visit central turkey, and you will believe in fairies—or at least their dwellings. cappadocia is a land of natural spires, called fairy chimneys by the turks, formed by flimsy volcanic ash protected by capstones of basalt. despite the name, the dwellings carved into the cliff- and spire-sides were built first by ancient peoples with flintstone-like aesthetics, and later early christians and then byzantines, who constructed monasteries and churches complete with frescoes that can still be viewed today. |
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