TURKEY Part 10 - Day 5 & 6

The next morning we left Pammukkale headed toward Cappadocia. This country had more grazing than crops, although there was still wheat, hay, sugar beats and such. Our first stop of the morning was this spot where we could get a wide view of the calcium cliffs. This panaromic is only about 2/3 of the distance.From there we visited a Mosque and training grounds of the Whirling Dervishes Islamic sect. It is a type of Pentecostal sect in Islam. Through this dancing, music and whirling they seek to get closer to God in a trance-like state. Were were not allowed to take pictures inside the mosque.
On the way to Cappadocia we stopped at a small caravanserai that had a water hole behind it. There were these gypsy children playing around the building. This one little girls was jumping rope and using a length of water hose for her rope.
We left there and went to see a much larger Caravanserai. This was an inn for the camel caravans that traveled on the silk road. These were spaced about one days journey on the road which was the distance that could be covered on foot in 8-10 hours. That would be 30 to 40 kilometers apart.

Most typically a caravanserai was square or rectangular in shape with a walled exterior. They would have a single opening to enter that was wide enough for large laden beasts like camels to enter.
The courtyard was almost always open to the sky.
The inside walls of the courtyard would have enclosures like identical stalls, bays or niches to accomodate the merchants, their servants, animals and merchandise. This structure had these open spaces down one side. They were usually used by the more common merchants.
On the other side of the courtyard were enclosed chambers that the more wealthy could rent space in. These were usually very small chambers, sometimes they would have two rooms.
The room would only have a narrow slit at the top of the arched wall for light. These were wider on the inside of the room then on the outside wall.
The larger caravanserais would have the an enclosed section to the back that was the winter accommodations.
These were be filled with just the open arched spaces or stalls.
On some of the columns there were these holes in the corners. They were to tether your animals to while there.
The winter area would sometimes have public rooms for eating and cooking for when they were in use.