Oct 13, 2009, 13:53 GMT
Ankara - Ahmed spent 19 years living in Germany's Ruhr District but now he is sitting in a cave in Cappadocia, a rugged part of the Turkish region of Anatolia, waiting for tourists to arrive.
Not many visitors venture as far as this part of the country despite the Rose Valley that lies just a few kilometres away from Goereme, the area's tourist capital.
Buses carrying visitors usually stop only at the main attractions such as the open air museum with its many cave churches. 'Come with me and you can see a church for three instead of 15 lira,' says Ahmed as he opens the gate to Ayvali Kilise, a church dedicated to St John.
It is dark and silent in the small double chapel. Surprisingly well preserved frescos depicting biblical scenes can be seen in the light of the torches. With a little imagination it is not difficult to catapult yourself back in time to when the early Christians were persecuted by the Romans and when they secretly gathered in Cappadocia's cave churches to pray.
It is also not hard to feel like a real explorer in Cappadocia. The region is one of the biggest tourist attractions Turkey has to offer and is a firm part of any tour of the country, but compared to the Mediterranean coastline it is relatively quiet.
According to the Turkish authorities just two per cent of all holidaymakers in Turkey travel to central Anatolia. Most of them are taken there on tour buses for a few days from the Turkish Riviera, says Michael Wadenpohl, author of a guide book to Cappadocia. He says many of them just go for 30 minutes to a viewing point, take a few photographs and then return to their bus.
But thanks to the average visitor's reticence you can enjoy a special trip by simply going a little off the tourist trail and into one of the valleys that surround Goereme. With a little luck you will be alone with the region's fascinating landscape.
The ancient Persians called the area Catpatuka, Land of the Beautiful Horses, but Land of the Beautiful Stones would also have been fitting. Pink and white rocks stretch like sugar icing into the valley below from the edge of the high plateau. Rock formations in the shape of pyramids and columns line up like shark's teeth in the barren land.
The formations are evidence of the force of nature which has been at work in Cappadocia for the past 65 million years. Volcanoes spewed lava and ash hundreds of metres thick across the landscape, as Volker Hoehfeld from the Geographical Institute at the University of Tuebingen in Germany explains. The snow-capped volcano of Erciyas Dagi stands 3,917 metres tall and bears witness to that violent past.
Rain and river erosion created pinnacles from the porous volcanic rock. Locals call the pinnacles 'Peri Bacalar' - Fairy Chimneys. May of them look like enormous termite hills covered with cave entrances. It is possible to climb into a few and find a cathedral carved into the rock, without frescos, but with plenty of atmosphere.
Some valleys have so many Fairy Chimneys they look like pin cushions but there are greener valleys with plants, trees and deep, cool canyons. At the moment few hikers make their way to this moon-like landscape. 'You could wander for hours through the valley and only meet a few people,' says Wadenpohl.
The Rose Valley has, in fact, been empty of humans for hours, which may have something to do with the powerful sunshine. Trekking is a relatively new form of tourism in the region and there are no proper maps for walkers and just a few signs in English.
However, it is not dangerous to walk in Cappadocia, according to Wadenpohl, even when you get lost. 'You will always come to a road and all you have to do is hold your thumb out.'
Your Talkback on this Story