KAYMAKLI TOWN
The dusty little town in front of the entrance to the underground city: Kaymakli — Built, it’s thought, by Hittites, it’s honeycombed into a mountain. Thousands of people lived there for centuries. —- Nervous about earthquakes? Forget it! They don’t have ‘em here… the rock is like a closed fist.
UNDERCITY GUIDE MUSTAFA
— KAYMAKLI — Mustafa, a superior guide, ran & capered quickly through the low, narrow labyrinthine passageways. “It’s to encourage you,” he said, “in case you are claustrophobe.” The former residents of the city went one-way only. Life must have been very circumscribed with such crowding: 10 in a room!
IN THE UNDERGROUND CITY
— Sitting in the cold silence in the food storage area of KAYMAKLI Underground City / Built by Hittites, c1640 BC / Occupied by many since including Byzantines in the 3rd-15thCenturies AD — Alcoves like this were for anything from lamp shelves to clothes closets and food bins — When the Christians hid in caves, they were here. —— A giant honeycomb of stone.
TRAPDOOR
— Blocking stone —> / Door <— Trap — The cave residents, in time of attack, would roll stones across the entrance & put out the lights. If the enemy got through the door, he’d fall in the trap. “AAAAA!” — Sitting in the 4000-year-old winery 4 floors down- about 20 meters below the surface—— It’s now believed these are a lot older than 4000 years.
COMING THROUGH!
— It was worth the price of admission just to watch these huge German tourists scrape through this tiny passageway. “Kinda like being born, Ja?” — In ancient times, to prevent miscarriage, pregnant women lived close to the surface, even though people were smaller than: bending double was necessary.
GROUP SHOT WITH FEZ
— Group shot! These four posed outside the underground city souvenir stand after bringing me everything I could possibly want. / Serkan / Oktay / Wolkan / Yasar because he wanted it so bad!— I explained in broken English, gestures & my seven Turkish words what I am doing here “Americans think.. pile of rubble…Don’t go there…” When I said “Turkish Tourism” they said “Thank you.” —- Want to help people & have a great time doing it? Come here on holiday! / No, really, business SUCKS because people think they shouldn’t come here [after the big earthquake in ’99.]
MT ERGIYES & PUSSYCATS
— Sabine pulls the car over so I could draw Mt Ergiyes. The kitties were later.
AN ODD COUPLE
— Back in Ürgüp — “EEEOO!! EEOO!* *Turkish Cat for “Mama come home!” — Zeliha’s Front Door — Wednesday October 13
Odd couple—— Fanged hag cave with one eye next to the proper carved stone fountain. You can’t see this duo anymore from the street but I hope it’s still there.