Cappadocia has one of the most fascinating landscapes in Turkey that is remarkable and at the same time, enchanting. A veritable wonder of nature and also, for many centuries, a place of human habitation as well as a bizarre world of tuff stone located in the middle of Central Anatolia, with ancient villages, folklore, rock churches, monasteries and subterranean cities.

The first inhabitants of this region believed that the rocks were chimneys which belonged to fairies who lived beneath the earth’s surface, a fantasy indeed. Thus Cappadocia is still known as Land Of The Fairy Chimneys, a fitting name for its amazing landscape.

Sufism is common in Cappadocia and whirling dervishes practise their mystique ritual as theywhirl around and transport themselves into an ecstatic, trance-like state in order to receive divine favour.

Since 1991 Göreme has been the starting point for the region’s balloon safaris. At first, only a handful of balloons flew here but today they are an increasingly popular attraction.

In a deep and well sheltered valley is the tiny village of Güzelyurt, an area that was first settled in antiquity as well as being the location of the tomb of Bishop Gregor.

This journey has taken us through the history of the rise and fall of early Christianity which is so closely associated with the geology of the fascinating landscape of Cappadocia, an enchanting world of stone.