In Cappadocia, there is a particular valley about which there’s a lot of sniggering: Baglidere Valley, better known as Love Valley. When you arrive, you immediately see why people find it so funny. For thousands of years, wind and rain/snow slowly eroded layers of volcanic ash that had been spewed by local volcanoes over millennia. Sometimes, a piece of basalt forms on top of layers of ash which means that when the surrounding ash eventually erodes away, the part below the basalt is protected. This leaves behind conical rock structures. Conical rock structures with a cap. Capped conical rock structures that apparently look like a homage to manhood.
Yes, Love Valley is popular because of giant phallic-looking structures made by Mother Nature.
When you first arrive at Love Valley, the first thing you will notice is the rather obnoxious man trying to shove his camera into your face. Unfortunately, you haven’t just been discovered by Turkey’s Next Top Model. It is just a guy who will upload your photo to a computer which will then print the photo onto a plate. He will then try to sell it to you. I don’t think he was successful in getting my photo as I was ready for his ambush since I saw him doing his shtick long before I disembarked from the van. Dude was pissed off for some reason when I kept turning my face away from his camera. Why he was annoyed, I don’t know – I’m sure he’s not new to the concept of rejection…
Wandering around the central part of the Love Valley doesn’t take long. There are a number of caves and holes in which you can poke your head and some fading bits of paint to admire. But those are really not why one goes to the Love Sha – I mean, Valley. People only really come here to gawk at and photograph the tall structures. There are also a few side trails that you can explore if you are there without a tour group. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot at Love Valley. So enjoy the free peep show!
