chisar Castle is the highest point in Cappadocia and boasts a unique composition that made it a natural fortress. Originally admired for its fairy chimney shape, the castle was later adapted to serve as an early warning system against attacks from higher ground during the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.

Caves may have first been built in the soft volcanic rock by the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, in the 8th–7th centuries BC. The city was greatly expanded and deepened in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) era, when it was used for protection from Muslim Arab raids during the four centuries of Arab–Byzantine wars (780–1180).Some artefacts discovered in these underground settlements belong to the Middle Byzantine Period, between the 5th and the 10th centuries AD. These cities continued to be used by the Christian inhabitants as protection from the Mongolian incursions of Timur in the 14th century. After the region fell to the Seljuk Turks of Persia, the cities were used as refuges (Greek: καταφύγια, romanized: kataphúgia) from the Turkish Muslim rulers, and as late as the 20th century the inhabitants, now called Rûm ('Eastern Romans') by their Ottoman Turkish rulers, were still using the underground cities to escape periodic waves of Ottoman persecution.

Pigeon Valley has been around since the Hittite Empire, when it was used as a pigeon farm by local villagers who built homes into the walls of the canyon. The pigeons were used for food and also to produce fertiliser for farmland, making them an important part of the community’s economy. Today, most of these pigeon coops have been abandoned, but you can still see them scattered all over the valley walls, a reminder of its past.

In the 4th century, small anchorite communities began to form in the region, acting on the instruction of Saint Basil of Caesarea. They carved cells in the soft rock. During the iconoclastic period (725–842) the decoration of the many sanctuaries in the region was held to a minimum, usually symbols such as the depiction of the Christian cross. After this period, new churches were dug into the rocks, and they were richly decorated with colourful frescoes.

Paşabağ Valley is home to several ancient cave churches and chapels, carved into the rock. These cave churches and chapels were built between the 4th and 13th centuries by Christian monks during the Byzantine period. They are considered to be some of the oldest and best-preserved examples of rock-cut architecture in Cappadocia. Some of these churches and chapels contain elaborate frescoes depicting scenes from biblical stories, adding to their historical significance. Paşabağ Valley is an incredible place full of natural beauty and historical significance. Its fairy chimneys are among some of the most impressive examples in all of Cappadocia, while its ancient monasteries offer a glimpse into a past era when Christianity was thriving in this region. For tourists and travellers alike, this is definitely one destination you won't want to miss!

Pottery is not exactly unique to any one part of the world – many cultures on this planet developed their own version of the art. However, what I find interesting is how it differs from each country, region, and even group of people. If you are a fan of pottery, when you visit Cappadocia you will need to visit the town of Avanos which lies about 8km from Goreme. It is considered to be the centre of clay pottery in Turkey. The river that runs through Avanos is called Kizilirmak, which means Red River. Since the Hittite period (as far back as 2000BCE), people in the area have made good use of the red clay found along the river’s banks.