Located on the central Anatolia plateau within a volcanic landscape sculpted by erosion to form a succession of mountain ridges, valleys and pinnacles known as “fairy chimneys” or hoodoos, Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia cover the region between the cities of Nevşehir, Ürgüp and Avanos, the sites of Karain, Karlık, Yeşilöz, Soğanlı and the subterranean cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. The area is bounded on the south and east by ranges of extinct volcanoes with Erciyes Dağ (3916 m) at one end and Hasan Dağ (3253 m) at the other. The density of its rock-hewn cells, churches, troglodyte villages and subterranean cities within the rock formations make it one of the world's most striking and largest cave-dwelling complexes. Though interesting from a geological and ethnological point of view, the incomparable beauty of the decor of the Christian sanctuaries makes Cappadocia one of the leading examples of the post-iconoclastic Byzantine art period.
It is believed that the first signs of monastic activity in Cappadocia date back to the 4th century at which time small anchorite communities, acting on the teachings of Basileios the Great, Bishop of Kayseri, began inhabiting cells hewn in the rock. In later periods, in order to resist Arab invasions, they began banding together into troglodyte villages or subterranean towns such as Kaymakli or Derinkuyu which served as places of refuge.
Cappadocian monasticism was already well established in the iconoclastic period (725-842) as illustrated by the decoration of many sanctuaries which kept a strict minimum of symbols (most often sculpted or tempera painted crosses). However, after 842 many rupestral churches were dug in Cappadocia and richly decorated with brightly coloured figurative painting. Those in the Göreme Valley include Tokalı Kilise and El Nazar Kilise (10th century), St. Barbara Kilise and Saklı Kilise (11th century) and Elmalı Kilise and Karanlık Kilise (end of the 12th – beginning of the 13th century).
The rupestral sanctuaries of Cappadocia constitute an unique artistic achievement in a region of superlative natural features, providing irreplaceable testimony to post-iconoclast Byzantium. The dwellings, village convents and churches retain the fossilized images of a province of the Byzantine Empire between the 4th century and the Turkish invasion.
The eroded plateau of the Göreme valley is a spectacular example of the effects of differential erosion of the volcanic tuff sediments by wind and water. Typical features are pillars, columns, towers, obelisks and needles that reach heights of 40 m. The major remnant of erosion, Akdağ (1,325 m), is the dominant feature in the valley. The nearby Erciyas volcano is still active with occasional minor eruptions. Its outstanding example represents the Earth's evolutionary history. Within these rock formations people have excavated a network of caves which served as refuges, residences, storage and places of worship dating from the 4th century. The surrounding landscape is agricultural with a number of small scattered rural villages.
The historical setting, the rock-hewn churches and the unusual eroded landforms combine to produce a mixed cultural/natural landscape of unusual appearance. Architectural styles are based on the local stone and the valley has changed little over the centuries.
Although the area has been extensively used and modified by man for centuries the resulting landscape is one of harmony and consideration of the intrinsic values of the natural landforms. There has been some earthquake damage to some of the cones and pillars but this is seen as a naturally occurring phenomenon. In the ruin like landscape of the Cappadocia plateau where natural erosion has sculpted the tuff into shapes which are eerily reminiscent of towers, spires, domes and pyramids, man has added to the workmanship of the elements by digging cells, churches and veritable subterranean cities which together make up one of the world's largest cave dwelling complexes. Although interesting from a geological and ethnological point of view, this phenomenal rupestral site excels especially for the incomparable beauty of the decor of the Christian sanctuaries whose features make Cappadocia one of the leading examples of post-iconoclast Byzantine art.
It is believed that the first signs of monastic activity in Cappadocia date back to the 4th century at which time, acting on the instructions of Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea (Kayseri), small anchoritic communities began inhabiting cells dug into the rock. Later on, in order to resist Arab forays they began banding together into troglodyte villages or subterranean towns such as Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu which served as places of refuge.
Cappadocian monasticism was already well established in the iconoclast period (725-842), as illustrated by the many sanctuaries, the decoration of which was held to the strict minimum of symbols (most often sculpted or tempera painted crosses). After 842, however, many rupestral churches were dug in Cappadocia. These churches were richly decorated with brightly coloured figurative painting. Among them were those in the Göreme valley: Tokalı Kilise, El Nazar Kilise (10th century), Barbara Kilise, Saklı Kilise (11th century), Elmalı Kilise and Karanlık Kilise (end of the 12th to beginning of the 13th centuries), etc.
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, having been extensively used and modified by man for centuries, is a landscape of harmony combining human interaction and settlement with dramatic natural landforms. There has been some earthquake damage to some of the cones and the pillars, but this is seen as a naturally occurring phenomenon. Overuse by tourists and some vandalism have been reported and some incompatible structures have been introduced.
The erosional processes that formed the distinctive conical rock structures will continue to create new fairy chimneys and rock pillars, however due to the rate of this process, the natural values of the property may still be threatened by unsustainable use. The cultural features, including rock-hewn churches and related cultural structures, mainly at risk of being undermined by erosion and other negative natural processes coupled with mass tourism and development pressures, can never be replaced. threats Some of the churches mentioned by early scholars such as C. Texier, H.G. Rott and Guillaume de Jerphanion are no longer extant.                                                                                                                                                       

