Cappadocia to host hot air balloon fest

NEVŞEHİR

A debut hot air balloon festival will kick off on July 3 in Cappadocia, a leading tourism destination in Central Anatolia.

“We are sharing the happiness of holding the festival for the first time in Cappadocia,” said Mustafa Açıkgöz, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker from the province of Nevşehir.

“After the hot air balloon festival, we plan to hold a film festival in Cappadocia, which is a natural film studio,” he told Anadolu Agency.

The Cappadocia International Hot-Air Balloon Festival, which will last until July 7, is organized by the district municipality of Ürgüp.

During the event, some 150 balloons will take six separate flights as 20 balloons of various shapes from nearly a dozen countries will take to the skies.     

The festival will also feature a glowing balloon in the evening, lit up in sync with rhythmic music.     

Cappadocia is prominent for its unique “fairy chimney” volcanic cones, valleys, underground cities, boutique hotels and houses carved into the rock, as well as its churches, chapels, and shelters used by early Christians fleeing the Roman Empire.     

Tourists can also enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the historical sites in hot air balloons.     

The region is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site.