Erciyes, Hasandağı, Melendiz and Göllüdağ, located in the Cappadocia area, were active volcanoes in the geological ages. The eruptions of the volcanoes began in the Upper Miocene (10 million years ago) and continued until Holocene (recent times). Lava erupting from the volcanoes underneath the neogene lakes, have brought tuff layers to the surface of the lakes and rivers of the plateau which are 100-150 cm thick and have different hardness.
The plateau shaped by the eruptions from the main mountains has constantly undergone changes due to the eruptions of small volcanoes with a less intensity. The region owes its existing shape to the erosion of this tuff layer created by rivers and la kes, especiallythe Kızılırmak (the Red River).
The formations named "fairy chimneys" were created by erosion of the tuff structure due to the wind and floodwaters streaming from the valley slopes.
Streams of floodwater finding their way through the steep slopes caused the cracking and breaking of the hard rocks. The slopes receded because of the deeply pierced material which is located in the lower part and therefore more erodible. Thus the conic shaped bodies protected from erosion by the caps in their upper parts, were formed. The fairy chimneys which are found mostly in Ürgüp are conic bodied and they generally have a boulder in their upper parts. The body is comprised of tuff and volcanic ashes while the cap is formed by hard rocks. Therefore the cap is a more enduringtype of rock compared to the body.
Other types of fairy chimneys formed by erosion in Cappadocia are conic, mushroom shaped, columnar and spired. Fairy chimneys are mostly situated in the valleys of the Ürgüp - Uçhisar - Avanos triangle and in the region between Ürgüp and Şahinefendi.
Besides fairy chimneys, picturesque folds formed by rainfalls schillerize the region. The variety of colours seen in certain slopes stems from the temperature difference of the lava layers. These formations can be seen in Uçhisar, Çavusin - Güllüdere, Göreme - Meskendir, OrtahisarKızılçukur and Pancarlık.
