Yunak Elveri Cappadocia Cave Hotel

Ürgüp Cappadoce

The Cappodoce in central Turkey is a strange and fascinating landscape that seems to be part of another planet. Nature here is the sole architect of these strange shapes. The result of eruptions of the Erciyes and Hasan Dag volcanoes, the rocky cones and the famous fairylike chimneys were formed by the wind over thousands of years. The volcanic ash and mud created this tender stone known as tuff, in which rain, snow wind and sand carved out pitons, needles, towers and stone beasts, for those with vivid imaginations.

Under Persian domination in the 6^th century B.C., it was named Katpatukya, which means land of beautiful horses. After becoming a Roman province, it welcomed Christians fleeing persecution. They dug into this soft rock to create hideouts which quickly became underground cities. Monks and hermits created churches in the rock itself which they decorated with magnificent frescoes representing scenes from the Bible. These forbidden images were hidden in the cavern churches during the religious crisis which opposed iconoclasts and partisans of divine representation and thus survived the struggle. Today, they are a superb and living example of Byzantine art.

Troglodyte opulence

The Yunak Elveri Cappadocia Cave Hotel’s luxurious rooms for wealthy troglodytes, is located in Ürgüp. Carved out of the rock on the side of the mountain, the hotel has 30 rooms spread over six rocks which were dug out in the 5^th and 6^th centuries. Yusuf Gorurgoz, from Istanbul is the creator of this mad concept. He was greatly attracted by the region and purchased the caves in the 1990s. After carrying out the necessary work, using the natural beauty of the site, the Yunak Elveri opened.

The common rooms, like the modern cinema theatre or the antique music room and the restaurant are situated in the main residence, a former Greek home dating back to the 19^th century and built with dressed stone.

The rooms are all decorated with tuff and are accessed via long corridors of stone which are veritable labyrinths lit by candles. Some rooms have kept their stone arches while others have a more classical ceiling. All of them however, are in the Ottoman style with wood parquet floors, hand made lace curtains, antique chests and night tables, Ottoman style blankets and wrought iron beds. Everything has been carefully thought out down to the slightest detail. Yusuf Gorugoz personally designed the bathrooms by blending Afyon marble, elaborate mirrors, ceramic sinks and multiple jet and steam bathtubs. Each room is a rendezvous with history and provides a contrast between the contemporary and the Ottoman tradition. And to leave one’s cave, there’s no need to wait until spring. The restaurant overlooking the village is open all year and the view from its terrace is truly unique.

The word Yunak, which is also the name of the neighborhood, is the name attributed to the fountains around which women would come together to do their laundry in the country square. They would do their washing on one side and converse together on the other.