheatre of Hierapolis, which lies just above the travertine and should not be missed.
 
Next, we drive to Antalya – a city on the Mediterranean coast of South-western Turkey. It is Turkey’s biggest international sea resort, located on the Turkish Riviera.
 
Most of Antalya’s historic buildings can be found along the narrow, winding streets of Kaleiçi, the old quarter – a great place for an evening stroll. 
Most historical, architectural and archaeological sites of note date back to the Hellenistic era.
 
And you cannot leave Antalya without experiencing a Turkish bath – Hamams!
 
It’s a great escape for all seasons and it’s best to have one at the beginning of your vacation, because you will definitely love it and will go again and again. Truly addictive!
 
Healthy steam baths have been popular in Turkey for thousands of years, many of them surviving from Hellenic and Roman times.
 
Upon entering the Hamam, we’re given a locker key and a pair of slippers or wooden clogs to wear. We leave our clothes and valuable in the lockers and off we go.
 
Then we’re taken to a warm steamy room surrounded with marble-lined seats, and marble wash-basins running hot and cold water to mix to dowse ourselves using traditional metal bowls. This is where we relax and enjoy the steam.  
 
In the centre is a raised marble navel stone – a hot platform on which to relax, sit, lie, work up a sweat, and have a scrub and soap massage. 
Masseuses cover you from head to toe with rich white frothy bubbles, using a cloth bag. Then they massage your entire body with a gentle pressure on your muscles and joints.
 
After a shower, it’s off to a cool room for relaxation and then a full body massage with aromatherapy oils. Heavenly and definitely an experience not to be missed!
 
Relaxed, it’s time to visit the bazaars for some souvenir shopping.Everywhere we go in Turkey, we see a blue circle with an eye in the middle. This is Turkish ‘Evil Eye’ and the locals place them in their homes and work places to ward off evil. It’s so interesting and at the top of my shopping list.
 
Time flies. My week-long trip comes to an end. The grand historical cities, graceful hilltop castles and intriguing rock-cut landscapes, all leave me vivid memories. It’s been the vacation of a lifetime. 
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