by Andrew Michler from inhabitat.com

At the heart of Turkey there is an incredible landscape dotted with ancient caves. Completely vacant, in 2000, six cave houses dating back to the 5th and 6th century were converted into an unconventional, yet truly unique 30-room, 5-star hotel called the Yunak Evleri. Each underground room has been decked out in Ottoman era antiques and topped off with a personal spa and patio. The rest of the hotel is a reclaimed 19th century Greek mansion that sits adjacent to the awe-inspiring caves.

Many caves were carved out of the soft limestone cliffs in the region of Cappadocia, whose history dates back to the 6th century.  The hotel was completed in 2000 with extensive cleanup and grounds improvement. The remarkable cave retrofit brought in power for lights, Wi-Fi and modern gadgets a well as plumbing for the individual baths.

The rooms have each been impressively finished with antiques of the 1900’s Ottoman Empire, adding a nostalgic elegance to the rocky interior facade. The rooms are rich with hand carved details right in the rock: medallions, nooks, arches, windows and doors. Each room has a white marble adorned spa with either a steam shower or a Jacuzzi. Each room also has its own outdoor patio overlooking the ancient landscape. The rooms are dead silent, and of course they maintain comfortable and cool temperatures even on the hottest of days. Individuals can also explore a number of other cave homes and even cave churches which dot the region.