Goreme - Turkey

Day 19 - This Castle was once used as a Christian Monastery. You can still climb to the top through a series of caves in the column.
As we walked through the Rose Valley it reminded us of the Grand Canyon and the badlands of Alberta.It was a great place for Ralph to relax and check out the view.
These caves in this village were totally inhabited up to 1952. Because of the safety factor, all the people was relocated.
This Christian church was built about the 4th Century and was used up until the 9th Century. After this period it was used as a home for many different families.
Paul established a very strong Christian base in this area which lasted until approx 1930 just after WWI when many Christians left Turkey for other parts of the world.

The Fairy Chimneys were very magical to see. We expected to find Gnomes or Hobbits hiding in the caves. Lava formed the crown and sandstone mixed with lava the base.