Cappadocia in 6 Shots

Welcome to Cappadocia, a magical wonderland so spectacular that it must have been dreamt up by some god of tourism. Traditionalists, however, suggest the region owes its curious aspect to a series of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Over time, ash and mud turned into tuff, a soft rock that crumbles to the touch. Centuries of erosion then led to today’s otherworldly rock formations. Some of these are known as fairy chimneys, though anyone can see they rather resemble ice-cream cones that some clumsy kid dropped to the floor. From the earliest times people have recognised the unique possibilities of Cappadocia’s geological makeup. Ancient civilisations created vast underground cities that could hold thousands of people. Later, Byzantine monks carved churches and monasteries out of the soft cliff-faces, decorating them with naive frescoes. And peasants working the area’s fertile soil used the fairy chimneys as well-insulated dwellings—and still do today. All of which leaves me wondering why I bought such a dinky camera.