Capadoccia

After a great dinner and a good night’s sleep, we boarded another flight from Istanbul to Kayseri in the region of Cappadocia in central Turkey. This area was mentioned in Acts 2, and Peter included the believers here in the recipients of his first epistle. The terrain here is dry and hilly, dotted with ancient volcanoes, reminiscent of the southwestern United States.

Lunch was at a grand restaurant (called “guest house” in Turkish) made in the style of an old caravan guest house. The food was incredible, and the hospitality was welcoming.

This afternoon, we visited Zelve, a UNESCO world heritage site. There, we saw hundreds of caves carved directly into unique formations naturally shaped by wind and erosion. Generations of people have used these caves as homes, storehouses, and places of worship. During the Byzantine Era, Christian monks resided here and left artwork depicting Christian iconography. We met in one cave that was a church, the remnants of ancient painted crosses and saints still visible on the eroding stone walls.

After a drive through the unusual terrain of Cappadocia, we had a great meal and headed to bed early to rest up for our next adventure.

Susan Barton– Tyler, TX