Üçhisar Castle
The highest peak in the region and the most prominent land formation, the Üçhisar Castle is a larger-than-life sculpture. A climb up the 120 steps to the summit of the fortress is a logical introduction to the rocky scrapes of Cappadocia. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Byzantine army took advantage of the natural elevation of three of the area's rock formations and used them as natural fortresses. Üçhisar, together with Ortahisar and a rock castle at Ürgüp (now in ruins), provided the means for an early warning system using mirrors and lights, sending messages among the fortresses and as far afield as Istanbul.
Today the outer layers of Üçhisar's rock have been washed away by erosion to reveal a honeycombed structure of tunnels and cavities, rising above the man-made facades of the modern semi-troglodyte village. Recently discovered was a secret tunnel leading to the riverbed, which provided an emergency water supply in the event of an attack.
At the top of the fortress you will have a breathtaking view of all the surrounding Cappadocian formations: from Pigeon Valley to Avanos, Orta hisar Castle, Göreme Town, Göreme Open Air Museum, Kýlýçlar Valley, Kýzýlçukur, Gulludere and Cavuþin To west and southwest, you will see Nevsehir, Mount Gemil and Mount Hasan.
CAPPADOCIA
Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish) is the ancient and modern name of a remarkable region in Central Anatolia. It is a geological wonderland which is covered a triangular area between Ürgüp to Avanos and to Nevsehir. The name "Cappadocia" dates back to Persian times, when the region was called as "katpatukya" meaning "Land of Beautiful Horses". Since that time Cappadocia has seen the rise and fall of many different civilizations. It is a land of vast plains, rolling hills, rugged mountains and extinct volcanoes. It is a veritable treasure of historical relics from the Chalcolithic era to the Seljuk Turks period.
Today, Cappadocia is being protected by the UNESCO since 1983 and takes its place in World Culture Heritage since 1985.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATION
The surrealistic geological formation of Cappadocia is one of the wonders of the world. It is the result of the natural forces during the intense volcanic activity. In addition to the European Alps, the Taurus Mountains of southern Anatolia were formed during the Tertiary period of geological development (65 million to 2 million years ago).
During the "Alpine period" of mountain-building, deep fissures and large depressed areas were created. The fracturing process allowed the subsurface magma (rocks in their molten state) to find its way to the surface where it formed the Erciyes, Develi, Melendiz, Kegiboydoran, and Hasan Dag cones. After numerous eruptions these cones increased in size and formed a chain of volcanoes running parallel to the Taurus Mountains. Also the volcanic material slowly ran towards the depressed areas and covered the previously formed hills and valleys. This geological activity changed the general landscape of the region, giving it the appearance of a plateau. The lava produced by these volcanoes, under the Neogene lakes system (from 23.0 million years ago to the present), formed a layer of tufa on the plateaus, which varied in hardness and was between 100 and 150 m thick. Other substances in the layer are ignimbrite, soft tufa, tufa, lahar, ash, clay, sandstone, marn, basalt and other agglomerates. This is the constructive stage of Cappadocia's formation.
Wind, climate, mechanical weathering, rain, snow, and rivers caused the erosion stage giving to Cappadocia its unusual and characteristic rock formations. The Cappadocian climate, with sharp changes of temperature, heavy rains, and melting snow in the spring, plays an important role in the formation of the Cappadocian landscape. In addition, mechanical weathering is responsible for fragmentation because rocks expand when heated and break up as they cool. Frozen water in the cracks can also cause fragmentation.
However, the most important sources of erosion are rain and rivers. Starting in the Early Pliocene Period, the rivers in the area, especially Kizilirmak (the Red River), and local lakes contributed to the erosion of this layer Heavy rainfall transformed the smooth surface of the plateau into a complex pattern of gullies that followed preexisting fissures in the rocks. Eroded materials were then removed by the rivers.
Sometime streams and rivers made very sharp vertical cuts into the volcanic soil and created isolated pinnacles at the intersection of two or more gullies. Rain and rivers also formed valleys such as Zelve and Göreme.
A rock formation refers to isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrops. These are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. Rock formation in general refers to specific sedimentary strata or other rock unit in stratigraphic and petrologic studies.
Geologists classify rocks into three types according to their origin. A rock structure can be created in any rock type or combination:
- Sedimentary rocks are created from bits of rocks that have broken off other rocks by wind or water erosion, and deposited by wind, ice, or water. Erosion later exposes them in their current form. An example is Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
- Metamorphic rocks are created by rocks that have evolved into another kind of rock, usually by heat and pressure. An example is Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.
- Igneous rocks are created when molten rock cools and solidifies, with or without crystallization. They may be either intrusive bodies or volcanic extrusive. Again, erosive forces sculpt their current forms. An example is Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.
The volcanic deposits of Cappadocia are soft rocks that, for hundreds of years, the people of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region carved out to form houses, churches, monasteries and underground cities. 3,500 years ago, this towering high rock column was one of the 3 major citadels for the pagan tribes that lived here. These rock fortresses were the key to survival at a time when tribal warfare could wipe out entire villages.
Though there are many other interesting places around this UNESCO World Heritage Site, to claim this cache you'll just need to upload a picture of you and your GPS in top of the Üçhisar Castel and answer (by email) those questions:
1. Which is the high of the rock fortress Üçhisar Castle?
2. Which kind of rock formation is underlined in Cappadocia and in the surrounding area you can see from here?
The logs without picture will be deleted without further explanation.
Have a nice visit of this incredible site!
