This extraordinary region of Central Anatolia has now become justly famous for its weird volcanic landscapes and painted churches, unique in the world. The natural agent responsible for the famous Cappodocian landscape was the (now extinct) volcano of the Mount Erciyes, around the town of Kayseri. The formation of these weird looking chimneys go back to 30 million years, when the volcanic ash formed a layer of soft, porous rock, known as tufa, covering an immense area of 1560 square miles. Today