AVANOS

Avanos, formerly known as Venassa, was one of the most important cities in ancient Cappadocia. A local cult of Zeus and Hellenistic tombs (4th to 1st centuries B.C.) found there indicate that the city had religious, political, and economic prominence.

The Kizilirmak ("Red River"), the longest river in Turkey, divides Avanos in half. The red soil of the region provides local potters with the raw material used to produce the pottery and bricks for which Avanos is famous. The potters there use a wheel controlled by a foot pedal, a model that probably differs little from the type used by the people of central Anatolia from the beginning of the second millennium. Unfortunately some of the most typical pottery shapes have been lost due to the advent of electricity. For example, special jars formerly used to store cool water have now been replaced by refrigerators. In addition to pottery, Avanos is also known for carpet weaving.