Anatolia: Rock Landscapes, Early History and Hiking Trails

Anatolia combines striking rock landscapes with evidence of distant eras and long hiking routes. When planning a trip, you can consider whether nature, archaeological sites or outdoor activities should be the focus. These interests lead to different discoveries: from Cappadocia’s volcanic landscape, shaped by erosion, to prehistoric temples and settlements.

Rock Landscapes and Cave Settlements

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia lie on the Central Anatolian plateau. Erosion has shaped a volcanic landscape there, where cells carved into the rock, churches, cave villages and underground cities form a significant complex of cave dwellings. The variety of these structures makes Cappadocia a destination for travellers interested in both the landscape and the traces of human habitation. The region’s Christian sanctuaries are also an outstanding example of Byzantine art from the post-iconoclastic period.

Çatalhöyük offers a different perspective on life in earlier times: 18 Neolithic settlement layers dating from 7400 to 6200 BC have been uncovered there. The houses were entered through their roofs. Göbeklitepe is around 11,500 years old and is one of the most significant known centres of the Neolithic period. The two sites offer different insights into early history: at Çatalhöyük, the successive settlement layers and distinctive building style take centre stage, while Göbeklitepe is known as a Neolithic centre.

Temples, Gates and Ancient Kingdoms

Hattusha lies in the mountainous region of north-central Anatolia. It is home to the best-preserved ruins of a Hittite temple from the 13th century BC, known as the Great Temple. Yazılıkaya, an open-air temple with two natural chambers carved into the rock, is also near Hattusha. Hittite reliefs on the walls depict gods, goddesses and the Great King Tuthaliya IV. Those interested in the different forms of ancient sacred architecture will find both temple ruins and rock chambers decorated with figurative reliefs here.

Gordion was the political capital of the Phrygian kingdom and a strategic hub connecting Anatolia with the wider Middle East. At the entrance to its citadel is an Iron Age fortification gate complex dating from the 10th to the 8th century BC. Its stone masonry survives to a height of up to ten metres. In the Midas Mound, Tumulus MM, the burial chamber contains the world’s oldest known surviving wooden building, dating to around 740 BC. Ankara Castle, meanwhile, has survived to the present day, with restorations from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Hiking Trails and Regional Experiences

For active days, the Hittite Way offers a selection of different routes: it extends for 385 kilometres and includes 17 hiking trails and six alternative routes, including mountain biking trails. The Phrygian Way is a long-distance hiking route of approximately 506 kilometres through Central Anatolia. The descriptions differ by offering: the Hittite Way’s network includes several hiking trails and alternative routes, while the Phrygian Way is described as a long-distance hiking route. When looking for your holiday apartment, your preferred focus can help guide you: would you like to make hiking routes the centrepiece, or focus your trip more on landscapes and historic sites?

Crafts and cuisine are also among the things you can discover. In small workshops in Hamamönü, visitors can watch Ebru marbling, Tezhip illumination and wood carving. Cappadocian cuisine is an example of Anatolia’s rich culinary heritage. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore first decide which of these interests you want to shape your trip. This lets you tailor your holiday apartment search to the places and experiences you would most like to discover, without turning the different sights into a single excursion itinerary.

More Regions of Anatolia

Discover also: Adiyaman, Ağri, Ankara, Bingöl, Bitlis, Çankiri, Diyarbakir, Elazığ, Erzincan, Eskişehir, Hakkari, Kars, Kırşehir, Malatya, Mardin, Muş, Nevşehir, Niğde, Siirt, Tunceli, Şanliurfa, Van, Yozgat, Aksaray, Kirikkale, Batman, Şırnak, Iğdır and Kilis.

For the main travel overview: Turkey.