Adapting to the Environment: Goreme and Uchisar, Turkey

In approximately central Turkey is an area formed from volcanic activity. Mountains showing their volcanic origins surround eroded plateaus. Because the plateaus were covered by a soft, volcanic material, the rock is relatively soft and easily eroded. This results in the odd formations named “Fairy Chimneys”.

People occupying the area took advantage of the relative softness of the rock to carve out caves in which to house themselves and their animals, as seen in tis photo of Uchisar. While these caves can be used as-is, many have been extended outward with a more conventional front section as the main part of the house.

Over time more and more such houses were formed and towns such as Goreme (third photo) developed amid the labyrinth of odd rock formations.

As these communities grew larger, and as caravan routes used these places as resting places, forts were built such as the one in Uchisar. This carvanserai wqs cut into a volcanic plug overlooking the valley and plain below. Maned by the sultan's army, caravans were offered three days of accommodation and protection at no cost then sent on their way. This was not an altruistic service on the sultan's part. Caravanserais communicated to each other using mirrors, fire and smoke to inform the sultan of what goods were in transit. This made taxation simpler and more effective.

The town of Uchisar retains a strong semblance to its historical appearance. You can even find an old shepherd and his dog herding a flock of sheep through the old buildings and cave dwellings on the lower slopes of the town.

Not only did the area's easily workable rock formations provide a place to house the populations, it also provided a place for early Christians to hide and build communities. Adopting the same building techniques as the locals, they carved out not only accommodations for themselves, they built churches in caves and painted them in an elaborate fashion, as in the church shown here. Many of these churches are preserved in the Goreme Open Air Museum.

Goreme (much like Uchisar some 5-6 km away) has not only houses but also hotels that make use of caves.

And then you occasionally find a a beacon to visitors – a dead tree festooned with clay jars.