Kas to Konya

Fleur sees us off in the traditional Turkish way by throwing water (and container!) at us in the camper van as we leave Kas. They say that this guarantees we will return.

14km from Kas, on the road to Demre we stop to take photos of some abandoned rural buildings. An old man comes over and sits down to watch with an expression of bewilderment as to why we should be interested in these ruins! There are 6 houses and 2 water cisterns. They were once the homes of Greeks who were forced back to Greece as part of the population exchange. Turkish people didn't want to move into them due to the rural belief that it is very bad luck to move into the home of a non-believer or infidel and that the house will be cursed.  Further up the road we notice another abandoned water cistern, this time long and narrow.

Near Yavu we notice many Lycian tombs cut into the mountainside very high above us. We then reach Myra, which is Turkey's most famous site for Lycian tombs carved out of the rock face and has some of the country's best examples. Unfortunately this means that there are loads of tourists. This is the first time we have had to share a Lycian site with anyone ... and we don't like it! It's also the first time that we have paid to enter a site, which again we don't like! There is also a Greco-Roman amphitheatre and several theatrical masks carved out of stone, some of which are quite freaky, as they have had their eyes gouged out.

Later in Antalya we buy a new tyre and get it fitted. The mechanics are really friendly and we end up drinking copious amounts of oregano çay (Turkish tea) and using their wifi. We spend the night down a tiny country lane at Gençlerkoyu. That night a man living nearby comes to investigate us, he is very friendly and offers us çay and a bed for the night but we decline as it's our first night back in la Trumfa!

The next morning our neighbour's wife comes by to offer us çay and is joined by a toothless old man. They're very insistent but we're keen top get on the road for Konya. The scenery is spectacular and gets more and more mountainous. Soon there is snow either side of the road.

In the distance we see the village of Buyukalan, which is camouflaged as all the houses are made from the same rocks as the mountainside. There are loads of abandoned houses, many of which have nearly fallen down as they are made of layers of stones, separated by wood and with no cement to hold them in place. They include beautifully carved banisters and details. A beekeeper invites Julia over a wall to take photos of him and doesn't seem to understand that she is interested in photos of him with his face covered and wearing his full beekeeper's suit!

Gökyurt

Just south of Konya we leave the main road to visit Gökyurt, which is like a mini Cappadocia. There are 2 main areas of interest. The first is by the village where there are large rock formations made from soft volcanic tufa that is easily eroded and carved. There are many cave houses, small chapels, water cisterns, tombs and a well preserved church. St. Paul was said to have stayed here.

The second site is nearby and runs along the length of a gorge. It also has rocks formed from the same tufa and houses multi-storey cave dwellings. Some of the rooms are quite large and linked to each other both laterally and vertically via holes and stairways. Many have lines of holes in their exterior walls where beams of wood would have been inserted to support roofs for extra rooms not made from stone. A number of these cave homes have found a new use as stables for animals and to store hay. Geppe has a siesta lying in one such hay store and wakes to find a mouse running across him!

We get a bit of a scare when a car full of young lads follow us out of the village and when we stop they stop too and all of them get out of the car and come over. Luckily it all turns out fine as they only wanted to say hello. They do however continue to follow us for quite a while more, clearly they are intrigued to find 'aliens' on their patch!.

We continue our journey to Konya (founded 4,000 years ago by the Hittites), known as Turkey's Bible belt and home to the whirling dervishes. We visit it's commercial area and buy some fish before driving 8km to Sille where we camp the night.

Sille

We awake to sleet and freezing temperatures. Finally the weather clears and we climb the hill to the abandoned cave houses that look over the village. They are said to be very old and once housed a Christian community. Many have several inter-connecting rooms, which are often on different levels. There is evidence that some once had extensions made from stone rather than wood this time. Inside one cave there is a church, which has several arches, an altar and tombs. One of the cave houses has lots of bones outside so we go over to investigate only to have a very fierce looking dog launch itself in our direction. Luckily it is on a chain but it gives us a major scare!

