==Description==
==Description==
[[File:Tent rocks between Cavusin and Avanos.jpg|thumb|Tent rocks (”peribacası”) near [[Çavuşin]]]]
[[File:Tent rocks between Cavusin and Avanos.jpg|thumb|Tent rocks (”peribacası”) near [[Çavuşin]]]]
The National Park is located in the volcanic region of [[Mount Hasan]] and [[Mount Erciyes]] in Central Anatolia, in the vicinity of [[Ürgüp]], [[Çavuşin]] and [[Göreme]]. The park area consists of plateaus and high hills, dissected by streams and river valleys carved out by the water, the valleys having steeply sloping sides. Part of this rugged area consists of [[basalt]] and thick beds of [[tuff]]. The tuff is the result of ash emitted from volcanoes millions of years ago, which solidified into soft rock, and has since been overlain by solidified lava which forms a protective capping. This has been eroded over the millennia to form the multi-coloured cliffs, rock towers, pillars, [[Hoodoo (geology)|tent rocks]] and [[Hoodoo (geology)|fairy chimney]] rock formations present in the park. [[Love Valley, Cappadocia|Love Valley]] is known for its fairy chimneys. <ref name=nationalparksofturkey/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://naturalworldheritagesites.org/sites/goreme-national-park-and-the-rock-sites-of-cappadocia/ |title=Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |publisher=Natural World Heritage Sites |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref> This area experiences annual precipitation of {{convert|380|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} and there is little vegetation except in riverine corridors.<ref name=NASA>{{cite web |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38876/goreme-national-park-turkey |title=Goreme National Park, Turkey |date=7 June 2009 |publisher=Nasa Earth Observatory |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref>
The National Park is located in the volcanic region of [[Mount Hasan]] and [[Mount Erciyes]] in Central Anatolia, in the vicinity of [[Ürgüp]], [[Çavuşin]] and [[Göreme]]. The park area consists of plateaus and high hills, dissected by streams and river valleys carved by water, steeply sloping sides. Part of this rugged area consists of [[basalt]] and thick beds of [[tuff]]. The tuff is the result of ash emitted from volcanoes millions of years ago, which solidified into soft rock, and has since been overlain by solidified lava which forms a protective capping. This has been eroded over the millennia to form the multi-coloured cliffs, rock towers, pillars, [[Hoodoo (geology)|tent rocks]] and [[Hoodoo (geology)|fairy ]] present in the park. [[Love Valley, Cappadocia|Love Valley]] is known for its fairy chimneys. <ref name=nationalparksofturkey/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://naturalworldheritagesites.org/sites/goreme-national-park-and-the-rock-sites-of-cappadocia/ |title=Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |publisher=Natural World Heritage Sites |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref> This area experiences annual precipitation of {{convert|380|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} and there is little vegetation except in riverine corridors.<ref name=NASA>{{cite web |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38876/goreme-national-park-turkey |title=Goreme National Park, Turkey |date=7 June 2009 |publisher=Nasa Earth Observatory |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref>
The earliest signs of monastic activity in [[Cappadocia]] can be traced back to the 4th century when small anchorite communities, following the teachings of Basileios the Great, Bishop of Caaesare (now [[Kayseri]]), started to inhabit the cells hewn in the rock. Later, the communities took refuge together in underground villages to avoid attacks by marauding Arabs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/357|title=Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |website=UNESCO|access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>
The earliest signs of monastic activity in [[Cappadocia]] can be traced back to the 4th century when small anchorite communities, following the teachings of Basileios the Great, Bishop of (now [[Kayseri]]), to inhabit the cells hewn the rock. Later, the communities took refuge together in underground villages to avoid attacks by marauding Arabs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/357|title=Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |website=UNESCO|access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>
==Underground dwellings==
==Underground dwellings==
People have made use of the soft tuff rock to hollow out underground dwellings. The earliest monastic activity in Cappadocia is thought to have been in the fourth century when [[anchorite]]s started hewing out cells from the rock. To resist Arab marauders, they linked these cells and created underground communities, with chapels, store rooms, and living quarters. Villages and small towns were developed in this way, and by 842, underground churches were being richly decorated with coloured paintings.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38876/goreme-national-park-turkey |title=Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |date=7 June 2009 |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref>
People have the soft tuff rock to hollow out underground dwellings. The earliest monastic activity in Cappadocia is thought to have in the fourth century when [[anchorite]]s hewing out cells from the rock. To resist Arab marauders, they linked these cells and created underground communities with chapels, , and living quarters. Villages and small towns were developed in this way, and by 842, underground churches were being richly decorated with coloured paintings.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38876/goreme-national-park-turkey |title=Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia |date=7 June 2009 |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=27 April 2019}}</ref>
