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Earthworks and Spelunking

November 19, 2025

Location: Cappadocia (Ozkonak, Potter’s Place, and Zelve)

What a day! Our adventures started even before the first destination. The bus ride was filled with absolutely gorgeous views of the rugged terrain of Cappadocia. It reminded me of what you might see in the national parks of Utah and South Dakota. We were even able to take a quick stop to climb around incredible rock formations.

Our first location was the Zelve Open Air Museum. This trip took us through an ancient Christian village in which the people lived in mountain caves, literally carved out of the rock. These secluded caves were built as a means for early Christians to hide from Roman persecution prior to Constantine. Afterwards, Christians continued to live there, in what seemed a prehistoric way of life, until the 1920’s. It was mind boggling!

Zelve Open Air Museum

Next, we visited a local pottery shop to observe the dying art of handmade pottery. We were all amazed at the demonstration of a young potter who so quickly and flawlessly made a beautiful wine vase. The difficulty of this art was made evident by the volunteer endeavor of one of our classmates who attempted to shape the clay, which ended in a messy disaster. We then perused through their gallery, amazed at the beautiful artwork.

Local Pottery Shop

Lunch was at a local restaurant with fascinating architecture. It was clearly modeled after the Cappadocian caves that we saw earlier in the day, but it had a modern and welcoming atmosphere. The food was quite delicious, although I must admit I forget the Turkish names for all the dishes. Needless to say, we left very full.

Our last stop was at the underground city of Ozkonak. Similar to the aboveground mountain caves, this underground cave system initially was dug out as a hiding spot from the Romans and used later to hide from Arab invasions in later centuries. We were amazed with the ingenuity of making this place habitable for 300 people, up to three months at a time. It was also surprising how low the ceilings were. The tall guys struggled; many heads were hit! 

Caves in the underground city of Ozkonak

Overall, it was an informative and eye-opening day. We really came to appreciate the measures that our Christian ancestors took to continue practicing their faith instead of succumbing to the pressures of their persecutors. 

-Frank Perrotta, Dioceses of Joliet, Illinois

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