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Central Anatolia and Andara |
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The central Anatolian plateau forms the heartland of Turkey: ochre-hued, cleft by ravines and dominated by volcanic peaks. The boldly
contoured steppe has a solitary majesty covered with wheat fields framed by
ranks of poplars.
The plateau was a cradle of human civilizations, to Catalhöyük, remains
of settlements as old as the eight millennium B.C. have been unearthed. Here in
the homeland of many civilizations and historic battle-ground between East and
West, the Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks,
and Ottomans all fought for their rule. In the 11th century, migrating
Turks from the east made the plateau their own.
During the turbulent history, Central Anatolia has endured invasions by great
conquerors, such as Alexander the Great and Tamerlane. In the course of ten
millennia of habitation, the denizens of area have reflected in their art the
dramatic contours of the surrounding landscape, from the vigorous paintings of
Catalhöyük and the confident lines of Seljuk architecture, to, more recently,
the impressive modern form of Atatürk’s mausoleum.
Alacahöyük
Ankara
Central Anatolia
Konya
Nevsehir
Soganli Valley
Urgup
Alacahoyuk is north of Bogazkale on the road to Corum, was the center of the flourishing Hattian culture during the Bronze Age. The magnificent Hattian gold and bronze objects in the Museum of Anatolian Civilization in Ankara were found in the Royal Tombs dating from this period.
Ankara
The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on the
eastern edge of the great, High Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 meters.
The province is predominantly fertile wheat steppe land, with forested areas in
the northeast.
The region’s history goes back to the Bronze Age Hatti
civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millennium B.C. by the
Hittites, in the 10th century B.C. by the Phrygians, then by Lydians
and Persians. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race who were the first
to make Ankara their capital in the 3rd century B.C. It was then
known as Ancyra, meaning "anchor," one of the oldest words in the
language of the sea-loving Celts. The city subsequently fell to the Romans, and
to the Byzantines, Seljuks Sultan Alparslan opened the door into Anatolia for
Turks at the victory of Malazgirt in 1071. Then in 1073, he annexed Ankara, an
important location for military transportation and natural resources, to Turkish
territory.
The city was an important cultural, trading and arts center on
the caravan route to the east in ottoman times. It had declined in importance by
the nineteenth century. It again became an important center when Kemal Atatürk
chose it as the base from which to direct the War of liberation. By consequence
of its role in the war and its strategic position, it was declared the capital of
the new Republic of Turkey on October 13th , 1923.
Atatürk Mausoleum: Located
on an imposing hill in the Anıttepe quarter of the city sands the mausoleum
of Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey. Completed in 1953, it is
an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural ideas and remains
unsurpassed as an
accomplishment of modern Turkish architecture. There is a museum housing a
superior wax statue of Atatürk; writings, letters and items belonging to
Atatürk, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in
his life and in the establishment of the Republic.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is close the
citadel entrance. An old bedesten (covered bazaar) has been beautifully restored
and now houses a marvelous and unique collection of Paleolithic, Neolithic,
Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Roman works and showpiece Lydian
treasures.
The most important Phrygian sites in Anatolia are to be found in the provinces of Ankara, Eskisehir and Afyon. Yassihöyük ( Gordion), 105 km southwest of Ankara on the Eskisehir highway, was the capital of Phrygia and the place where Alexander the Great cut the Gordion Knot to gain the key to Asia. The tumulus of King Midas, who turned whatever he touched to gold, can be visited here. Nearby, the remains of the ancient city Gordion, still under excavation, and a small museum are worth a quick tour.
All the major Hittite sites lie in the province of Corum in Bogazkale National Park, between Yozgat and the city of Corum. Impressive double walls running past the Royal Gate, the Lion Gate and the Hittite city of Hattusas, known today as Bogazkale. The more than 70 temples in the city made this the Hittite religious canter and gave it the name, " City of Temples". The largest ruins are those of the great temple to the storm god teshup. The Acropolis contained government buildings, the Imperial Palace and the archives of the Hittite Empire. In 1.180 B.C. the Phrygians devastated the city. After thorough excavations at the site, the city walls are now being extensively restored.
Yazilikaya, an open-air rock pantheon dating from the 13th
century B.C. contains fine reliefs of all the Hittites gods and goddesses.
