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HISTORICAL
SITES
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 CAPPADOCIA
IN THE PREHISTORIC PERIODS
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Preshistoric Period
Evidence of Prehistoric cultures in Cappadocia
can most easily be found around Köşkhöyük/Niğde, Aşıklıhöyük/Aksaray
and in the Civelek cave near Nevşehir. Excavations in these
three areas are still taking place.
Civelek Cave
Civelek cave is in the vicinity of Civelek village,
which is situated 4 km west of Gülşehir,
in the province of Nevşehir. The cave is found in the hill
known as Gurlek Hill.
Access can be gained by means of a gallery which
extends downwards for 14 m to the limestone cave. There are
many calcite crystal stalagtites, beteen 5 and 15 cm in length,
hanging from the sections of the cave ceiling, the main part
of which is 22 by 11 m. During excavatinos carried out by Nevşehir
Museum and cave experts from Italy, hand made cups, cooking
pots of various sizes, spindles and tools made from stone and
bone dating from the Chalcolithic Period (5500-3000 BC) were
unearthed from the floor of the cave and especially among the
collapsed rocks. In addition to this, surface excavations in
the surrounding caves unearthed tools made from absidian and
flint. In an attempt to preserve it. Civelek cave is closed
to visitors.
Asikli Hoyuk (Mound)
Archaeological excavations discovered the first
brick living quarters in Cappadocia in Asikli Höyük (mound),
an extension of Aksaray’s Ihlara Valley settlements. Yellow
and pink clay plaster was used in making the walls and floors
of the houses, some of the most beautiful and cmoplicated architectural
examples of firs towns.
They buried the dead in the Hocker position,
like a fetus in the womb, on the floor of their houses. According
to Prof.U.Esin, who reserarched at Aşıklı Höyük, a population
greater that had been previousily theorized is revealed by
the abundance and density of the settlements in these areas
in the Aceramic Neolithic Period. No where else in Anatolia
can the unique obsidian tools be found like those from Cappadocian
Mound. Figurines, made from lightly baked clay, were unearthed
together with flat stone axes wrought in many fine shapes,
chisels and coulters made from bones and ornaments made from
copper, agate and other different kinds of stones. Evidence
provided by a skeleton found here indicates that the earliest
brain surgery (trepanation) known in the world was performed
on a woman 20-25 years ofage at Aşıklı Höyük.
Kosk Hoyuk (Mound)
During excavations at Köşk Höyük, in the vicinity
of Niğde, tools and weapons made from obsidian, silica, stone
and bone have been found. The most important artifact to be
found at this site is the mother goddess statuettes belonging
to the Neiolithic and Chalcolithic ages. In that age in Anatolia,
the Mother Goddess statue, representing abudance and fertility,
was both important and widespread.
CAPPADOCIA
IN THE PERIODS
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Pro-Hittite And Assyrian Trade Colonies Periods
(3000bc-1750bc)
Mining reached its peak of development in Anatolia
during the Early Bronze Age. Major developments were observed
in Northern Anatolia towards the end of this period.
Between 2000BC and 1750BC Assyrian merchants
from northern Mesopotamia formed the first commercial organizations
by establishing trade colonies in Anatolia. The center of these
colonies was at Kanesh Kharum near Kültepe in Kayseri province.
Another important commercial market place referred in documents
is the Kharum Hattush at Boğazköy.
Anatolia was rich in gold, silver and copper,
but lacked tin, essential for the manufacturing of bronze as
an alloy. For this reason tin was one of the major trading
materials, as well as textile goods and perfumes. The merchants
had no political dominance, but were protected by the regional
Beys.
Fortunately for the Assyrian merchants, writing
was seen for the first time in Anatolia. From the 2Cappadocia
tablets”, cuneiform clay tablets on which ancient Assyrian
was written, it has been learned that merchants paid a 10%
road tax to the Bey, received a 30% interest for their debths,
and paid a 5% tax to the Anatolian kings for goods they sold.
The same tablets tell us that they sometimes married Anatolian
women, and the marriage agreements contained clauses to protect
the women from their husbands.
Assyrian merchants also introduced cylinder seals,
meatallurgy, their religious beliefs, Gods and temples to Anatolia.
Native Anatolian art flourished under the influence of Assyrian
Mesopotamic art, eventually developing an identity of its own.
During the following ages this developed into the fundamentals
of Hittite art.
Hittite Period (1750-1200bc)
The Hittites, coming from Europe via the Causcasus,
and settling in Cappadocia around 2000BC, formed an Empire
in the region merging with the native people of the area. Their
language was of Indo-European origin. The capital of the Hittite
kingdom was at Hattushash (Bogazkoy), and the other important
cities were Alacahöyük and Alisar. In the Cappadocia region,
engraved stone monuments dating back from the Imperial Period
can be found near water sources and strategic routes. By means
of these rock monuments the routes used by the Hittite kings
to reach the southern countries can be determined. Within the
borders of Kayseri, located to the south of Mount Erciyes,
are the rock monuments of Fraktin, Tasçı and İmamkulu, serving
several purposes; they were intended to venerate the gods,
to show the gratitute of the great King (Hattusili III) and
Queen (Puduhepa) to the Gods; as well as to show the extend
of the Empire’s power.
Late Hittite Kingdom (1200-700 Bc)
After the Phrygians destroyed all the important
towns in Central Anatolia eliminating the Hittite Empire, fragments
of the Late Hittite Kingdoms sprang up around central and Southeast
Anatolia.
The Late Hittite Kingdom in Cappadocia was the
Tabal kingdom which extended over Kayseri, Nevşehir and Niğde.