We climb up the steep cliff above the caves to discover more ruined buildings some of which are half cave and half stone structures. The setting is very dramatic with a backdrop of jagged mountains and a freezing wind to match.

Back in the village we find more abandoned buildings to photograph and then dive in to the Sille Konak restaurant, (which has been recommended to us by Tricia) for a delicious lunch of 'dugun' (yoghurt soup normally served at weddings) and Sille chicken kebab specials.

Çatalhöyük

We drive to Çatalhöyük where a large mound rises above the very flat Konya plain and is where the remains of the largest known Neolithic settlement on this planet have been unearthed. Up to 8,000 people lived here at its peak around 9,000 years ago. It was originally discovered by James Mellart (British) in 1961 and has 13 levels of settlements in places. There are no streets so people would have traversed the town via ladders, roofs and holes in each building's roof. Skeletons have been found in the floors of many of the houses as they buried their dead within their homes and when there was no more room or the buildings were getting worn out then they built new ones out of mud on top and filled the old levels in. It is believed that men and women were totally equal in society and that there was no hierarchy, leaders etc. There is no evidence of religious ceremonies nor are there signs of war. It is thought that they lived here peacefully for around 1400 years from 6000BC. It is not clear why the site was abandoned and its population dispersed. Archaeologists still come here each year from around the world to excavate this fascinating site.

We drive to nearby Kayali and set up camp in the middle of nowhere on the vast flat plains. We rise early to drive to Cappadocia across the huge plains bordered by snowy mountains. We pass abandoned mud houses with straw and mud roofs that are light grey in colour due to the colour of the local soil. There is very little rain in this area so the mud does not easily get washed away. The nearby modern houses are of the same design. The roads are wonderful...traffic and pothole free and the petrol is nearly half a lira cheaper too! We stop to refill and are given a free çay.

04/03/2010 - 11/03/2010 Cappadocia

Cappadocia has a unique out of this world landscape with rock formations full of cave houses, fairy chimneys and underground cities. These have been made possible due to volcanic activity millions of years ago. 3 main volcanoes once formed a triangle around Cappadocia and covered the area in lava and very thick layers of ash. This ash formed soft volcanic tufa that is easily eroded and carved. The surface of Cappadocia is estimated to be eroded by 2cm every year by the wind and rain. Where the lava has formed hard rock the surrounding area is eroded leaving this rock standing high e.g. in the towns of Urgup, Ortahisar and Uçhisar. Sometimes there is tufa under the hard rock and so fairy chimneys are formed with lumps of rock standing on top of them like hats.

The area's erosion explains why you often see cave houses high up on cliffs that appear totally inaccessible but would in fact have been at ground level many hundreds or thousands of years ago. You can see directly into many of the interior rooms as the exterior walls have collapsed or been eroded away.

The cave houses also get eroded from the inside to the outside because when they get dirty or blackened from fires and ovens this layer is rubbed back to reveal a fresh surface and the old surface is swept away. Many of the windows have a light colour surround to them, which is lime that was used to keep the interior room dust free, hygienic and light.

Early Christians that were being persecuted elsewhere sought refuge in the area safe in the knowledge that in times of peril they could escape to the many underground cities and tunnels that they built in the tufa. They built many monasteries, churches and houses and Christianity flourished here from the 4th to 11th centuries. People have lived in Cappadocia's cave houses for thousands of years and still do. Many of the once abandoned cave houses are now used to store animal feed and farm machinery whilst others are used to house livestock. There is also a popular trend to turn them into boutique hotels.

04/03/2010 Derinkiuyu Underground City


Midday we arrive at Derinkiuyu in Cappadocia and we are immediately surrounded by kids wanting to practice their English as we're taking photos of some abandoned buildings. We continue to the village's underground city.

4,000 years ago the Hitties originally made and used the first level caves in this underground city. They were used to store food, animals and wine (the constant underground temperature being perfect for wine). Then the Romans came and built 4 more levels followed by the Byzantines who added 2 more. In the 6th and 7th centuries Arabs and Persians were intent on eradicating Christianity. When it was known that such attacks were imminent Byzantine Christians would escape down secret tunnels leading to a vast network of tunnels and rooms. Huge, thick, round stone doors were rolled across doorways to protect the levels below. Derinkuyu was connected to the underground town at Kaymakli by 10km of tunnels. Derinkuyu supported 10,000 people and Kaymakli supported 3,000.

