Cappadocia Soganli Valley Tour
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Mustafapasha

This town remained predominantly Christian throughout the Seljuk and early Ottoman periods, although the Muslim population increased from then on. The Byzantine Greek population in the area kept alive their language over the centuries and even developed their own unique dialect. Sinasos, as Mustafapasha used to be known, became rich by trading with Istanbul, and some splendid old stone Greek houses rich in decoratively carved symbols are not to be missed. It’s still possible to walk into some buildings which have the original paintings on the walls, and the town is home to the remains of the largest concentration of modern churches in the region. The Byzantine Greeks left the village during the exchange of populations agreed in the Treaty of Lausanne, and the incoming Turks took over their houses. While here, take a stroll through the narrow streets of this old town and see traditional Turkish rural life. Don’t miss the beautiful ornamentation at the entrance of the 19th century Church of Constantine and Helena in the town centre, one of the biggest in the region. The cave church with the most modern icons, dedicated to Saint Basil, is also found here. You might also lunch in an old house so that you can travel back in time as you sit in the authentically decorated and furnished room while tasting the delicious home-made local cuisine.

Cemil Village

Cemil is one of the completely authentic farming villages of the region where some people live in former mansions and some in caves. It has a stone-built church with reasonably well preserved decorations dated 1916 and the frescos on the pillars are very unusual. The walk to the church goes through an old village street with traditional houses - and possibly chickens running across your path!

Keshlik Monastery

This monastery complex, situated in a paradise-like green valley, contains the Church of the Archangel, the Chapel of Saint Stephen, a huge dining area, living quarters and a pool of sacred water. The monks and their guests could hide from danger in a room secured by two mill-stone doors, and a secret passage and spy-hole next to this room would have allowed one of the senior members of the monastic order to secretly listen in on their conversations! The Church of the Archangel is one of the few cave churches to have been used by the local population into the twentieth century.

Fairy Chimneys

On your journey, look out for the fairy chimney rock formations which seem to grow in this area! You may even like to take a short break to explore them on foot. Walking amongst and touching these formations gives a better understanding of the miracle of their formation. It's as if they're lying under the ground waiting to be revealed.

Tashkinpasha

Tashkinpasha takes its name from the Turkish philosopher, Tashun, who taught in the now ruined local Medrese (Madrasa or Islamic High School). The Medrese building and the nearby mosque and tombs are some of the best examples of Seljuk architecture in the district. The village houses follow the traditional plan with stables on the ground floor to keep the upper rooms warm. Despite living so close to their animals, the people are noted for their spotlessly clean homes. No dirt from outside is taken into the living quarters, and if you ever visit a Turkish home, don't forget to leave your shoes outside the door.

Sobessos

Sobessos is a newly discovered archaeological site, with excavations still underway, that once was a wealthy Roman-Byzantine city. We are all very excited as nothing so big has ever been found in this region before. The remains of a church, tombs, a bath and Roman mosaics have already been uncovered. Why not see the archaeologists in action and feel part of this exciting dig!

Shahinefendi

Shahinefendi is an authentic Central Anatolian village at the foot of a table mountain where you can see villagers carrying out their daily chores around their homes and in their fields. Nowadays, the villagers support their traditional lifestyle by growing potatoes, garlic, squash (for seeds), and clover (for animal feed), as well as many types of fruit and nuts. They store their harvest in huge caves at the foot of the mountain. Both men and women in the village usually wear their traditional shalvar (baggy trousers) which are not just practical but comfortable, too. The Church of the Forty Martyrs, situated in a rock pinnacle, is interesting to visit, and this once again links this region to its Byzantine past.

Table Mountains (Mesa Plateaus)

The table mountains, of which there are several examples in the surrounding countryside, are an indication of the original height of the volcanic tufa (tuff) deposits in the region through which erosion has cut various deep gorge and canyon-like valleys with many fascinating fairy chimney formations on the slopes. These valleys have provided secure environments for villages to grow on the hillsides, hidden from the main highways. The journey to Soganli passes many interesting rock formations, over the top of a table mountain, and through local villages in which one can see traditional Turkish life.

Guzeloz

Guzeloz, which means "Essence of Beauty", is the first village down from the table mountain and is strategically situated where three valleys meet. The first sight that catches the traveler’s eye is the women in traditional baggy trousers baking bread in the traditional village oven using hay and dried plants as fuel. Once a crowded, active town, this village now houses less than 1,000 people who make their living from keeping animals and growing vegetables. The view of the village from the roadside is spectacular. Most houses are in caves or use adjoining caves as kitchens, food depots, stables and dovecotes.

Soganli Valley

Soganli, which directly translated means "Land of Onions", is really a corruption of "Son-a-Kaldi" meaning "The Last One". It truly is the last of the line of villages in the valleys south of Urgup, and the most traditional one. Once again, people have built homes in the rock cones created as erosion swept down the hillsides, and until a few decades ago it was home to the highest number of dovecotes in the region, providing guano for the fields around. Its isolation meant it was the ideal place for Byzantines to build monasteries, which they inhabited until at least the 1750’s. Today, the visitor can enter 10 different churches with reasonably well preserved wall paintings dating from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The locally made doll is the emblem of the village, but this symbol originated from a tragic event. A local woman lost her baby and, unable to cope emotionally, made a rag doll to take its place. Later on, the women of the village developed the art of making these dolls while their men were out on the mountains grazing their animals. A Soganli doll is a must for every doll collection.

Local Rug Making

We can visit a local centre for authentic traditional handicrafts where local women still make and sell the most beautiful Turkish carpets, kilims (traditional flat-weave carpets) and sumacs (a special type of silk-embroidered kilim with nomadic motifs). Visitors can watch carpets and kilims being made in designs passed down through generations. In fact it is generally agreed that some of the designs from the wall paintings at Neolithic Catal Hoyuk can be seen in the motifs still used today! The dyes used for the wool are all natural, and one of the workers will explain the processes and you will be able to see behind the scenes - it's absolutely fascinating. www.asianturkey.com