✦ Cappadocia spans an area of about 5,000 square kilometers. It is situated between three provinces namely Nevşehir, Kayseri, and Niğde in Turkey. ✦ The place was buried in ash and lava due to volcanic eruptions several years ago. ✦ These geological formations or volcanic sediments were eroded by the rains and strong winds, and later solidified into soft rocks known as tuffs which are several feet thick. The erosion created bizarre landscape formations such as domes, mushroom-like pillars called fairy chimneys, and pinnacles that are seen today. ✦ The volcanic rocks of Cappadocia are well-suited for the formation of fairy chimneys and pyramids due to their soft textures. The fairy chimneys vary in height and can reach as high as 40 meters. ✦ Cappadocia was called Hatti as it was where the Hittites lived. Following the decline of the Hittite Empire, Cappadocia was governed by feudal aristocracy. ✦ At the time when Herodotus lived, the Cappadocians occupied the areas from Mount Taurus to that surrounding Euxine (Black Sea). ✦ The area is an extremely fertile land and apricots, sugarcane, beets, and chickpeas are grown here. It is also a major producer of grapes. ✦ The Cappadocia region was once a part of the Roman empire. ✦ It is believed that the word Cappadocia is derived from an ancient Persian word Katpatuka, which means "the land/country of beautiful horses." ✦ The underground dwellings in Cappadocia provided a hiding place or a refuge for the early local Christians from the Romans and later from the Muslim invaders. The Byzantine churches that were carved out of the rocks served as safe havens. The city of Derinkuyu in Cappadocia provided shelter for over 20,000 people in its caverns. ✦ The spectacular landscape is made up of a network of human-made caves or tunnels, consisting of quarters, churches, and storehouses, which were carved out of tuffs or soft rocks. These tunnels connect the various underground settlements and are found across the entire region of Cappadocia. ✦ The Göreme National Park and the rock sites of Cappadocia have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1985 for the unusual topographic characteristics and for having more than 200 underground cities and villages. ✦ Hiking and attending music concerts are the common activities that take place in the area. ✦ There are numerous underground cities in the region and the most popular among them are Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. ✦ Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great, established a monastic life in Cappadocia. He encouraged Christian monks to come and pray together in a monastery. The region of Cappadocia in Central Turkey is known the world over, for sites like churches, houses carved in walls of valleys, and the rock formations known as fairy chimneys, among others. It is among the largest underground regions in the world.