Cappadocia in Turkey is an incredible place. The rock formations, called fairy chimneys, were molded over thousands of years by volcanic activity followed by wind and water erosion. The soft rock was easy to carve and early Christians carved out the rock to live and pray in them. I got a chance to visit the region, and it did not disappoint. I would highly recommend getting a guide to take you around the region. There's no way we could have done this without someone showing us around, and at the same time, telling us what is what. I did all of the below in two days time, thanks to Chora Travel. Most of these shots were taken with my D5000 and 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens.
Shot consists of 4 images stitched together, each at 10mm
The "Camel"
A dwelling carved out of the rock
Inside
Inside Güray Ceramics, in Nevşehir, which itself is carved into the the hill:
Göreme open air museum:
Right across the street from the museum I took a picture of a church called Tokali Kilise which is one of the largest churches in the region. The word "DELETE!" was quickly barked at me, and I reluctantly showed that I deleted the photo. I noted the no picture sign when entering, but figured that meant 'no flash', since flash can damage old paintings such as the ones in the church. The only reason he knew I took the pic was because of the AF assist light. Drats!
More of the scenery
A walk in Rose Valley, where we ate some awesome apricots, and met some interesting locals:
Kaymaklı Underground City - This place was one of my favorites. It is absolutely fascinating that people carved all of this out and lived here. This 4 level underground city, which has more levels that are un-excavated, is complete with living rooms, kitchens, food storage areas (complete with lots of space for wine), chapels, a graveyard, vent shafts, a school, and even a stable for the animals. The sophisticated stone doors were used in case of emergency to block intruders from entering.
Evil eye tree?
Our hotel in Göreme (yes, it's carved out of the rock) - Devrish Cave House
The view from the hotel in the morning - balloon rides are very popular
Shot consists of 4 images stitched together, each at 10mm
The "Camel"
A dwelling carved out of the rock
Inside
Inside Güray Ceramics, in Nevşehir, which itself is carved into the the hill:
Göreme open air museum:
Right across the street from the museum I took a picture of a church called Tokali Kilise which is one of the largest churches in the region. The word "DELETE!" was quickly barked at me, and I reluctantly showed that I deleted the photo. I noted the no picture sign when entering, but figured that meant 'no flash', since flash can damage old paintings such as the ones in the church. The only reason he knew I took the pic was because of the AF assist light. Drats!
More of the scenery
A walk in Rose Valley, where we ate some awesome apricots, and met some interesting locals:
Kaymaklı Underground City - This place was one of my favorites. It is absolutely fascinating that people carved all of this out and lived here. This 4 level underground city, which has more levels that are un-excavated, is complete with living rooms, kitchens, food storage areas (complete with lots of space for wine), chapels, a graveyard, vent shafts, a school, and even a stable for the animals. The sophisticated stone doors were used in case of emergency to block intruders from entering.
Evil eye tree?
Our hotel in Göreme (yes, it's carved out of the rock) - Devrish Cave House
The view from the hotel in the morning - balloon rides are very popular
I can't imagine getting the shots I did with film. I took about 400 pics in 2 days and these were the best.
