Gorome Day 3 - Red City Tour

After finishing Hot Air Ballon Ride in the morning, we were back to hotel by 7.30 and slept for a while. We had booked private car to take us to the Red City tour places.

We started the tour with one of Turkey’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Göreme Open Air Museum. It is the most visited site in Cappadocia and boasts the best and most extensive collection of rock-cut churches, many of which have been decorated with elaborate Byzantine frescoes (wall or ceiling paintings). Dating back to the 10th century AD, they’re over a thousand years old

Next we went to Sunset point. This was supposed to be visited on our first day here, but due to bad weather we had to skip it. The place is known for hike and cycle ride in the valley. We did see some people cycling here.

We later went to Three Beauties. Astonishing to think that these rock formations were created naturally. These fairy chimneys were formed through the millennia by intense volcanic activity and erosion. The caps are of a darker color because they’re made of harder basalt while the lighter-colored stem is made from soft volcanic tufa rock. Sculpted by the elements over thousands of years, the tufa erodes at a faster rate, creating these phallic spires with dark mushroom-like caps. Nature is weird and beautiful

We then went to Love valley, which was the same spot Ballon ride started for us. It was dark then, and now day light.

Next up was Deverent Valley. This valley got its name because the fairy chimneys here look Devrent. Also known as Imagination Valley, the rock formations here are of unusual shapes, often resembling animals like dolphins, camel, snakes, and seals.

Later we went to Ceramic pottery making factory , the process here is of different kind as per them. They demonstrated how to do a simple cup and as per the tradition here, to get married, the man has to know pottery making. Bless all men there

We then went to Paşabağ Valley, meaning “General’s vineyard” in Turkish, Also known as Monks Valley, a chapel and hermitage dedicated to Saint Simeon was built into one of these fairy chimneys with three heads. Saint Simeon was a Syriac ascetic who lived in seclusion for 37 years atop a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Inspired by his example, the hermits of Cappadocia isolated themselves from the world by cutting into these fairy chimneys and creating rooms 10-15 meters aboveground.

The last place of this tour was Uchisar castle which we saw in the distant. People trek to the top of the castle and from here, the panaromic view of the Gorome town is seen.

We rested for a while and left for the bus at 7 PM. We strolled the town, and had Lentil soup. The bus to Pamukkale left at 8 PM.