The underground city contains churches, baptism pools, confessionaries, stables, living areas, meeting rooms, granaries, schools, kitchens, and ventilation shafts. The better off families lived nearer to the surface where the air was cleaner and poorer families lower down. 37 cities have so far been found but it is estimated that another 100 or so exist but excavations have stopped as all that has been found in these cities are pottery pieces and bones and it is thought that all other items were taken to the surface once the fear of attacks had passed. You are unable to visit large areas of the underground city in Derinkuyu as it is still used by the above ground town of Derinkuyu and many of the tunnels and rooms come up inside the town's houses.

Tilköy

On the drive to Soganli Valley we stop at Tilköy to photograph an abandoned, ruined church with 10 arches still intact. We notice some caves nearby and discover 2 ancient churches within them, complete with altars and comprised of several chambers.

04/03/2010 - 06/03/2010 Soganli valleys and surrounding area

Soganli Valley 1 and abandoned village

We arrive in Soganli and drive up a very steep and dangerous muddy track in preparation to film the incredible cave houses visible from there the following morning. Unfortunately we wake to a very grey day but the landscape is still awesome and like something from a star wars film set. Opposite us are many fairy chimneys where the exterior walls have collapsed so that you can see directly into the interior rooms.

We visit the old village of Soganli that has been abandoned except for a few houses, which on first glance appear abandoned but people are still living in them. Many of the houses incorporate caves into their design and it is difficult to see where one ends and the other begins. There are dates inscribed into some from the 1960s and 1970s.

We climb the steep and very eroded stairs to the Tokali Kilse (Buckle Church) where we see the remains of frescos, tombs, pillars and altar.

Basköy

We visit the nearby village of Basköy that clearly shows the evolution of abandonment from abandoned cave houses to abandoned buildings down to more modern structures nearer the valley floor. We initially film Basköy from the opposite side of the valley where we also explore what we think is an abandoned castle but emerges to be an abandoned church. Inside there are the remains of frescos, pillars and arches. The roof has collapsed and there has been much erosion damage.

We then go to photograph Basköy itself and explore the cave houses, intricately carved 20th century abandoned houses, mud houses and other buildings. 2 young boys take it on themselves to be our guides. Grass has grown on the roofs of many of the buildings and Julia has to be stopped from walking across them, as they are likely to collapse! Soon we have a gaggle of bemused villagers following us around their streets ... not quite sure why these strange foreigners should find their town so interesting!

Soganli Valleys 2 and 3

We return to Soganli's two other valleys and stop for a beer at the Emik Pension where Geppe buys some handmade, fingerless gloves from the old woman there. We explore the steep cobble-stoned road that rises high above the village. It takes us on to a high plateau but as the road appears to go on and on forever we turn around and return to the village, unsure why they would have put so much effort into building a road that appears to lead nowhere.

We camp for the night next to the Yilani Kise (Church of St. George) in one of Soganli's valleys. By now it is dark and we explore this fairy chimney church by torchlight and discover many rooms and frescos. On the floors of some there are channels and deposits used for water. The entrances to the upper levels are blocked up so we can only view the ground level. There is a tiny tunnel that we don't enter.


We wake to the most beautiful day and go to take photos of the many fairy chimneys and churches in the Soganli valleys. The churches we visit include the domed and hidden church. You can't see the hidden church from outside as it is in a cave and underground and you have to enter through a small entrance.

Soganli to Ügürp

We drive from Soganli to Ügürp, stopping to photograph the abandoned Keslik monastery, which includes 16 houses for monks.

Just before Ügürp we detour to the area of Pancarlick, which has the most incredible different coloured layered rock formations and panoramic views. We go for a long walk and end up having to scale some very high and nearly vertical rocks to get back to the camper van, which puts Julia's vertigo to the test!

