The charismatic owner and singing chef of Uchisar’s House of Memories restaurant swings his butcher knife and quickly decapitates the clay pot and pours out the slow-cooked lamb stew.
The dish is known as testi kebab and its specialty. A three-legged Kangal dog skips by and looks on expectantly. These giant Anatolian herds are widespread in this part of Cappadocia, the famous volcanic region in central Turkey.
I kept coming back – to eat at the same restaurant and stay at the Kale Konak, a small and traditional cave hotel run by the gregarious Abdullah, with his own kangal called Barden.
The rooms here – and the Turkish bath – are accessible and connected by tunnels deep below the hilltop castle in Uchisar.
Steve Thomas stays at Hotel Kale Konak, which has rooms under the castle in the hill town of Uchisar (above).
Steve explains that Kale Konak (above) is “a small and traditional cave hotel run by the gregarious Abdullah.”
Double rooms in Kale Konak (above) are from £95 B&B
It is carved into a giant rock and looks like something out of a Star Wars movie set. The 40 square kilometers of the Unesco World Heritage Site in central Cappadocia is now a year-round tourist attraction, so autumn and winter are probably the best times to visit.
All year round, bleary-eyed tourists rush to snap photos and videos of the region’s famous low-flying hot air balloons before heading to the next hot spot – and a sunrise flight is a real treat (costing around €180). .
But these fleeting visits mean you miss out on the real Cappadocia. The moon-like landscape was sculpted by lava from nearby volcanoes 60 million years ago, with the often snow-capped Mount Erciyes (Argeus) being the most prominent.
Inhabited since Hittite times, Cappadocia was a trading post on the ancient Silk Road. Later, Jews and Christians fled Roman persecution and settled here. Many hand-hewn churches and monasteries have remarkably intact frescoes, and Saint George is believed to have been born here.
Today, most of the caves are empty, although many have been converted into hotels in major cities. Entire underground cities were also later built to hide from Arab invaders, and many are open to visitors today.
And from the high terrace below Uchisar Castle, go downhill in any direction for 10 minutes and the hordes will be gone. The more you walk, the more you will find. The next hike is through Pidgeon Valley – a kaleidoscope of colors in spring and fall. At the edge of the valley is the small Kocabag (pronounced Koshbazsh) Winery & Shop, which produces excellent local wines and is a must for après-hike drinks.
Cappadocia was formed 60 million years ago by lava from nearby volcanoes, the most prominent of which is the often snow-capped Mount Erciyes (Argeus, above).
Pidgeon Valley is “a kaleidoscope of color in the spring and fall,” says Steve, adding, “On the edge of the valley is the tiny Kocabag (pronounced Koschbazsh) Winery & Shop, which produces excellent local wines and is a must -visit is for anyone après – Hang out
The valley meanders through the high desert landscape and is surrounded by the terraced cave structures of Uchisar and various abandoned cave dwellings, churches and other structures, while farmers grow fruits and vegetables in the fertile valley floors.
These dwellings are even more prominent in the Goreme and Cavusin valleys and have been largely abandoned for decades.
The lovable giant dogs, hospitable locals and good wines are reason enough to visit Cappadocia – but it’s also the accessible solitude and sublime beauty of the valleys that make it such an exciting part of the world.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
