Regions of Cappadocia Cappadocia Cappadocia forms a rough triangle, starting about 272 km southeast of Ankara , between Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. The main sights are within an even smaller triangle, marked by Urgup, Goreme and Avanos. Urgup is the center from which you can start to explore the monastic villages of Cappadocia and it is also the best place to shop in the region. The story of Cappadocia begins well over 10 million years ago, when the three peaks that dominate the region-Erciyes Mountain Hasan Mountain and Melendiz Mountain- were active volcanoes. Subsequent eruptions dumped layers of mud, ash and lava on the area. Eventually the ground turned to tuff, a soft, porous rock. Rain, snow and wind created a fantasyland of rock formations resembling chimneys, cones, needles, pillars and pyramids often topped by perfectly balanced, gigantic slabs of rock. Then came the earthquakes to add vast valleys and oxidation to give the area the final artistic touch: rocks 'painted' yellow, pink, red, russet and gray-violet. Noone is really sure when people came to inhabit Cappadoca.There are signs of Hittite occupation and by 600BC , there are references to the Kingdom of Cappadocia , a loose confederacy of neighboring states. Christian Churches and the underground cities are really worth to visit in the area as well as the fabolous rock formations. Goreme Open Air Museum, Devrent Valley, Kaymakli undergrond city, Derinkuyu underground city, Red Valley, Ihlara Valley, Zelve Open Air Museum, Piegons Valley, Cavusin, Ortahisar Castle, Uchisar Castle are the main sight of Cappadocia. Cappadocia area can be visited by daily tours. Konya The home of Whirling Dervishes has the largest concentration of Seljuk architecture in Turkey. The city was the capital city for Seljuks for 200 years. The most visited site in the city is Mevlana Turbesi (Tomb of Mevlana Celaleddin).