There are few places in the world like Cappadocia in central Turkey. A fairytale landscape of volcanic rock sculpted by time and the elements into a geological dance of rock spires and needles, between which apple, apricot, and mulberry trees flourish in fertile valleys. Perched at 1300 meters, the ancient village of Uçhisar dominates this breathtaking scenery and potent history. Captivated by thi
s beauty, a French architect, Jacques Avizou, has spent the better part of fifteen years renovating the magnificent cave dwellings in the oldest part of the village. These long forgotten homes, with their vaulted rooms and stone terraces, have come back to life as a stunning boutique hotel with self-catering accommodations and self-catering houses or studios. Seventeen restored houses are available to the discerning visitor who seeks a holiday of the highest order in a place that has left few unmoved. Each visitor may choose the type of vacation that he/she desires: the perfect intimity and liberty of a self-catering house or studio rental, or, the coddled luxury of a boutique hotel. Each has been refurbished by Jacques without compromise: the comfort expected by western visitors in a cosy boutique hotel blends effortlessly with millenium architecture-carved lintels, vaulted ceilings, and in-house cisterns, accentuated with colorful kilims, carpets and authentic 'Avanos' earthware. This is a place where one immediately feels the magic, one of the birthplaces of humanity: the first christians carved churches and dwellings out of the rock and dug underground cities here to evade the heathen invaders centuries ago. In May 2000, Les Maisons de Cappadoce was honored by GOURMET MAGAZINE when we were named "The most unusual 'Room at the Top'" in their prestigious annual hotel poll.