Konya
Konya, one of Turkey’s oldest continuously inhabited
cities, was known a Iconium in Roman times. The capital of the Seljuk
Turks from the 12th to the 13th centuries, it ranks as one
of the great cultural centers of Turkey. During that period of cultural,
political and religious growth, the mystic Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi founded a
Sufi Order known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes. The striking green-tiled
mausoleum of Mevlana is Konya’s most famous building. Attached to the
mausoleum, the former dervish seminary serves now as a museum housing manuscripts
related to the mysticism of the sect. Every year, to the first half of December,
this still-active religious order holds a ceremony commemorating the Whirling
Dervishes. The controlled, trance-like turning or sema of the white-robed men
creates a fascinating performance for the viewer.
Alaeddin Mosque was built on the site of the ancient Konya
citadel in 1220, during the reign of the great Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat
and commands the Konya skyline. To one side of the mosque are the remains of the
Seljuk Imperial Palace. The Karatay Medrese, now a museum, displays bold and striking
Seljuk ceramics.
Nevsehir, a provincial capital, is the gateway to Cappadocia. In the town itself are the hilltop Seljuk castle, perched on the highest point of the city, and the Kursunlu Mosque.
Violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mt. Erciyes (3.916 meters) and Mt. Hasan (3.268 meters) long ago covered the plateau surrounding Nevsehir with tufa, a soft stone comprised to lava, ash and mud. The wind and rain have eroded this brittle rock and created a spectacular surrealistic landscape of rock cones, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines, in colors that range from warm reds and gold to cool greens and grays. Locals call this fascinating capped pinnacles "peri bacalari" or "fairy chimneys" Göreme National Park , known in Roman times as Cappadocia, is one of those rare regions in the world where the works of man blend unobtrusively into the natural surroundings. Dwellings have been hewn from the rocks as far back as 4.000 B.C. During Byzantine times, chapels and monasteries were hollowed out of the rock, their ochre-toned frescoes reflecting the hues of the surrounding landscape. Even today cave dwellings in rock cones and village houses of volcanic tufa merge harmoniously into the landscape.
Cappadocia Cave Suites - Stay in some of the most unique accommodations anywhere where you can relax among the mythology of the Hittites and enjoy the incredible landscape of one of the natural wonders of the world - and actually stay inside of a cave! Each of the 14 deluxe guest rooms and 4 suites are designed to maintain the original cave structures creating a sense of individuality. A nice breakfast is included in your stay. Phone: +90384 271 28 00, e-mail: info@cappadociacavesuites.com, Web: www.cappadociacavesuites.com
Soganli ValleyThe Soganli Valley is located about 50 km south of Urgüp, is picturesque with its innumerable chapels, churches, halls, houses and tombs. The frescos, from the 8th to 13th centuries, trace the development of Byzantine painting. Four kilometers north of Urgüp is the wonderful Dervent Valley, where the weather eroded the stone into peaks, cones and obelisks called fairy chimneys.
The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic complex of rock churches and of the best-known sites in central Turkey. Most of the chapels date from 10th to 13th centuries (Byzantine and Seljuk periods) and many of them are built on the inscribed cross-plan with a central cupola supported by four columns. In the north annexes of several churches are cut-rock tombs.
The charming town of Avanos, on the banks of the Kızılırmak River, displays attractive local architecture and is known for its handicrafts. Every August the town hosts an Art and Tourism Festival where a creative and friendly atmosphere pervades.
The underground cities of Kaymakli, Mazi, Derinkuyu, Tatlarin, and Ozkonak were all used by Christians of seventh century, who were fleering from persecution. They sheltered from the iconoclastic strife of Byzantium as well as other invasions in these safe and well-hidden complexes. These cities were a complete and self-sufficient environment, including rooms for grain storage, stables, sleeping chambers, kitchens and air shafts. Today they are well-lit, and an essential and fascinating part of a Cappadocian tour.
Urgüp
Urgup is
a lively tourist center at the foot of a rock
ridge riddled with old dwellings, serves as an excellent base from which to tour
the sights of Cappadocia. In Urgüp itself you can still see how people once
lived in homes cut into the rock.
