Sadly it was closed.

So we looked at the more crowded Kaymakli.

"We're working on it" echoed from 1978.

Grey in the flash light, yellow in the lights provided.

We think the inhabitants were pygmies.

My damaged hat was later repaired.

The head took a bit longer.

Provided by the ventilation shaft.

We couldn't see the bottom.

Or the top.

But the strong flow of fresh air was welcome.

We didn't try the steps.

Like many before us, no doubt, we are not quite sure how it all works.

Wine storage.

And probably other foodstuffs..

The steps are concrete.

But such is the incline there were probably always steps.

And the blue arrows up.

Part of the marketing approach of the would be guides was to attempt to instill some fear of becoming lost in the labyrinth.

Not a problem. Just follow a guided party and they must emerge sometime.

Faallen out of its guides.

There wasn't much information available. It appears the cities were used as refuges by early Christians, before the religion was accepted. We aren't sure to what extent people lived permanently underground or simply used it as a refuge when the village above was threatened.

The threat was mostly from the Romans. The original Persian Empire had been replaced by Alexander the Great and then the Roman Empire. 

The Greek-Byzantine population mostly moved to the coast after around 1071 as the Seljuk and Ottoman Turkish influence grew.

At least they were all playing the same music and were relatively hassle and hussle free.

We have become a little tired of "car park attendants" who turn up as we are leaving to demand payment. There are typically no signs of charges.

"The Castle".

I guess it was more attractive to us than the endless cups of tea we were offered by the frustrated restaurateurs

Our impression is that business is slow. Most tourists seem to be captive within their tour groups, or at the coast

We drove a short distance to Cavisun to meet him.

And watch the sunset from the ridge overlooking the village.

Mehmet pointed out the cave homes of his ancestors and the one in which he was born.

The top of the hill was a cemetery. Similar holes cut in the stone to those we saw in the Goreme church entrances.

As well as building an hotel, helping with his father's farm, helping move bees, being stung by bee and reacting allergically, checking on building progress of house for sons, and being generally a busy person.

We went food shopping then to father's farm for bbq. Lights fed from an inverter in the car.

He also helped us a lot. Including internet.

I rushed up to our previous night's eyrie to watch the balloons (again).

The mosque at the bottom of the hill is "for tourists"/

The "real mosque" is deeper in the village.

We climbed to the top of the (cave) castle.

Unfortunately all the internal passages and rooms were inaccessible.

The top was again cemetery.

Nevsehir in the distance to the west.

The corbels for the first floor were distinctive.

In Cappadocia there are cave houses, arch houses, and ,,, houses.

Cliffs.

We still think they are for water.

The pigeon lofts and living quarters we've seen show evidence of how they have been carved.

The churches have smooth walls.

The tunnels look hewn then water eroded to various levels.

Apart from that, a ridge eroded to form a line.

Even for a lizard.

After about 3 hours we reached Cavisun.

For more tea provided by Mehmet.

We've come to like apple tea.