Cappadocia

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Cappadocia (Nevşehir Province), from the Persian Katpatuka meaning "the land of beautiful horses", is an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site[1]. It is a region with a unique historical and cultural heritage and containing exceptional natural wonders, characterized by Dali-esque chimneys and cones hollowed from a soft volcanic rock known as tuff.

Miscellaneous facts

• Cappadocia contains several underground cities - such as Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu - which were probably used by early Christians as hiding places, but which were still inhabited during the Byzantine period. When Arab raids started in the 7th century the Christian communities in the region again took refuge underground, rolling closed large millstone doors behind them. The cities consist of several levels beneath ground level, and only small areas are open to the public[2].

• If the Angel of Darkness story arc had been continued, there would have been a level set in a Cappadocian underground city[3]

• Cappadocia is mentioned twice in the Bible, namely Acts 2:6-11 and 1 Peter 1:1-2[4]. The Nephilim are also mentioned twice in Genesis 6:3-5 and Number 13:32-33.

• Cappadocia was known as Hatti in the late Bronze Age, and was the homeland of the Hittite Empire (ca. the 18th century BC) [5]