Camel Hotels and a Cave City

Trip Start Mar 28, 2008
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Trip End Apr 09, 2008


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Where I stayed
Dedeman Konya Convention Center

Flag of Turkey  , Konya,
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

    The next day took us to Konya where we stopped to see an old Ottoman Kervansaray....the old camel/trader’s hotel reminiscent of the crusaders and the Holy Wars.  It was huge and we saw many others, in ruins, along this route.

     We also visited an underground “Cave City” where the inhabitants, in time of attack, would retreat into to avoid their enemies.  It would be easy to be lost in these and we were told that few actually knew the entire routes within so as to prevent the invaders from kidnapping any town inhabitant and extracting the information from him.  The underground cities were excavated as far back as Hittite times and then expanded over the centuries.  Deep wells provided water, and tall chimneys ventilation.  Their were wine presses, oil storage, livestock pens, cooking places and even churches carved out of the rock so that the inhabitants could conduct their lives for weeks or months if need be.   Thank goodness the  electric lights didn't go off!!!
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