The etymology of Cappadocia seems to be pretty complex, and the name has meant many things, including 'land of the pretty horses.' Almost unbelieveably, it never seems to have meant 'land of caves' - and it really should, because they are everywhere. Caves underground, caves hidden in hillsides, caves dug into rock formations - if you can excavate it, someone in Cappadocia will have.
In the famous Goreme open air musuem, you can find cave churches with gorgeous frescos painted between the 11th and 13th centuries...
... and a nunnery carved into a hill.
At Zelve, you can see a whole valley of cave homes, with churches on one side and a mosque on the other, from when Christian and Muslim communities lived side by side in harmony. A network of tunnels running up inside this hill started life as a monastery, then became a castle and ended up as a caravanserai, a sort of motel for traders. Even the camels could climb up inside.
And at Pasabag, there's an almost vertical shaft dug up inside one of the 'fairy chimney' formations which acts as a hermitage dedicated to St Simeon, who spent years sitting on top of a pillar. The local police station is even housed inside one of the fairy chimneys.
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