| While the Middle East may not be the top place on many people’s travel bucket list, this region has some of the most amazing and mysterious locations on the planet. The Middle East is home to some of the earliest known civilizations in the world, many of which have left behind ancient ruins and mysteries for modern researchers to solve. Additionally, the region is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes and interesting natural formations in the world. |  |
From musical sand dunes and stones to the ruins of an ancient city long believed lost to an island filled with otherworldly plants to strange stone circles to a door that seems to open up to the very pits of hell, there are plenty of interesting sites to see for anyone willing to visit this tumultuous region of the earth.
Cappadocia
 | In Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region lies the remnants of an ancient empire, a place that has gained legendary status from its place in ancient history and mythic status from its various natural wonders, like fairy chimneys and entire towns built out of the rock. While trekking across the valleys like the ancients is the traditional means of exploring this unique region, soaring over the area in hot air balloons is gaining popularity among tourists. |
The origins of the word Cappadocia aren’t certain and some believe it was a term either meaning “the low country” or “land of the beautiful horses.” In the Bronze Age, Cappadocia was the home of the Hittites of biblical fame before being conquered by Lydian ruler Croesus. It was then successfully conquered by the Persians and Alexander the Great, though Alexander appointed a Persian to oversee the country. It was then conquered by the Romans and the Byzantines, the country’s underground and cliffside villages becoming a haven for early Christians. Eventually, the Turks conquered the land. While many Cappadocians have adopted Turkish customs, many still retain the ancient Greek and Byzantinian customs of their ancestors.
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