Seeing Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys from above

NEVŞEHİR - Anatolia News Agency

The number of tourists increased in Cappadocia in January and February. DHA Photo

The number of tourists visiting Cappadocia, one of the most popular tourism destinations in Turkey, has increased 34 percent in January and February 2013 compared to the same term of 2012.

Cappadocia, famous for its chimney rocks, hot air balloon trips, underground  cities and boutique hotels carved into rocks, was visited by 171,748 Turkish and foreign tourists in January and February
2013, according to the statement released by the Nevşehir Governor’s Office.

Ballooning and trekking

A total of 120,900 tourists visited Cappadocia during January and February of 2012 alone
with 2.5 million tourists visited Cappadocia in 2012.

It was added that, tourists mostly visited Göreme Open-Air museum, Kaymaklı underground city and Derinkuyu underground city in the famous Cappadocia region. Hot-air ballooning and trekking are the most popular activities to do in Cappadocia. Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, underlie the Cappadocia region.

The rocks of Cappadocia near Göreme eroded into hundreds of pillars and minaret-like forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia region carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits. Göreme became a monastic centre in 300-1200 AD.