Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Uçhisar, Cappadocia, Turkey

© Ivan Kmit/Alam

A Seussian scene. A Seussian landscape for World Book Day

These 'fairy chimneys' in Turkey's historic Cappadocia region could be a scene from a Dr Seuss story – a fitting picture for World Book Day. Seuss favourites like the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two will be among those recreated in classrooms across the country, as children dress up as their favourite book character.

Cappadocia’s fantastical landscape was created when volcanoes deposited mounds of soft, porous rock called tuff here, which was later covered with hard basalt. In the 10th century (although it may have started much earlier) humans excavated the tuff to create caves and catacombs that could fit in thousands of people. The astonishing ruins and ‘cave hotels’ hewn into rock in the city of Göreme are a reminder of the ingenuity of these ancient town planners.