The fantastical "fairy chimneys" found in central Turkey"s historical Cappadocia region were formed by a collision of the natural and the man-made—and they form a scene that seems straight out of a Dr. Seuss illustration. The landforms were created when volcanoes deposited mounds of soft, porous rock called tuff, which was later covered with hard basalt. In the 10th century (though possibly starting up to 5,000 years ago) humans excavated the tuff to create caves and catacombs that could fit thousands of dwellers. Through not only the astonishing ruins but the many "cave hotels" hewn into rock in the city of Göreme, the memory of those ingenious city planners lives on.
And to think that I saw it in Cappadocia
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
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Swinging into International Jazz Day
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Get on your bike and ride
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Giving Tuesday
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International Day of the Tropics
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In the Highlands for Saint Andrew s Day
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Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, California
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Bridge of Hillsborough County
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A peek at an explosive peak
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Black bear cub emerging into spring
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Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
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American bison
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It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
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Happy Fathers Day!
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Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
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Busy building wetlands
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Remembering the Arizona
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Cousins Day
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Glacial spires in the fog
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Humming along
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World Jellyfish Day
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Protecting Alaska
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Après-ski in the Dolomites
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Ruins of Inca temples and terraces on Huayna Picchu, Peru
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Let s get lost
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Feeling chic on Fashion Week
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Paleontology meets art
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Spring comes to Glacier National Park
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Hello, spring!
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Belted Galloway cows