Cappadocia Classic Car Tour

First settlement Although it is not known for certain when Uçhisar Castle was first used as a settlement, it is estimated that it was actively used during the Roman period. Byzantine Period (4th-11th centuries): The castle was used for shelter and defense during the Byzantine period. Christian people settled in and around the castle to protect themselves from Arab raids. Seljuk and Ottoman Periods: During the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, the settlement continued and the castle continued to function as a surveillance and defense point.

The name comes from the imaginative shapes of the rock formations in the valley. The most famous figures: Camel-like rock Shapes interpreted as seals, birds, dragons, horses, whirling whirling dervishes, even the silhouette of the Virgin Mary People attach meaning to these rocks with their imagination, which is why the valley is called the “Valley of Imagination”.

The fairy chimneys in the Love Valley, unlike those in other valleys, are quite high and thick-bodied with rounded ends. Due to the resemblance of these shapes to human anatomy, the valley was humorously named “Love Valley”. Nature and Atmosphere You can walk along the valley accompanied by vineyards, apricot trees and wild nature. Throughout the valley, birdsong, wind and the serenity of nature can be felt.

In the valley there are cells and chapels carved into the rock from the early Christian period. A cell dedicated to St. Simeon is particularly famous: Simeon was a hermit who retreated on a pillar. It is thought that he lived a hermit life in rooms carved into a three-headed fairy chimney in Paşabağ. This is why the valley is called the “Valley of the Monks”.