Seniors Explore Cappadocia (Kapadokya)

Senior historians are captivated by Cappadocia, a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province, in Turkey. In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine.

Lonely Planet notes that those troglodytes sure knew what they were doing when they decided to lay down their hats and call Cappadocia home. Deep in the heart of the country, they settled within the lunar-like landscape and burrowed their houses and churches into stone cliffs and their cities underground. In so doing, they provided a still-cogent example of the simplicity and sense of living at one with nature rather than imposing upon it.

Centuries of volcanic eruptions dumped mud, ash and lava that was later sculpted by rain and wind into some weird shapes. Senior visitors will find needles and chimneys galore. Early christians built the “rock city” and an underground village of Kaymakli that await seniors to come and discover. Not enough historical background for you?  Read on.

Senior Travelers Appreciate World Heritage Sites

By now senior readers know me well enough in my travel blogs to know that I would put Cappadocia on my “bucket list” simply because it is a World Heritage Site! Sure there are lots of natural formations, but human hands performed equally incredible works here. The rocky wonderland is honeycombed with a network of human-created caves; living quarters, places of worship, stables, and storehouses were all dug into the soft stone. The NY TImes has a captivating slide show that exemplifies some of the natural wonders of the area. To me it looks like some giant termites have been at work for a century or two.

TripAdvisor feels that you can spend so much time here that senior citizens can make it a special vacation.  How about 123 hotels and flight from Ankara to get you started? The popular destinations include Goreme, Urgup, Ichisar, Avanos and Ortahisar.  Try spelling those from memory.

In Urgup you can check into a Cave Hotel that you will stay in your memory for a long long time. This is just a one-of-a-kind terrain in the Heart of Byzantium. I found a tour for you to consider with English-speaking guides.

I’ll cap it off today with a few things to do while you are in the vicinity. Enjoy exploring all those big holes in Cappadocia.  jeb