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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cappadocia

I don’t often create posts that are primarily photographic, mostly because I’m not that good of a photographer, but when Mrs. C. and I visited Cappadocia, Turkey, we found it so bizarre and interesting that I figured not even my photography skills could fail to capture the uniqueness. This region of Turkey, created millions of years ago by a nearby volcano, was one of the earliest sanctuaries for early Christians outside of Judea. They enlarged caves into churches in this region and secretly worshiped here for centuries.


But it is the rock formations themselves, often referred to as “fairy chimneys,” that receive the most attention. I wandered among the formations and felt like I was seeing Yosemite or Yellowstone on acid. But what I saw was real. If you find this World Heritage Site interesting you can Google Cappadocia for pictures far surpassing my humble efforts.















I remember turning to Mrs. Chatterbox after snapping shots of formations like these and saying to her,” Do these rocks look familiar to you? Do they remind you of anything?”


She said, “I find them strangely appealing. They look so strong and powerful. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

I sulked for the rest of the day.

26 comments:

  1. I'm glad you wrote that at the end, because I was wondering if I was going to be the one who left the comment about the shape of them! Cool photographs! I want to be in one of those hot air balloons!!

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  2. Looks like a fascinating place. Your first few photos, in particular are lovely. As for the latter group, one can't help but notice.

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  3. Imagine that...prehistoric Viagra. ;)

    S

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  4. I'm thinking what everyone else is thing. Just saying.

    Have a terrific Sunday. :)

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  5. Good, I'm not the only one who thought that. Now I feel better about myself, though perhaps not as good about the state of humanity.

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  6. This truly is a very important blog. Thanks for your post.
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  7. A place to put on the bucket list. Amazing.

    The last photo and comment are priceless.

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  8. Great photographs and you have certainly captured something......:)

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  9. Yes, they are the oddest combination of being otherworldly and phallic at the same time. So odd that people lived in those caves. But I suppose they were actually an excellent place to be out of the elements and the heat. Kind of a mysterious place. Especially those balancing stones! I think your photos are great!

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  10. Nature has truly erected some noteworthy monuments.

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  11. That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw the photos!! There was an article in Smithsonian or a travel magazine on this site. There photos were not as lovely as yours and they seemed to miss the phallic angles.

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  12. I love the pictures, the idea that people lived in those is rather intriguing.

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  13. came by to thank you for your comment on my POTW from smitten image and loved this post. another blog pal recently spent a year in cappadocia so i've seen lots of fairy chimnies via her. i gotta say though, the ones she posted didn't appear quite so...erm....strong and powerful....as....erm...yours. (there, feel better now?) hehehe.

    and yes, i expect i'll be back. lovely pictures and a great sense of humor, what's to keep me away?

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  14. Well a photo is hard evidence that what you shared is true. Btw... your photography skills are hard to beat. In case you're interested, there are all kinds of places with a common denominator found in your post.

    http://io9.com/5877589/the-most-phallic-places-on-the-planet

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  15. Hey, you did fin on your photography. I think I told you that I had friends tour Turkey recently. They also had pictures of the caves . They were on a two week bus tour. This is a fascinating land with a long and interesting history.

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  16. I am really enjoying my vicarious tour through Turkey, especially with a tour guide so willing to share his self-deprecating humor with us all. You made me laugh at this one. And like others have commented, I too was glad that you brought it up first.

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  17. i pretty much suspected the same thing as i scrolled down. nice photography btw.

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  18. Wow. LOVE your photos. This place has definitely gone on my travel "want list".

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  19. LOL And there I was thinking about the marvels of nature when I was suddenly dashed to earth, into the mud of bloggers minds. You lot are a bad influence on my sanitary thoughts so early in my morning. Cappadocia will never be the same again :)

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  20. Rocks with hat's and knob-shaped rocks!

    That made my day!

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  21. Photographs do speak volumes... :)

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  22. These are AMAZING pictures--of an amazing place! Thanks for sharing :)

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  23. These photos are wonderful.. for many reasons. Hard to choose just one. ;)

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