Cappadocia

Two Spanish tourists died while three others got injured on Oct. 18 as the hot air balloon they boarded in the Cappadocia region made a bumpy landing amid strong winds, the governor's office has informed.

The hot air balloon trips in the Ihlara Valley in the Central Anatolian province of Aksaray, which is the starting point of the iconic touristic attraction Cappadocia, have resumed after they had to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 14-kilometer-long valley lures visitors, who can go all the way down the valley with 394 step stairs, with its ancient churches and landscape.

Malaysia's queen has fallen in love with the historical Cappadocia region on her visit to the site in the Central Anatolia region, and said she is seeking a house to buy and live.

The third international Balloon Fest will bring together colorful hot air balloons featuring various special shapes between July 21 and 24 in Cappadocia, the historical region in Central Anatolia famous for its fairy chimneys, with the participation of 12 countries.

Some 477,757 people have visited Cappadocia, the historical region in Central Anatolia famous for its fairy chimneys, in May this year, a number nearly eight times higher than the same month the previous year, the Governor's Office of the province of Nevşehir has announced.

"In May 2021, the number of the visitors was 61,634," said the office in a statement on June 7.

"GAP Tour," which comprises seven cities in Turkey's southeast, will now be called "Mesopotamian Tour" to promote tourism, a marketing strategy inspired by the "Cappadocia Tour" in the Central Anatolian region, a top local tourism chief has said.

The Central Anatolian province of Çankırı will open its fairy chimneys that look similar to the ones in the world-renowned Cappadocia region to tourism.

The 150 fairy chimneys are located in the Orta district, some 80 kilometers from Çankırı and some 120 kilometers from the capital Ankara.

Nearly 300 wells with a history of hundreds of years in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri have been filled with snow brought from the skirts of Mountain Erciyes in order to provide residents cold water in summer.

The latest evidence shows that the historical Huykesen Church in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas is one of the oldest places of worship in Anatolia.

Two settlements in Turkey have been included in the U.N.'s Best Tourism Villages list, the U.N. World Tourism Organizations (UNWTO) have said.

Mustafapaşa, a town in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir, and Taraklı, a small district in the northwestern province of Sakarya, are among the "best examples of villages embracing tourism to provide opportunity," the U.N. body said.