Turkey- Cavusin Video

In this video clip from our adventures horseback riding in Cappadocia, Turkey, you'll see Cavusin’s old rock homes and churches, which are carved into a large cliff. To me, the structure looked like a bit like a dilapidated sand castle.

We were able to ride up on top of the dwellings in this village, stopping below the St. John the Baptist Church from the 7th century. Above us there were cubbyholes carved into the rocks. These are what the locals call pigeon houses. They paint the rocks around these indentations red to attract pigeons to these spaces. The locals collect the pigeon droppings and use them for fertilizer for their local vineyards and other crops. Everywhere we rode in Cappadocia, we would run into these pockets of small vineyards. Many families have their own small plot of land where they grow grapes to make their own wine.

Learn more about riding vacations in Turkey.

Darley Newman is the host of the Public Television series Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Visit equitrekking.com and purchase Equitrekking DVDs, the Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback book and more at ShopDarley.com