Towers of tuff, cave dwellings, Cappadocia, Turkey

Towers of tuff

For thousands of years, people in Cappadocia, Turkey, have literally carved out an existence within the 'fairy chimneys' that rise up across the region. These natural towers are made of soft tuff, formed from hardened volcanic ash. The rock is soft enough that Cappadocians dug innumerable caves into them. They used these caves as sheltered homes, churches, even entire underground communities that offered protection from frequent raids. Away from the city, these stone spires crowd the landscape. But in the town of Uçhisar, they blend in with the many caves on the hill, some of which are used as dwellings to this day.