
Cappadocian region is the place where nature and history come
together most beautifully within the world. While geographic events
are forming Peribacaları (fairy chimneys), during the historical
period, humans had carried the signs of thousand years old
civilizations with carving houses and churches within these earth
pillars and decorating them with frisks.
During
the Roman Emperor, Augustus period, territories of Cappadocian
Region as a wide region lying till to the Toros Mountains at south,
Aksaray at west, Malatya at east and Eastern Black Sea shores at
north within the 17 volume book named 'Geographika' of Strabon, one
of the Antic Period writers. Today's Cappadocian Region is the area
covered by Nevşehir, Aksaray, Niğde, Kayseri, and Kırşehir cities.
More limited area, rocky Cappadocian Region is composed of Üçhisar,
Göreme, Avanos, Ürgüp, Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, Ihlara and environment.
Traditional
Cappadocian houses and dovecotes carved into stones are showing the
uniqueness of the region. These houses are constructed on the feet
of the mountain via rocks or cut stones. Rock, which is the only
construction material of the region, as it is very soft after
quarry due to the structure of the region, can be easily processed
but after contact with air it hardens and turns into a very strong
construction material. Due to being plentiful and easy to process
of the used material, regional unique masonry is developed and
turned into an architectural tradition. Materials of neither
courtyard nor house doors is wood. Upper parts of the doors built
with arches are decorated with stylized ivy or rosette motifs.
Dovecotes
within the region are small structures constructed within 18th
century and end of 19th century. Some of the dovecotes, which are
important for showing Islamic picture art are constructed as
monastery or church. Surfaces of dovecotes are decorated with rich
inscriptions and adornments by regional artists.
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