Even today people live in Anatolia in caves of lava rock. The landscape of Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and looks at their homes in the form of sugar loaves like from another world.

Mushrooms, fireplaces and pointed caps of stone, where the legend lived by fairies – the volcanic landscape of Cappadocia in Turkey is a bizarre sight.

Two active volcanoes, the area of present-day Anatolia 50 million years ago covered with a thick layer of lava – cools gave the a mixture of basalt, ash and sand. The mass has solidified over the years to tuff, a soft rock. So wind and water could shape it into the abstract landscape.

In the Bronze Age, people have begun to dig into the soft stone caves – that was the beginning of the most strangest Allotment of the earth. In the 4th century, then the first Christians settled. Until the 11th century they have about 3000 churches hewn out of the stone. Behind the thick walls of the corner houses are now many magnificent stained-painting. Under ground caves were dug huge underground cities were made like this.

The Cappadocia region was declared in 1985 a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Since then, especially the Goreme is controlled with just 2000 inhabitants of many tourists.

The photographer Imke Let captured the Tuff-houses and their inhabitants in pictures. Only occasionally live this in the caves. Many prefer the comfort of an ordinary house with heating. Unlike the tourists. For several years, more and more hotels are being built in and on the tuff. The room in which it dust from the ceiling, are very popular.

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