Uçhisar, Nevşehir / Türkiye
Uçhisar Castle
Uçhisar Castle is the peak of Cappadocia. It is the biggest and most beautiful fairy chimney seen from all over Cappadocia. The summit of the castle is the only place where Cappadocia can be seen from a bird's eye view. All valleys from Güvercinlik Valley towards Avanos, Ortahisar Castle, Göreme Town, Göreme Open Air Museum, Kılıçlar Valley, Kızılçukur, Güllüdere, Çavuşin, Boztepe, Aktepe, Avanos, that is, all of Cappadocia, are under your feet.
There are many carved cubes, carved graves and large cisterns at the top of the castle. Looking down from the castle to the north, you can see the Cevizli fairy chimneys, Nevşehir and Oylu Mountain in the west, the new Uçhisar just in front of the castle, and the Hasan Mountain summit in the south-west.
Uçhisar Castle is the only place where Erciyes and Hasan Mountain can be seen together. The place where the creator of Erciyes Mountain, in other words the Cappadocia Region, is best seen is the Uçhisar Castle. Since the Roman period, many rooms, houses, shelters, warehouses, cisterns, tombs, cellars have been carved into it, and it has been an important defense point against raids. There were large stone cannonballs on it, which were used for defense against attackers. Uçhisar Castle, which was used both as a watchtower and as a defense castle, preserved its importance in the Seljuk and Principalities period (12th-14th centuries). The castle, which is generally the border region of the principalities, started to be called "Uçhisar" due to its location as the eastern border of the Seljuks, the western border of the Kadı Burhanettin Principality and the eastern border of the Karamanoğulları. Başhisar (Ürgüp), Ortahisar and Uçhisar Castles, which were established at the highest points of the region, constituted the three important protection points of Nevşehir during the Seljuk Period. In this period, a dense population was living around Uçhisar Castle, which was a "frontier principality". It is known that the brother of Kayseri Bey was Uçhisar Bey during these periods. The Ottoman Principality II. After the domination of the region in 1398 with Beyazıt, Uçhisar Castle was built by II. It is known that he surrendered to Beyazıt. In the first census conducted in 1530, it was determined that approximately 3000 people lived in Uçhisar. It has been lived in and around until the 1960's.
Uçhisar Castle consists of two pointed fairy chimneys adjacent to each other. Among the locals, it is called "Aga's Castle" for the bigger one and "Cavusun Castle" for the smaller one. The castle resembles a skyscraper, with its structure exceeding 50 meters from the south and 100 meters from the north.
Watching the sunset in the castle, watching the redness of all the valleys, the color changes and the atmosphere in which it embraces, gives one a different pleasure. The Cappadocia trip that all local and foreign visitors who come to visit Cappadocia without leaving the Uçhisar Castle are considered incomplete.
While walking towards the castle from your rock-carved boutique hotel or hostel in Uçhisar or from your car or tour bus parked in Kesek Square, you can watch the local carpet-rugs and souvenir shops, Hatkalı Castle, Cevizli fairy chimneys, old Uçhisar houses on the castle road. You arrive at the entrance. After you buy your ticket, you will reach the stairs where you will reach the summit of the castle by passing through places such as old tandoori, poetry and barn. It is impossible not to be captivated by the view while climbing the stairs.
