General Introduction of Cappadocia
Cappadocia is one of the most historical places of Turkey to visit, which hosts
approximately 2.5 million tourists coming from different parts of the world each year. The
region is very well known with its geographical formations characterized by its “fairy
chimneys”. Fairy chimneys are the special kind of soft volcanic rock formations sculpted by
wind and water as a result of the volcanic layers which spread through the area with the
eruption of Erciyes, Hasandag and Güllüdag mountains about 60 million years ago.
Cappadocia: the site of nature’s wonderful formations, a central Anatolian and world
heritage with a history dating back to 3000 B.C. This geography where history and nature
intertwines has been host to many civilizations and a gigantic shelter and center for
Christians who fled from the Roman Empire during the Hittite period throughout the
centuries.
For several introductory videos of Cappadocia, please have a look at the sites:

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/Genel/medya/film/TanitimFilmleri/2008kapadokya.wmv

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/genel/medya/film/TanitimFilmleri/kapadokya.wmv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ej0ZOTIGLg
Tour Programme
Our post-conference tour to Cappadocia is designed to create an opportunity for
discovering the most spectacular and well-known points of the region. It will start from
“Uçhisar Castle” which is the tallest fairy chimney of the region in which you will have a great
chance to see the whole Cappadocia landscape. After having our coffees at the “Pigeon
Valley” we will arrive to “Göreme Open Air Museum” which is listed as one of the UNESCO
World Heritage sites, composing of scores of refectory monasteries placed side-by-side, each
with its own fantastic church. (For visual tour:
Turkce/index.html)
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/genel/SanalMuzeler/Kapadokya-
Then, we will conclude our first day trip with a classical fairy chimney
panorama at “Pasabag.” In the evening, we will have a great dinner in an authentic Turkish
stone-carved restaurant including Turkish Folk Dance shows and many other surprises
together with famous local cuisine.
The second day will start with an optional balloon tour* which will offer a majestic
and unforgettable memory for the ones who will enjoy it. Then, our trip will continue with
having a panoramic view of the region from the point called “Üç güzeller” fairy chimneys.
Then we will visit the “Kaymakli Underground City” which dates back to Hittites circa 1200BC
and also later used by the first Christians of Anatolia for their survival who had escaped from
the persecution of Roman soldiers. Then, we will visit “Mustafapaşa” Village (Sinasos in
Greek) as a cultural centre in which Greeks and Turks lived together in peace for centuries.
After having lunch, through Devrent Valley, we will visit a pottery workshop gallery in
Avanos, during which you can create your own pottery together with a local master. Through
following the flow of the longest river of Turkey- Kızılırmak River, we will reach our last stop
Hacı Bektas Veli Museum to learn about ‘Hacı Bektaş Veli’ who is one of the great Turkish
philosophers of the 13th century.
Important Notes:

Tour Fee is 85 EURO/120 USD/ 250 TL. For registration, pre-payment is required until
5th of June 2014. (Min 20 EURO/25 USD/50TL) –after registration please inform the
organizators:
Research Assistant Murat Demirel: dmurat@metu.edu.tr (+90) 505 468 91 37
Research Assistant Levent Kızılbağlı:leventkizilbagli@gmail.com (+90) 553 209 54 53

PAYMENT OPTIONS
Please write your name and surname and state as ‘METU IR CONF’ when you transfer your
fee.
1-) There are two options for payment.
Bank transfer to the following account.
İş Bankası Odtü Şubesi (Is Bankasi Odtu Branch)
IBAN NO: TR25 0006 4000 0014 2291 1091 48
2-) Paypal
Please send an e-mail that you want to pay your registration fee via Paypal
(irconf@metu.edu.tr)

Please keep in mind that the fee of the trip does not cover the entrance costs of
museums. For the Turkish participants of the tour, we kindly recommend to have
“Müzekart” to get a chance to visit the museums smoothly. For detailed information in
regard to “Müzekart” please visit the site: http://www.muzekart.com/

* For the ones who choose to enjoy balloon tour on Sunday, we kindly remind them
that it costs €100 for person. (Please inform the members of organization team prior to
conference so as to complete process easily.)

In regard to accommodation, the fee of the trip covers double or triple rooms. For
single accommodation requests, please ask for availability taking the extra payment into
consideration. For details please visit the site of our hotel: http://hotel.nevsehir.edu.tr/en