Göreme

Hot air balloons in Cappadocia, whose activities were suspended in line with COVID-19 measures, took off for a test flight with pilots who have received training.

Eleven hot air balloons prepared for the flight and rose one after the other to the sky at sunrise in Kılıçlar Valley in the Central Anatolian province of Göreme district.

The status of the Göreme Valley in the world-famous Cappadocia region has been changed to "prevent illegal constructions" in the area, a statement issued by the Culture and Tourism Ministry has said.

Authorities on Feb. 16 began demolishing illegal structures in the famous Cappadocia region in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir.

The move came after Nevşehir Governor İlhami Aktaş said the demolition of 15 structures that "were already built or were being built" adjacent to the world-famous "fair chimneys" would start on Feb. 16.

Millennial old frescoes in the historic rock-carved Tokalı Church in Cappadocia region, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985, are being restored by Turkish and Italian experts.

Australian sculptor Andrew Rogers' sculptures created as part of his land art project "Rhythms of Life" seek interest, as their location is difficult to reach for tourists. 

The tourism crisis has naturally also hit one of Turkey's first touristic regions, Cappadocia. I was in Cappadocia to see a close friend's newly-bought house in one of its villages, and to participate in the Cappadox Festival.
 

One person was killed and 20 others were injured on April 9 when a hot air balloon crashed in the touristic Cappadocia region of the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Some 49 tourists were injured on March 14 after the hot air balloons they were in made a hard landing due to strong winds in the Cappadocia region of Turkey's central province of Nevşehir, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

A Danish tourist has died on Feb. 18 after he fell of a hot air balloon in Turkey's Cappadocia region while the balloon was making a bumpy landing due to strong winds. 

Cappadocia's hot air balloons have become increasingly popular in recent years, though 2016 has seen a drop amid the general slowdown in Turkish tourism Last year almost half a million tourists viewed the Cappadocia region in central Turkey from its symbolic hot air balloons.