06/03/2010 - 09/03/2010  Excursions from our base in Ortahisar

After an initial miscommunication about where to meet we finally hook up with Nurettin Mantar in Ortahisar. Nurettin is a photographer who has lived in Cappadocia all his life. We were given his contact details by another photographer, Faruk Abbas, whom we met in Kayaköy. (see previous blog). Nurettin takes us to his studio, which is full of antiquities, curiosities, vintage motorbikes and a Harley Davidson! He treats us to a delicious chicken kebab meal and then invites us back to his home in Ortahisar to stay the night.

His house is incredible. It comprises of 43 connecting cave houses that were once abandoned, although he was able to trace the owners and paid each a small fee to purchase them.  It overlooks a beautiful gorge that is honeycombed with caves and situated near to the town centre. Nurettin has spent over 10 years renovating his home and the result is breath taking. It is laid out on 7 levels and is full of the most beautiful carpets, fabrics, antiques and curios from all over Turkey.

We share several glasses of his wonderful home made wine and he makes us feel very welcome before inviting us to stay for several days.

07/03/2010

Göreme area

The Göreme area is jam-packed full of fairy chimney houses, monasteries and churches. Even the village of Göreme has many of these fairy chimneys in it, some of which have been converted into boutique hotels. We explore the village and take lots of photos from the viewpoint.

Uçhisar


Uçhisar castle is built on the villages central rocky outcrop, which is riddled with caves and tunnels. One poor photographer taking a photo from the top stepped back and fell to his death there. An old lady insists we come in to see round her cave house and invites us to stay for a çay but when she realises we aren't going to buy any of her horrible lace doilies or onyx eggs she shoos us out of the door! Whilst exploring the abandoned cave houses and buildings in the village we discover an abandoned nightclub under the castle.

Pasabagi

Pasabagi is a bit too much like a theme park for us as coach loads of German and oriental tourists arrive at the same time as us but even so you can't help but be impressed by the huge phallic rock formations, or (as more sober travel guides describe them) mushroom shaped fairy chimneys. We are particularly amused by the Jandarma police station housed within one of the phallic chimneys! We hear that monks used to inhabit them too!

Zelve

Zelve comprises of 3 converging valleys that are full of abandoned cave houses and churches. It was a monastic retreat from the 9th to 13th century and had been continuously inhabited up until 1952 when the Government deemed it to dangerous to live there due to erosion. The villagers were paid by the government to resettle in nearby Aktepe or Yeni Zelve (New Zelve). There is an abandoned  mosque from this more recent period. We notice one church and area that has recently been destroyed due to erosion and the cliff collapsing.

Avanos

Geppe meets a man in the Zelve car park who convinces him that we should visit a carpet making college in Avanos, which we do. The initial part of the tour is interesting as we are shown how they make the wool and silk carpets of differing qualities. They also show us how they extract the silk from the silkworm larvae, which is fascinating but then comes the obligatory hard sell! Despite us saying that our tiny campervan has no room for a carpet they insist on showing us most of the carpets in their showroom and plying us with gallons of apple tea!

To recover from the carpet salesmen we go with Nurettin for some traditional Cappadocian food in Ügürp and then on to Göreme to celebrate his friend's birthday at his Dad's coffee house. We arrive armed with a huge flagon of Nurettin's homemade wine and are entertained by musicians who play some rather depressing music but a good night was still had by all!

08/03/2010

A slow start to the day as we all wake up rather hung over! However Nurettin has the remedy, which is a massive slap up breakfast of local delicacies including carob syrup, walnut and quince paste, local yoghurt, cured peppers, cheeses and olives. We slide into the day with some culture by visiting a friend of Nurettin's group art exhibition in Neveshir. Nurettin then drives us on a tour of the following places ...

Love Valley

Love Valley puts Pasabagi to shame with its gigantic phallic rock formations! What is so blissful is that we have the valley to ourselves except for a lonesome orange juice seller who appears to have arrived several months too early for the tourist season!

