It is a semi-arid region in central Turkey known for its characteristic "fairy chimneys": tall rock formations shaped like cones that cluster in the Valley of the Monks, Göreme and other sites. Other highlights include the Bronze Age houses that the troglodytes (inhabitants of the caves) sculpted on the walls of the valleys and later used as shelters by the first Christians. The Ihlara Canyon, 100 m deep, houses many churches built in the rock.
