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Cappadocia victim of Turkish ruling party's love of concrete

A new law claiming to protect the natural beauty of Cappadocia strips municipal governments of decision-making powers and oversight, handing authority over the future of the region to a panel whose leader is appointed by the president.
An aerial view of Love Valley is seen from a hot air balloon in Cappadocia December 12, 2008. Cappadocia is a popular tourist destination in Turkey renowned for unusual rock formations and rock-caved churches. Picture taken December 12, 2008. REUTERS/Tan Shung Sin (TURKEY) - GM1E4CI1QPA01

Cappadocia’s "fairy chimneys,” cone-shaped rock formations, are not only unique in their natural design but in their historic value — early Christians used the caves below them as underground cities to hide from persecution. You can still see frescoes in the underground churches and other remnants of a culture dating back to 2000 BC. Tourist guides say the word Cappadocia originates from Persian, meaning “the land of beautiful horses.”

At times the region appears to be overrun with hot air balloons carrying sightseers; trash seems ever present and there are serious air and water pollution problems. There are many haphazardly erected tall buildings; although parts of Cappadocia are in a protected zone, illicit construction sites are everywhere. 

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