IHLARA AND BELISIRAMA VALLEYS
In Cappadocia are the remarkable Ihlara and Belisirama valleys, two historical and geological treasures of Turkey that were inaccessible to travelers for a long time due to their location in the Hasan Dag region of central Anatolia. Magnificent landscape, mosques, and churches of this region provide a richly textured panorama of Anatolian history, religion, culture, art, and architecture.
In order to reach these valleys the visitor must cross vast expanses of arid plains
where the parched earth is occasionally punctuated by patches of green trees and
grass, which reveal the presence of small rivers. Hasan Dag rises majestically above
these plains where peasants tend their flocks, cultivate their wheat fields and ride
their donkeys as their ancestors did for thousands of years. The rectangular stone
houses and nearby rock-