22 June, Aksaray
Mevlana Otel 70TL (breakfast included)
The gentle stream that runs through the gorge that snakes between
the villages of Ihlara and Selime is home to frogs garrumphing their desire to
mate, their calls crystal clear beneath the poplars. Cliffs tower above the
valley floor and it is into these that Byzantine monks carved churches and
chapels between the 9th and 11th centuries, painting
biblical frescoes on their walls and ceilings. We walked a short portion of the
valley, for much of our day entirely alone, visiting a couple of the 100 or so churches
only. We entered the valley at the Ihlara village end, near the Star Hotel, and
exited a few kms later via the 360 stairs built up the cliff face. We hitched a
ride then with a family from Ankara to Selime to lunch on lamb chops and to
take a closer look at the surreal landscape we had seen from our morning bus. Then
back to Aksaray to prepare for another long day on the road.
Ihlara valley
Ihlara valley
Ihlara valley
Ihlara valley
Selime
Selime
Selime