Cappadocia's Fairy Chimneys are a geological wonder created by volcanoes and time. Cone-shaped rocks with "caps" of hard stone dot the valleys, creating a landscape from another planet. For centuries people lived in these towers, carving homes and churches into them.

How the Chimneys Formed

Millions of years ago, the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes covered the region in layers of ash and tuff. The soft rock eroded easily from rain and wind, but where a layer of hard basite sat on top, "mushrooms" formed—cones with stone caps.

The process continues today. Each year erosion eats away a few millim...