Description of the attraction
Cappadocia is located about four hundred kilometers southeast of Ankara, it is a territory centered on the summit of Erdash Dagi (1982 m). It starts from the Ihlara canyon. The Ihlara Valley (Ihlara, the Byzantine name is Peristrem) is a volcanic canyon in Central Anatolia with a length of 16 kilometers and a height of about 150 meters (it starts at the village of Ihlara and ends at Selime). It is located about 40 km south of the city of Aksaray in Turkey and west of the city of Nigde.
The landscape that the Ihlara Valley offers tourists is strikingly different from the peculiar mountain landscapes of Cappadocia. And in fact, here the course of the river formed a deep canyon in a rocky plateau, in the depths of which there was rough vegetation.
In this picturesque valley, there are many churches of the first centuries of Christianity, which are of great artistic interest, as well as residential houses in the form of caves for five thousand inhabitants, six of which are open to the public. These monuments of ancient culture look very beautiful against the background of nature, amazing in its beauty: a cheerful palette of wildflowers, rustling of a river and green foliage.
Churches are carved into the rocks, there are about a hundred of them here. The construction of churches began in the 4th century. They were decorated with frescoes of Syrian origin, which already date back to the first years of the 9th century. At the very beginning, these frescoes were barely colored (just a couple of shades of red on a white background) and very simple in their execution. Somewhere from the beginning of the 11th century, the range becomes more saturated, as the dominant Syrian-Egyptian style here was diluted with Byzantine influence, as well as the influence exerted by the religious mosaics of the largest churches of that period.
Of all the churches in the Ihlara Valley, only 14 are open for inspection. But there is also something to see: Syumbulu Kilise ("Church of Hyacinths"), Agach Alti Kilise ("Church under the Trees"), Ilanli Kilise ("Church of Snakes"), " Egritash”,“Kokar-ilisesi”,“Purenli Seki”,“Ala Kilisesi”,“Bakhattin Sammanlygy”,“Kirkdamatly”,“Direkli”, etc. Often, these names were given to the churches by local residents, but some were named after the owners of the land on which they were located.
The walls of all churches are decorated with images of saints and various scenes from the Bible. There are also unrestored images of the pre-biblical period. Many churches form a city in the rock with each other - they are connected by underground passages.
Ihlara Canyon in a reduced version is a bit like the well-known and famous Grand Canyon in America. A large crack, as if in a science fiction movie, cuts through the earth and bends as a green snake across the sandy bare plain. It seems that the mother earth itself, having opened up, released the valley outward, unable to hide such beauty any longer. Ihlara contrasts very well with the usual hilly local landscape. Among the kingdom of huge gray stones, there is a green spot of an oasis, in which the crowns of age-old trees sway majestically, creating a pleasant partial shade. Nimble lizards flit between large boulders, turtles crawl slowly, and birds chirp and butterflies flutter in the lush greenery.
Scientists have very different opinions about the origin of the Ihlara Valley. Some geologists claim that this giant canyon was carved by the waters of the Melendiz - a mountain river flowing down the slopes of the mountain of the same name. Other scientists have a completely different opinion - this fantastic canyon is of volcanic origin, but information about an active volcano in this area has not been recorded in any historical document.
However, there is also the most plausible third version, which peacefully unites the supporters of the first two theories. According to her, this canyon was formed by the joint efforts of the volcano and the river. It turns out that two extinct volcanoes located on both sides of the valley covered it with layers of ash, lava, and tuff. And later the river took matters into its own hands and washed away all the volcanic remains, as a result of which the descendants received the amazing canyon of the Ihlarskaya Valley.
In the midst of all this idyll, black dots look from the steep cliffs with black eyes - these are the entrances to cave houses. One gets the impression that you are looking at a huge anthill up close. If you wish, you can also familiarize yourself with these cave dwellings in more detail.
Not far from Ihlara, just two kilometers away, there is the most popular and convenient slope in the Ihlara Gorge. Tourists have the opportunity to visit here as part of a group on a one-day excursion organized by the travel agencies of Cappadocia. The gorge is 10 km long and 80 m deep. You can walk along it. There is a suitable route along the Melendiz river. If such a walk seems too long for you, then you can go down into the gorge using a metal staircase of only 382 steps. However, keep in mind that this is not easy. But below, nature has prepared an unforgettable gift for you - indescribable beauty. There is a small complex nearby for the convenience of tourists. It has a small shop, toilets, a parking lot, a cafe, and a billboard with a valley map.