Nowadays people don’t live far underground as in the past when they were hiding or fleeing enemies. But some people still live in cave dwellings that have been made into homes, with a door/opening to daylight at ground level. Unfortunately, it has been found that long-term cave dwellers experience an unexpectedly high incidence of [[mesothelioma]], a form of cancer. This has been linked to the inhalation of [[erionite]] fibres, a mineral common in tuff formations.<ref name=NASA/><ref>{{cite journal | title = Epidemiology – A rock and a hard place | journal = Nature Reviews Cancer| date=July 2006| first =Jenny | last = Bangham | issn= 1474-1768 |volume =6 |issue =7 | pages= 489 | access-date = 14 August 2024 |url = https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc1941.pdf |doi= 10.1038/nrc1941 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Genetic predisposition to fiber carcinogenesis causes a mesothelioma epidemic in Turkey. | journal =Cancer Research | date=2006| first = A. U. | last = Dogan | issn= 1538-7445 |volume =66 | issue =10 | pages= 5063–5068 | access-date = 14 August 2024 |url = https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/66/10/5063/525632/Genetic-Predisposition-to-Fiber-Carcinogenesis |doi= 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-4642 | pmid =16707428 | url-access =subscription| hdl =11655/18921| hdl-access =free}}</ref>
Nowadays people don’t live far underground as in the past when they were hiding or fleeing enemies. But some people still live in cave dwellings that have been made into homes, with a door/opening to daylight at ground level. Unfortunately, it has been found that long-term cave dwellers experience an unexpectedly high incidence of [[mesothelioma]], a form of cancer. This has been linked to the inhalation of [[erionite]] fibres, a mineral common in tuff formations.<ref name=NASA/><ref>{{cite journal | title = Epidemiology – A rock and a hard place | journal = Nature Reviews Cancer| date=July 2006| first =Jenny | last = Bangham | issn= 1474-1768 |volume =6 |issue =7 | pages= 489 | access-date = 14 August 2024 |url = https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc1941.pdf |doi= 10.1038/nrc1941 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Genetic predisposition to fiber carcinogenesis causes a mesothelioma epidemic in Turkey. | journal =Cancer Research | date=2006| first = A. U. | last = Dogan | issn= 1538-7445 |volume =66 | issue =10 | pages= 5063–5068 | access-date = 14 August 2024 |url = https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/66/10/5063/525632/Genetic-Predisposition-to-Fiber-Carcinogenesis |doi= 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-4642 | pmid =16707428 | url-access =subscription| hdl =11655/18921| hdl-access =free}}</ref>
{{wide image|Cappadocia Chimneys – DWiW.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of [[fairy chimney]]s in Göreme Historical National Park}}
{{wide image|Cappadocia Chimneys – DWiW.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of [[fairy chimney]]s in Göreme Historical National Park}}
National park in Nevşehir, Turkey
Göreme Historical National Park (pronounced [ˈɟœɾeme]; Turkish: Göreme Tarihî Milli Parkı) is a national park in central Turkey. It occupies an area of nearly 100 km2 (39 sq mi) and is located in Nevşehir Province. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 under the name Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. The park features a rocky, water- and wind-eroded landscape with a network of ancient, interconnecting underground settlements.[1]
The National Park is located in the volcanic region of Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes in Central Anatolia, in the vicinity of Ürgüp, Çavuşin, and Göreme. The park area consists of plateaus and high hills, dissected by streams and river valleys carved by water, with steeply sloping sides. Part of this rugged area consists of basalt and thick beds of tuff. The tuff is the result of ash emitted from volcanoes millions of years ago, which solidified into soft rock, and has since been overlain by solidified lava, which forms a protective capping. This has been eroded over the millennia to form the multi-coloured cliffs, rock towers, pillars, tent rocks and fairy chimneys present in the park. Love Valley is known for its fairy chimneys. [1][2] This area experiences annual precipitation of 380 mm (15 in) and there is little vegetation except in riverine corridors.[3]
The earliest signs of monastic activity in Cappadocia can be traced back to the 4th century, when small anchorite communities, following the teachings of Basileios the Great, Bishop of Caesarea (now Kayseri), began to inhabit the cells hewn into the rock. Later, the communities took refuge together in underground villages to avoid attacks by marauding Arabs.[4]
Underground dwellings
[edit]
People have used the soft tuff rock to hollow out underground dwellings. The earliest monastic activity in Cappadocia is thought to have occurred in the fourth century, when anchorites began hewing out cells from the rock. To resist Arab marauders, they linked these cells and created underground communities with chapels, storerooms, and living quarters. Villages and small towns were developed in this way, and by 842, underground churches were being richly decorated with coloured paintings.[5]
Nowadays, people don’t live far underground as they did in the past, when they were hiding or fleeing enemies. But some people still live in cave dwellings that have been made into homes, with a door/opening to daylight at ground level. Unfortunately, it has been found that long-term cave dwellers experience an unexpectedly high incidence of mesothelioma, a form of cancer. This has been linked to the inhalation of erionite fibres, a mineral common in tuff formations.[3][6][7]
