- ART, ARCHITECTURE, DECORATION -
Unique, out-of-the-ordinary, handmade, and one-of-a-kind…
Matchless, Unusual, Refined
Public areas and private rooms are individually furnished, decorated with elegant local art such as yazma, ebru, and tiles, along with hand-woven traditional local carpets, custom-designed woodwork, and antique furniture and mirrors. Suites and cave rooms have several niches and wardrobes painted in vibrant, locally-made colors that pop out. Stylized Ottoman fixtures are custom-made of bronze and copper, enriching this sumptuous environment.
Each cave room and suite has its own individual story. A surprising story is that original pigeon lofts are part of the inner walls of one cave room; in the past bird guano was collected, but no worries – it’s clean now! As well, dense iroko wood, wood counters, and volcanic stone decorations adorn the bathrooms, adding to an amazing experience in these accommodations.
Yazma is a hand-painted wood print on fine cotton fabric woven on handlooms. Most of these fabrics were worn as headscarves in everyday life. Fifity years ago this art form was almost extinct. Turkish artists Bedri Rahmi and Eren Eyuboglu revived the art, meticulously carving their paintings and designs on wood blocks, and developing a special technique to fix the color and design on the fabric. These original designs express everyday hardships and obligations of devoted Turkish women as mother, wife, and the pillar of the household. Each individual piece is a limited copy from these artists’ collections.
Ebru is magic! Technically speaking, ebru is the art of transferring color designs floating on water onto paper – but it looks fantastical, and magical. The ebru pieces at Cappadocia Estates were made by Hikmet Barutcugil, a leading contemporary ebru artist. In addition to traditional techniques, Barutcugil has developed a special technique of his own that is named after him, the Barut. Some of his outstanding works are in the British Museum collection in London.
Tiles are perhaps the best-known of Turkish art. Originally, Turkish tiles had a very high content of quartz mineral, and that’s why it is so strong and durable. The tiles used in Cappadocia Estates are handmade replicas of Seljuk and traditional Iznik tiles. Some are family designs of master potter Güray Tuysuz, the founder and president of Güray Museum.
Handmade carpets are a link to our Turkish traditions and history, and a visual reminder of our ancestors’ challenges during their long journey from Central Asia to Asia Minor. At Cappadocia Estates, we keep those traditions alive. Every room, suite, and public space is decorated with traditional carpets of the Cappadocia region – unique in motif, design, and colors.