Rock monuments from this age, with Hittite hieroglyphics can
be fonud at Gülşehir-Sivasa (Gökçetoprak), Acıgöl-Topada, and
Hacıbektaş-Karaburna.
Persian Period And The Kingdom Of Cappadocia
(585bc-332bc)
The Cimmerians ended the Phrygian reign in Anatolia,
and were then followed by the Medes (585BC) and the Persians
(525BC). The Persians divided the empire into semi autonomous
provinces and ruled the area, using governors who were known
as “Satraps”. In the ancient Persian language, Katpatuka, the
word for Cappadocia, meant “Land of the well bred horses”.
Since the religion they were devoted to was the Zoroastrian
religion and fire was considered to be divine, the volcanoes
in the area, Erciyes and H asandağ were sacred for them. The
Persians constructed a “Royal Road” connecting their capital
city to the Aegean region passing through Cappadocia. The Macedonian
King Alexander defeated Persian armies twice, in 34 and 332
B.C., and conquered this great Empire. After bringing the Persian
empire to an end, King Alaxander met with great resistance
in Cappadocia. When Alexander tried to rule the region through
one of his commanders named Sabictus, the people resisted and
declared Ariarthes, a Persian aristocrat, king. As an industrious
ruler, Ariarthes I(332-322 B.C.) extended the borders of the
Cappadocian kingdom.
The kingdom of Cappadocia lived in peace until
the death of Alexander. Fron then until 17AD, when it became
a Roman province, it fought wars with the Macedonians, the
Galatians, the Pontus nation and the Romans.
Roman Period (17ad-395ad)
The wars came to an end in 17AD when Tiberius
conquered Cappadocia and placet it under Roman rule. After
the conquest, the Romans reconstructed the road to the west
which was of both commercial and military significance. During
the Roman era the area saw many migrations and attacks from
the east. The area was defended by Roman military units known
as “Legions”.
During the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus
Cappadocia’s economy flourished, but later teh capital, Kayseri
(Caesera) was attacked by Sassanid armies from Irna. emperor
Gordianus III ordered the construction of defensive city walls.
During this time some of the first Christians
were moving from the big cities to villages. In the 4th century,
when Kayseri was a flourishing religious centre, the rocky
surroundings of Göreme were discovered and adopting the teachings
of St.Basil, Bishop of Caesarea (Kayseri), teh Christians began
to lead a monastic life in the carved out cliffs and fairy
chimneys of Cappadocia.
Byzantine Period (397ad-1071ad)
When the Roman Empire divided into west and
east, Cappadocia fell under the Eastern Roman Empire. In the
early 7th century there were severe wars between the Sassanid
and Byzantine armies, and for 6 or 7 years the Sassanids held
the aera. In 651 Caliph Omer ended the domination of the Sassanids,
and the Arab Ommiades began to attack. The long lasting religious
debates among sects reached a peak with the adoption of the
Iconoclastic view by Leon III, who was influenced by Islamic
traditions. Christian priests and monks who were in favour
of icons began to take refuge in Cappadocia. The Iconoclastic
period lasted over a century (726-843). During this time although
several Cappadocian churches qere under the influence of iconoclasm,
the people who were in favor of icons were able to continue
to worship comfortably.
The Seljuk Period (1071-1299)
The native land of the Seljuks, established
by Seljuk Bey from Oğuz Turks, was central Asia. The Seljuks,
who converted to Islam spreading towards north in the 10th
century, tried to extend their power fighting against the tribes
which had not been converted. The defeat and the capture of
teh Byzantine Emperor Romanos Diogenes in 1071 by Alparslan,
the great grandson of Seljuk By resulted in the decline of
the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of a new era in the
history of Anatolia.
In 1075 the Anatolian Seljuk State was founded.
In 1082 Kayseri was conquered by Turks and Cappadocia came
under Seljuk rule. Anatolia, which was an important region
where Christianity had spread, became part of Islamic world
which covered a large area; from North Africa, to Middle Asia
and to the Near East. The conquest of Anatolia by Seljuk Turks
did not influence the administrative authority of the patriarchy.
We know this because in inscriptions from the 13th century
found in the church of St George in the Ihlara region, names
of the Seljuk Sultan Mesud II and the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus
are treated with admiration. As a result of the decline of
the Anatolian Seljuk State at the end of the 13th century,
small beyliks (domains of minor rulers) came into being in
different parts of Anatolia. In 1308, the IIkhanids, of Mongolian
origin, invaded Anatolia and destroyed Kayseri, one of the
important cities in the Cappadocia Region. Seljuk Sultans were
controlled by the Mongolians and could not act independently.
From then on, Anatolia was administered by the beyliks founded
by different Turkish tribes.
Ottoman Period
The Region of Cappadocia was very peaceful also
during the Ottoman Peiod. Nevşehir was a small village in the
province of Niğde until the time of Damat İsrahim Pasha. At
the beginning of the 18th century, especially during the time
of Damat İsrahim Pasha, places like Nevşehir, Gülşehir, Ozkonak,
Avanos and Ürgüp prospered and mosques, külliyes (a collection
of buildings of an institution, usually composed of schools,
a mosque, mental institutions, hospital, kitchen, etc.) and
fonutains were built. The bridge in the centre of the town
of Özkonak, which was built during Yavuz Sultan Selim’s campaign
to the east (1514), is important in terms of being an early
Ottoman Period building in the province of Nevşehir.
The Christian people living in the aera were
treated with tolerance in the Ottoman Period as in the Seljuk
Period. The 18th century church of Constantine-Helena in Sanosos-Ürgüp,
the 19th century church built in honor of Dimitrius in Gülşehir
and the Orthodox Church in Derinkuyu are some of the best examples
of this tolerance.
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