Why does Cappadocia have stone towers and caves?

Cappadocia has stone towers because ancient volcanic ash hardened into soft rock, then rain, frost, and wind wore it into pillars. It has caves because people discovered they could carve homes, churches, and tunnels into that same workable stone, called tuff.

Some tower tops survived because a harder rock cap shielded the softer stone below, a bit like a roof in a storm. Families, monks, and whole communities later shaped the cliffs into rooms that stayed comfortable through hot summers and cold winters.