Cave Castles and Parties in Rock formations
Is that a thing?
Yes. Isn’t the world just mesmerizing?
Last August 2023 I volunteered in Göreme, Turkey in the famous Capadoccia region. Days were filled with Turkish tea and wine, sunrises with hot air balloons filling the sky, sunsets, and rooftops in cave formations. (insert awed emoji here)
Tomorrow, same time? | 📍Sunrise in Göreme, Capadoccia Turkey
I was volunteering as a receptionist at Kamelya Cave Hostel where I was more part of a family than part of a “job”. Volkan, Safis, and Ruya welcomed me with open arms, taught me a bit of Turkish, shared their food, and Volkan shared his business advice. “Make people happy” was said a looot. ⭐
During that time, I made amazing friends who always had plans- Ale, my adventurous gal and beautiful singer friend from Mexico City, Rodri, also from Mexico who always had a kind smile and warm words for everyone, Kat, from Taiwan, super friendly and ready to try new things; Jassim from Australia, who taught me all kinds of fun Australian slang, and Ariella from Australia who I met very, very briefly but clicked almost instantly.
See you at sunset? | 📍Göreme, National Park and the Rock Sites of Capadoccia. Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Ávila
With them and a mix of other, wonderful friends, we got to experience the Culture Road Festival, (kültür yolu festivali in Turkish) a festival that aims to boost Turkey’s international cultural value and also provide its citizens a chance to support local arts, music, and other valuable aspects of their society. Most of the information is in Turkish, but that’s why Google Translate exists- and you’re sure to find the real local experience anyway; they’re free festivals full of color and amazing venues such as Uçhisar Castle, Virgin Mary Church (yes, a CHURCH), Göreme Festival Area, Pasabagları Valley, and Avanos Amphitheater Open Air Stage.
Are we doing partying wrong? | 📍 Cool rock venues in Nevsehir, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Ávila
HOW IT WORKS
For about 9 days between August and September, the Ministry of Tourism offers events such as festivals and parties in these above-mentioned venues and everyone can attend- in the days we were present, we heard talented musicians, there were hot air balloons in the shape of rockets, flowers and other cool figures next to the stage, and the coolest part is… there are full families having picnics at 9 pm, the always present Turkish tea, and foldable, white chairs; the way I experienced it was that everything was well-organized, there was security at the entrance, people were calm and just having a good time. And it was all free.
Who knew hot air balloons came in the shape of rockets and other cool things? | 📍 Göreme, Turkey. Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Ávila
I read that it began in 2020 and that last year, 11 cities throughout Turkey were involved, launching from Nevsehir, in the Capadoccia region, (a city about 20 min from Göreme), and covering major cities such as Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir (if you’re traveling now or soon, make sure to add these to your itinerary through Turkey).
There are not only parties and music in cool venues, there are also workshops (for example, drama and creative writing workshops in Göreme and Paşakonağı public libraries), art exhibitions (i.e. Turkish Coffee Exhibition at the Coffee Museum), films (Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” and “Nadide Hayat” at Avanos Amphitheater Open Air Stage) and of course, the ever-present hot air ballons, specially designed to tie it all together with a red, shiny ribbon.
Turkish culture | 📍 Istanbul, Turkey
Can you give me a per instance?
Don’t just take my word for it- take a look at last year’s festivities here. My Instagram also has footage of the cool venues @globallyjess. And if you’re planning to visit Göreme or Instanbul, you know where to go.
I have a deep respect and love for Turkey and especially Göreme, where maybe things didn’t always go as planned, but there were always friends and stunning sunrises no matter what happened to me. And isn’t it always like that? Things follow their course, regardless of what happens inside our minds. Anyway, that’s all for now, add The Culture Road Festival in Turkey to your list ✨
Culture Road Festival | Turkey
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