Cappadoccia -- above ground

The land of the fairy chimneys, Cappadoccia is an astonishing landscape filled not only with Hoodoos, but with natural sculptures like the camel on the left. An image of the most famous of these, mushroom shaped, is featured on Turkish currency.

The Open Air Museum at Goreme is yet another of Turkey's World Heritage sites. It is a network of natural above-ground caverns which were used in the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries as monasteries and churches. These contain beautiful frescoes, as well as tables and benches hewn from the natural rock.

Natural "buildings" of the region, like the one formed below, were created by erosion. As geologist Rasoul Sorkhabi explains, in Cappadoccia, volcanic rock lies between the harder sedimentary layers. These overground caves have been inhabited since at least the 4th Century. Even today, some cave houses and cave hotels remain in use.