Senegal is home to Lake Retba aka Lac Rose, which is naturally pink. Due to its high salt content, the water has the perfect living conditions for a certain kind of micro-algae called dunaliella salina. The presence of these organisms is what gives the lake its pink hue. That is wayyyy too much for my tiny peanut brain to handle. You know what I think it is? Mother Nature is showing off her feminine side! Ooh girl, you tryina get Father Time’s attention? I feel ya, but you gotta hit it and quit it because the man is not getting any younger.Not many living organisms are able to survive in Lake Retba because of its high salt content, so it serves mainly as a tourist point and for salt production.

In fact, if you decide to visit the lake, you will constantly see salt collectors working at the lake and the shores of Lake Retba are full of piles of collected salt. This salt is extracted by locals from the bottom of the lake using their hands, then placed into baskets it is transported to the shore where it is used mainly to preserve fish.

The lake is only 3 square kilometers big (about 1,1 square miles) and there is no major town developed along its shores.

When visiting the lake, you will be amazed by the contrast of the mountains of salt packed up next to the lake’s shore, the pink color of the lake’s water and the gold sand dunes on the other side of the Lac Rose.French name of lake is Lac Rose (Pink Lake), and not without reason has been attributed to this akwenowi. Waters of the lake have a pink color that is particularly clear during the dry season.

Lake lies to the east of the capital Dakar, Senegal, and the most southernmost point of Africa to the west of Cape Verde. Waters of the lake changes its color depending on the intensity of incident sunlight. It is believed that the pink color of micro-organisms are responsible, and high concentration of minerals in the surrounding soils, mainly chlorine and minerals.
Lake Retba like its counterpart in Australia, the lake is very salty Hillier and separated from the ocean only a narrow strip of dunes a few hundred meters. This is due to the fact that in ancient times the lake were small coves, which, by the applied sand was cut off from the open water area. As a result of evaporating seawater, seawater salinity growth followed, until the present level, which in the lake Retba is 38%, or about the same as the salinity of the Dead Sea.
The lake is still African mined salt, and the manner of delivery has not changed for years and is passed down from generation to generation. The whole process starts from the bottom grab the Pink Lake salty sludge. It is then transported to the shore, where salt is washed and dried in the sun. After drying, the salt forms a dense shell, which must be crushed. Finally ready to sell salt Piles left behind in small mounds.
Also known as “Lac Rose”, this unique lake lies just north of the Cap Vert Peninsula of Senegal, northeast of Dakar. Its salt content rivals that of the Dead Sea, which makes for increased human buoyancy, as well as a busy salt industry. Salt collectors arrive daily at the lake, covered in shea butter to protect their skin from the harsh salinity, and spend 7 hours a day collecting the precious mineral from the lakebed.
The water in Lake Retba constantly changes hues, but the most stunning pink shade appears during the dry season. During windy weather and during the short wet season, the lake's colour is not strikingly pink due to the rain, which dilutes the salinity. The salt-loving micro-organism Dunaliella salina combined with high a mineral concentration and the intensity of the summer sun are the producers of the cotton candy-colored water. With the salt levels reaching up to 40%, the lake can sometimes take a more sinister shade, appearing blood red, a much less comforting place for your imagination to go when gazing out upon the surreal view.
Having been at some point a child, you will certainly have dreamed of a lake made of strawberry milkshake. We can now reveal that it does exist. Okay, so it’s not exactly made of milkshake, but Senegal’s Lake Retba is certainly the right shade of pink.
Lake Retba’s amazing colouration derives from its high salt concentration — one and a half times higher than the Dead Sea. This makes it a prime habitat for halobacterium, a type of single-celled halophile (salt-loving) microorganism which is red or purple in colour. The water of lake actually changes from mauve to deep pink in colour, depending on the time of day and amount of sunlight.
For most of the year salt fishing is the major activity of the lake. Workers spend 10-12 hours a day in the water scraping salt from the lake bed, their skin rubbed with butter from the Shea nut to protect it from the inhospitable salinity of the water. Seen from above, with piles of white salt lining the shore, the lake appears as a pool of colour in a black and white landscape.