Uçhisar is located in the central part of Cappadocia, in eastern Asia Minor, and is one of the most densely populated villages in the area. In in fact, of course, most of the population lives in the modern village, near the famous cliffs, but there are also dwellings in the cliffs themselves.
This settlement is located in the centre of a triangle formed by three towns: Nevşehir, Göreme and Ürgüp. That's why the town was named Uçhisar (three fortresses), "hisar" which means fortress. It is a natural citadel.
It must have been quite convenient and practical to settle in these rocks, because on the one hand, tuff is a very malleable material, so it was easier to carve out a cave inside it than in the rock. On the other hand it was easier to hide in such caves and watch for enemies on the horizon: nothing could be seen from the outside but a small opening. Sometimes you wouldn't you wouldn't realise how big the hiding places could be. Some of the caves are now being built and rebuilt: they seem to be used as barns and sheds. Some of the modern houses are built almost right up to the caves. Nowadays the mountain village is used to attract tourists.
The owners of these houses earn money by selling all sorts of souvenirs (from knitted socks to figurines). At the very bottom of the cliff are rooms closed to tourists. Maybe they are still inhabited, although it is more likely that the locals come here to work from the village next door.
The town is known for its rock-cut fortress, which stands on top of a hill. Uchhisar Fortress is a one-of-a-kind cliff settlement, with towers and spires made of white tufa towers and spires around the central peak on which it stands. This huge rock is like a Swiss cheese with holes. The fortress is all mottled with rooms, tunnels and labyrinths. From the top from the top of the rock, you have a magnificent view of the whole valley. Once you get up there, you can see almost the whole of Cappadocia. From here you can also see the mysterious valley of Love, which is associated with many legends and stories.
The Citadel rises several dozen metres above the village. It appears as a large cylindrical tower on the western side and is backed by a rocky spur by a rocky spur, as if carved with a scalpel. The tunnel, which is a hundred metres long metres long and built into the mountain in ancient times, stretches under the houses. It was used to link the fortress with the outside world and, in the event of a siege to supply the city with water.
After admiring the canyon at the base of Uchkhisar, you can go down to the bottom of the canyon and after a short walk you will find yourself at the bottom of the canyon and walk a little way down to the edge of a cliff of several hundred metres. This is shepherd's road, here they walk the cattle from Uchkhisar, there is plenty of grass and drinking water. At the bottom is a valley almost entirely adapted for viticulture and horticulture. It's a very impressive picture: orchards mixed with vineyards, the sun is blazing, and all around - silence, not a soul, and only sometimes you can hear the grass the rustling of the grass.
Pigeons played a particularly important role in Cappadocia. Their droppings were used as fertiliser as fertiliser for the grapes grown here, which were then used to make a fine wine. Small holes, located everywhere in the rocks, were used as pigeon coops to collect the droppings. From where they're located, it's hard to it's hard to imagine the locals climbing up there and the number of holes, pigeon droppings were really important and there were a lot of pigeons there.
