19th century Cappadocian houses were built on hill sides, either carved out of the rock or built from large cut stones. Volcanic stone is the only architectural material in the region used for building ; it is soft when extracted and can therefore easily be cut and shaped. It hardens on contact with air to form a very resistant material. The abundance of stone in the area, and the ease of use have created a building technique unique to the area. Wood is used for courtyard gates and the houses' doors. Rosette and ivy patterns are used as decorations above the arched doors.
The areas between floors are decorated in up to three rows of rosettes, fans, stars, palmet, weather vanes and stylized plant patterns.
Windows are grouped in twos and threes and stylized plant patterns are also used as decorative borders. Two types of windows are used, either two panes opening separately or guillotine style. In both types of houses there are numerous living rooms, a kitchen, cellar, store room, an oven (tandir), wine vat etc. Niches found in the guest rooms are decorated with paintings of vases full of flowers under silk, tasselled curtains, scenes from nature or women filling, or carrying water vessels. These scenes are painted on plaster.
The most interesting examples of local architecture belong to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Examples can be found all over the region, but particularly in Ürgüp, Ortahisar, Mustafapasa, Bashisar, Goreme, Avanos, and in Guzeloz and nearby Baskoy in the province of Kayseri and in Guzelyurt in the vicinity of Ihlara Canyon.
The Region of Cappadocia was very peaceful also during the Ottoman Period. Nevsehir was a small village in the province of Nigde until the time of Damat Ibrahim Pasha. At the beginning of the 18th century, especially during the time of Damat Ibrahim Pasha, places like Nevsehir, Gulsehir, Ozkonak, Avanos and Urgup prospered and mosques, kulliyes (a collection of buildings of an institution, usually composed of schools, a mosque, lunatic asylum, hospital, kitchen, etc.) and fountains were built. The bridge in the centre of the town of Ozkonak, which was built during Yavuz Sultan Selim’s campaign to the east (1514), is important in terms of being an early Ottoman Period building. 
"fairy chimneys", have been formed as the result of the erosion of this tufa layer, sculpted by wind and flood water, running down on the slopes of the valleys. Water has found its way through the valleys creating cracks and ruptures in the hard rock. The softer, easily erodable material underneath has been gradually swept away receding the slopes and in this way, conical formations protected with basalt caps have been created.
Posts
