Excursion
Conference Excursion
An exciting two-day post-conference field trip was planned to the Cappadocia Region and Erciyes Mountain in the Central Anatolia. Some sections of Cappadocia region are on the UNESCO World Heritage List includes Goreme National Park, Derinkuyu and Kaymakli underground cities, Karain, Karlik and Yesilöz in Nevsehir Province and former settlement areas of Soganli village in Yesilhisar district of Kayseri province.
The travel cost, stay and other details were provided in the second circular based on the responses from the participants. A minimum of 25 participants were needed to organize the field trip. Participants were requested to bring light warm clothes, trekking shoes and essential medicines.
Climate
In October, average temperatures 13.5° C in Ankara and Cappadocia.
Excursion Fee: 90 €
First Day (2 November)
Departure from Ankara to Nevşehir (Cappadocia) by bus. Tour of Cappadocia began with Dervrent Valley also known as Imagination Valley, which is one of the most surreal-looking landscapes in Cappadocia. The next stop was Pasabagilari also known as Monks Valley, this spot allows to see all stages of the fairy Chimneys. Proceeding to Avanos the Pottery Center of Cappadocia, the village is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak (red river). The River gets its name from the Red clay deposits, here you can watch the potters at work using the traditional kick wheels, a technique that has remained unchanged for generations. The tour continued to the Goreme Open Air Museum, import Byzantine Cave churches are found in these once remote Valleys where Monks and Nuns pursued monastic life dating back to between the 10th and 13th centuries. On the return participants visited Pigeon Valley with spectacular views of Dovecotes, Old abandoned Cave Homes and Old Greek houses. Next stop was in Ortahisar to see Ortahisar Castle the biggest mass of fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia. The day was ended with a view of Uchisar Castle for a panoramic view of the valleys, this tall rock is the highest point of the Goreme region.
Second Day (3 November)
The day started with breakfast in the hotel and the departure to Mount Erciyes, approximately an hour and a half’s journey away. The skiing area is located at an altitude of 3917 m, the highest summit of central Anatolia and has more than 20 slopes of varying difficulty with a total length of 50 km, 14 modern lifts, including cable cars and rental equipment. Erciyes is a volcanic mountain whose summit is always covered with snow and fog and has become synonymous with the city of Kayseri. This lava-spewing mountain, responsible for the 'fairy-chimney' rock formations in nearby Cappadocia, impressed the Meek people living at its base so much that their coins bear an impression of the mountain with lava boiling out of the top. Besides being a popular spot for mountain climbers, it is also one of Turkey's best winter-sport resorts. From the top of the mountain, if the weather is clear, there is a stunning view of an area stretching from Cappadocia to the Taurus Mountains. At the end of the tour, participants departed from Erciyes to Ankara by bus.
Tour Included:
All mentioned transfers
1 Night accommodation with 2 Lunches & 1 Dinner & 1 Breakfast
Contact person:
Merve Altundal Öncü, e-mail: merve.altundal@hotmail.com