Geographical processes can result in the creating of magnificent landscapes that one would expect to see in a sci-fi movie or read of in a fairy tale. A wonderful example of such a natural creation is the complex yet intriguing region of Cappadocia, Turkey. It is riddled with bizarre sites such as mushroom rocks, pillars and the tunnels that were once the largest underground city. Nature has shaped and allowed humans to shape this area into a natural and historical landmark. This essay will examine the history behind the human creations here and the geography that allowed them to happen as well as the naturally occurring features.
Basic Geography of Cappadocia
Cappadocia is an area in the country of Turkey that spans about 300km. It has an elevation of 1050m and has a volcanic terrain. It is bordered to the south by the Taurus Mountains which separate it from the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Coastal Ranges separate the area from the Black Sea. To the east it is bounded by the Euphrates. Its climate is mainly continental and consists of dry hot summers and cold, sometimes snowy winters. Temperatures reach an average of 25-30 degrees Celsius from June to August (the summer months) and between -10 and 10 degrees Celsius during December to February (the winter months). The relative humidity increases in the summer. Many people have described the weather there much like that of North Dakota. Rainfall is low in this semi-arid climate.
History of Cappadocia
Evidence of human occupation of Cappadocia dates back to 1800-1200 B.C. but this essay will focus primarily on when humans began taking advantage of Cappadocia’s natural gifts around the 4th century A.D. The official name Cappadocia came during Persian rule and ...
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Blij has clearly put this book into historical significance by mentioning the idea of geography and how it plays a role in societies all over the world. However, the five themes of culture regions, cultural diffusion, cultural interaction, cultural ecology, and cultural landscapes are all clearly defined within a specific context to a particular nation. Through reading this intriguing piece of literature I received the underlying notion that Blij firmly believes that landscapes of the world realm are not going to change. De Blij worldview of regions, diffusion, interaction, ecology, and landscapes has allowed him to simultaneously link issues together from the United States all the way to Southeast Asia.
During the years of 3500 BC to 2500 BC, the geography of a land often impacted a civilizations development in great measures. Depending on the resources available or the detriments present due to certain topographical characteristics like rivers or deserts, a civilization could flourish or collapse. By studying the geographic features of growing societies like the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris Rivers as well as the Mediterranean Sea of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the link between developing cultures and geography will be examined through sources, including Egypt: Ancient Culture, Modern Land edited by Jaromir Malek and Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek. To determine the extent of its influence, this investigation will attempt to compare and contrast the role of geography in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, focusing on the civilizations’ various periods of development and settlement.
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The wooden lintels, writing, and the unique calendar reveal clues about life in a society that thrived for over 1000 years. Many massive building are visible today, those built to pay tribute to kings and to please the deities. The M...
The Iliad alone would never have been a reliable source without archaeological evidence to verify the actuality of a Trojan war. Therefore archaeologists have been working on the site known as hissarlik since the 1800’s to uncover truths about the myth. Frank Calv...
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In approximately 650 B.C., Sparta was formed in the Peloponnese peninsula in Laconia by several smaller city-states that joined together. Located near the fertile farmlands of the Eurotas River, the Peloponnese peninsula was an ideal area to establish a new civilization. Sparta, meaning “to sow,” was appropriately named because of its positioning in one of the only fertile valleys in Greece. After conquering its western neighbor Messenia, Sparta gained even more fertile land as well as the Taygetus mountain ranges. These mountains provided essential raw materials including timber and wildlife. As a result of the Taygetus range, Sparta was somewhat isolated from the rest of Greece. This is provides insight into why Spartan livelihood differed so greatly compared to other Greek city-states.
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