Turkey Travel Part VII Uchisar Valley & Kaymakli Underground City

Day 6

Friday, 18 Oct 2019

(Continued from previous page)

Visiting Uchisar Valley and Kaymakli Underground City

As we had visited Pasabag Valley that was described on the previous page, we went to Uchisar Village and Kaymakli Underground City then.

Map below shows the four places in Cappadocia we visited on 18 Oct 2019: Pasabag Valley, Uchisar Valley, Kaymakli Underground City and Goreme Valley.

Uchisar Kaya Hotel

At 12.30 p.m. we arrived at a restaurant of Uchisar Kaya Hotel and had a simple lunch.

Writer’s simple lunch at Uchisar Kaya Hotel, Uchisar, Cappadocia, Turkey

Uchisar Valley

After lunch we looked at a valley behind the hotel. Known as Uchisar Valley, the view of the valley is breathtaking. There are holes that have been dug into rocks and people lived in them like their homes in the olden days.

Valley of the Dovecotes or Pigeon Valley

Further up the valley there are holes dug into the walls of the valley. It is known as Valley of the Dovecotes or Pigeon Valley. They are meant for pigeons to stay, literally. The birds provided eggs and fertiliser for the hole-dwellers in the olden days.

Hotels in Holes of Rocks

Nowadays, there are some holes which are still occupied by people in the Uchisar Valley. A few of them become hotels.

Rock-dwellers on the slope of Uchisar Valley in Cappadocia, Turkey

A hotel in Uchisar Valley for visitors to stay and explore the beautiful landscape as shown in the photo below

Uchisar Castle

A high, unusual hill in Uchisar Valley known as Uchisar Castle had hundreds of people living inside in the olden days.

Underground Cities in Kaymakli

After spending an hour at the Uchisar restaurant and looking at the awesome landscape of Uchisar Valley, we left and travelled to Kaymakli where there are many abandoned underground cities. Researchers have estimated the number to be over 150.

Inhabitants built and lived in the underground cities to hide themselves from attackers in the olden days.

Kaymakli Underground City

We visited one of them and it is known as Kaymakli Underground City in Cappadocia on 18 Oct 2019.

There is an entrance to Kaymakli Underground City where visitors pay a fee to enter.

Below are photos showing some of the underground legacies left behind by the inhabitants of the olden days.

(i) The passages or tunnels in the underground city are narrow. Some of them are low.

(ii) To go through this small and low passage, a visitor has to bend his knees and walk, otherwise their heads will get a few bumps.

(iii) Writer and tourmates walked done the narrow steps to the lower level very slowly and cautiously.

(iv) Judging by the narrow passages and steps in the underground cities, I guess the inhabitants were small and slim in the olden days.

(v) A small hole in a wall was used for communication from room to room in the olden days.

(vi) Holes made through floors were for communication from floor to floor.

(vii) A narrow door between rooms

(viii) A stable for domesticated animals on the first floor of the underground city

(ix) A church and a graveyard which was next to it are on the second floor.

(x) A room on the 3rd floor that was used for winery, kitchen, food storage or other purposes in the underground city

(xii) A storage space for wine or other foodstuff on the third floor in the underground city

(xiii) A stone with holes on the 3rd. floor was used for processing copper in the olden days.

(xiv) A millstone for grinding grains on the first floor

8 underground floors

The Kaymakli Underground City has 8 underground floors but only four of them are open to public.

Judging by the size of the city, I guess there were several thousands of people living in it in the olden days.

Gerome Valley

Then we went to another valley known as Gerome Valley which is next to Uchisar Valley.

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Places visited during Turkey Tour(13-22 Oct 2019):

Trojan Horse/Ancient Troy Cities Asklepion Ephesus Hierapolis/Pamukkale Travertine Sultanhani Caravanserai Pasabag Valley Uchisar Valley/Kaymakli Underground City Gerome Valley/Turkish Night Show Hot Air Balloon/Lake Golu/Anitkabir Hagia Sophia/Topkapi Palace/Blue Mosque Bosphorus Boat Cruise Spice Bazaar/Grand Bazaar