Hiking through Cappadocia is like hiking through history. Whether it is by gazing at valley views or exploring inside cliff dwellings, you can truly get a sense of how people used to live in these hand-carved homes. 

As we trudged along the sandy, hoof-print-covered path, we noticed something in the distance, on one of the tuff-rock bluffs. There were several dozen of them-small, oval-shaped indents carved into the brittle yellow stone, trailing up in two dotted lines, over and behind the rock formation. As we went closer, we saw more and more of these notches sprawling on different rocks, and when we traced one of the trails to the end, we found an entry to a hollow room. We quickly figured out that these indents or notches were used like a ladder to get up to the rooms or houses of whoever lived here once upon a time. As soon as we spotted one entry, we started seeing dozens of them all over the valley. They were like burrows carved into each rock, with some even having paintings – mostly of biblical scenes – inside. 

What were all these homes or more cliff dwellings doing here in the first place? When was it occupied, and why? They had plenty of flat land to build a home elsewhere. But why underground or carved into rock formations? The people living here must have been hiding out from something, and if so, what? It wasn’t just one particular area used as a hide-out but the entire region of Cappadocia, almost as if it were used as a maze-like civilization to deter any vulnerable enemies from intruding. These questions were racing through our heads as we hiked through the valleys of Cappadocia, the beautiful, surreal, and unforgettable land, somewhere in the middle of Turkey. 

It is believed that the cliff dwellings and caves were initially built during the 8th and 7th centuries BC when Phrygians occupied the land, carving their living spaces into the soft volcanic rock. These ancient hand-carved homes were later used countless other times by different civilizations for several reasons, a hide-out being the main one. 

Around the 6th century BC, Persians first named this place “Kataputka” or “the Land of Beautiful Horses,” which later became the supposed origin of the present-day name “Cappadocia,” although it is still uncertain. 

During the following years between 400 and 1000 AD, this area was used as a refuge for early Christians. They concealed themselves from the outside world, pursuing to evacuate any signs of intruders hunting the local Christian population. Throughout their time underground, the Christian “groundhogs” (not to be offensive) painted gorgeous frescoes of biblical scenes on room walls and ceilings, and they even dug out separate spaces for churches, some being impressively large. It is still crazy to me to think that over a thousand-year-old paintings still have such vibrant colors. I mean, no newly painted surfaces ever last that long, especially through natural decay and anti-Christian groups seeking to scratch off saint’s faces. 

When the Ottomans took over the region around the year 1300, instead of being obscured, the empire built obvious fortresses and residences as they had a strong enough army to deter any invaders. One of the most notable of these is the Uchisar Castle, a termite-mound-like, labyrinth of a citadel carved straight out of a rock formation, giving a perfect vantage point of every nook and cranny of Cappadocia. Christians were happily living here, too, as the empire welcomed any religion, particularly Christianity as they made delicious wine. If you think the Ottomans were good Muslims and did not drink alcohol, they were, but many regions of the Ottoman Empire changed parts of the Quran so that wine was the only drinkable alcohol. 

The peace and tranquility of the Ottoman Empire lasted until 1923 when Turkey got its independence from the falling empire. For the next 30 or so years, some caves were still occupied by inhabitants until around 1950 when they were asked to move out due to the several dangerous cave-ins in the recent past. Although walking around some towns, it still seemed like people used the caves, unless they were abandoned with the furniture. 

As we clambered down through the tight corridors of the intertwining network of the underground city of Derinkuyu, even though this place was built several thousand years ago, with a little bit of refurbishing, this place was still livable – especially from invading armies. It had all the necessities you needed-ventilation shafts for airflow, hot and cold water systems, toilets, kitchens, a school, baptistery, chapel, council room, grave, livestock stables, storage rooms, and numerous other rooms for sleeping. Wandering around the complex felt as if I were an ant in a multistory ant colony stretching miles underground. You can still see the remains of 400-year-old animal feed in a chute too, if you look closely enough. 

What looks like a desolate landscape with the occasional building above is in reality a thriving civilization of more than 20,000 people below. The only way you would realize is from the smoke billowing up through what looks like a well. These ingenious inhabitants used everything to their advantage to hide away from Muslim Arabs during the Arab-Byzantine wars, and even if invading armies found out, the underground city’s claustrophobic tunnels and rolling vault doors (which inspired a scene in Indiana Jones) made it impossible to get through, especially with heavy and bulky armor. You can explore this 85-meter-deep, 8-story low underground city, too, and it was one of my favorite things I did during my stay here. 

Cappadocia is an amazing place in every way imaginable – the incredible landscape, rich and secretive history, bizarre geology, and more. Although I was expecting this place to be surprising in some way or another, I was not expecting this unforgettable location to be this breathtakingly astonishing. There were cliff-dwellings everywhere – I was gobsmacked by how outlandish and magnificent the scenery was. The sunset painting the rocks in various hues of red and orange is just a chef’s kiss to the natural beauty of what this place offers. There is truly no way you can get bored here as there is so much to see, and if you want the full, surrounding experience, grab your backpack and hike in Cappadocia!