For me, Cappadocia was probably the most Turkish of all the places I visited, bearing in mind that my travels were restricted to the western part of the country. Cappadocia wasn’t trying to be a typical Mediterranean resort, it wasn’t trying to recreate an ancient Greek or Roman site, or a world-class city, it was an area to be explored and enjoyed at your own pace with a truly Turkish flavour.

The main reason to come to Cappadocia is to visit the fairy chimneys and underground cities. However, you can also hike through rose-coloured gorges, shop in a covered bazaar that dates back to Ottoman times and watch whirling dervishes in an atmospheric caravanserai and dine in fine restaurants while being entertained by lithe belly dancers.

The area was first settled by Hittites over 3800 years ago, but it was during the 4th to 11th century when Christians were being persecuted that many of the area’s most amazing tourist sites were born.  Entire underground cities complete with animal storage facilities can be toured. However, if you suffer from claustrophobia or a fear of the dark you may want to make sure you don’t go too deep into the rabbit warren of passages.

I think it would be very easy to feel romantic in Cappadocia. The fairy-tale nature of the topography, the historicity of the area, the exoticism (for me) of the culture and food would definitely put me in a mood for love. Dang, now I really need to set a book here or visit again with my husband—except he’d likely complain about something and ruin my mood. So, I guess it’s vicarious travelling through my characters, once again.