Çavusin

A large part of the town of Çavusin has been abandoned since its central castle collapsed due to erosion in 1952. The old village was deemed unsafe and the government gave its population money to rebuild their homes (and lives) nearby. They were allowed to take building materials from their old homes, which accounts for why parts of walls, lintels etc are often missing from the buildings. There is a large church still surviving under where the castle once was with two large rooms, pillars and altar. There are signs of frescos but most have been vandalised, as were so many in Cappadocia by Islamic vandals. We meet Nurettin's friend Halim Öz who has created a beautiful hotel from several abandoned cave houses.

After eating 'pide' (Turkish pizza) in Ügürp, photographing some of the town's cave houses and abandoned buildings and ordering new business cards we return to Ortahisar. That evening we film Nurettin's wonderful converted, once abandoned, cave houses home and then we all get an early night!

09/03/2010

Ortahisar

Julia gets up early to explore and photograph the many abandoned buildings and cave houses in Ortahisar. It is very sad to see so much abandoned yet still very beautiful architecture. There is much evidence of the damage that erosion can cause, especially in one area where the side of the gorge collapsed 5 years ago taking the houses on it down with it. In Julia's quest for the perfect picture a frisky donkey nearly tramples her!

We say goodbye to our wonderful host Nurettin and ask him to promise us that he will visit us in Barcelona one day so we can repay his incredible hospitality. He very generously gives us a flagon of his homemade wine to go away with! Thanks Nurettin! We then go to film his house and Ortahisar in general from the other side of the valley where the views are spectacular, even though the sky is still a blank light grey as it has been for most of the time since we left Kas.

Mustafapasa

Until World War I Mustafapasa was known as Sinasos and was inhabited by mainly Ottoman Greeks. The Greeks left in 1923 due to the population exchange but left their legacy of many beautifully carved decorations on their stone houses and rock-cut churches. We visit several of these abandoned churches accompanied by a gaggle of village kids who taunt us from afar; we retaliate by sneaking up on them and scaring them! The churches are very simple but very beautiful. The frescos have long disappeared but the setting, fairy chimneys and peace and quiet more than make up for it.

We drive from Mustafapasa, past lake Darnsa Baraji to Ayvali and onto Kayamkli and Derinkuyu before finally camping the night in a remote field near Ihlara.

We wake to the most beautiful day with views to the snow covered, inactive volcano of Mount Hasan (3268m). The bird song is deafening and the rare sunshine very much appreciated.

10/03/2010 Ihlara Valley

The Ihlara Valley was once called Peristrema and was a favourite retreat for Byzantine monks who cut churches from its towering, 150 metre high cliffs. We enter the valley at the village of Belisirma and spend the morning exploring its many abandoned churches, cave houses and walking around 7km along its river. Many of the churches have frescos still visible but the majority of these have been badly vandalised. Some of the churches have partially collapsed and most are quite difficult to reach and you have to scramble over boulders and up steep valley sides to get to them.

Back in Belisirma we photograph several of its abandoned buildings including an abandoned linseed oil factory, which has a church attached to it.

10/03/2010 - 11/03/2010 Güzelyurt

We eat lunch at the nearby town of Güzelyurt, which was once known as Gevleri and inhabited by 1,000 Ottoman Greek families and only 50 Turkish families. After the population exchange the Greeks resettled in Nearkavali (Greece) whilst the Turks from Kozan and Kastoria in Greece came to Güzelyurt. The relationship between the 2 nations is celebrated annually in July at the Turkish and Greek Friendship Festival.

We visit Monastery Valley where there are many abandoned, rock cut churches. Although they might not be as impressive as those in Ihlara Valley, we prefer them due to their incredible setting and the feeling of space. One of the churches is much larger than any we saw in Ihlara Valley.

We briefly visit the town's abandoned underground city, which occupies several levels. It is quite nerve racking to drop down a vertical hole to reach its lower levels.

After exploring some of the abandoned buildings in the town and using the internet cafe we camp for the night overlooking Lake Güzelyurt. We are treated to a magnificent sunset framed by Mount Hasan on one side and the silhouette of the abandoned Yüsek church and monastery on the other.

To discover more about project 'Abandoned?' visit www.wasabandoned.com