In Central Anatolia in the heart of Turkey is the enchanting landscape of Cappadocia that has managed to retain its natural beauty right up to the present day, with numerous ruins, mystical cave dwellings, unique rock formations and where the earliest traces of human habitation date back to the seventh century B.C.

Just outside the town of Göreme, the Valley Of Monks once had a special attraction for those who came here and today there are the remains of monk dwellings as well as various early Christians churches. The entrances were built in order to not attract attention but their interiors hide a number of fascinating treasures.

Close to the ancient Christian settlements are countless bizarre rock formations which, due to their shape, were called, “fairy chimneys“.

The rock formations were created due to a layer of basalt that lay on top of a column of tuff rock that protected them from erosion by the elements. A closer look reveals that the fairy chimneys show signs of human activity. Here, both nature and culture become as one.

Cappadocia is a land of fairy chimneys and cave dwellings that has not yet revealed all of its enigmas and today is still a place of mystique.