Central Anatolia, Turkey from the Sky

Johnny and the Beautiful Destinations team traveled to Cappadocia, Turkey to capture this area often filmed by influencers and camera drone pilots, but rarely by FPV. The film features the region's most recognizable visuals: hot air balloons, the 'fairy tale' rock formations, wild horses, and stone-built towns. While there, they experienced high temps, snow, and rain, giving the impression this was filmed over months, not days. This incredible video won in the Landscape category of the 6th Annual NYCDFF.

Prepare to be blown away by this whirwind aerial tour of the great nation of Turkey, compliments of yusufozluk.  The first 1:40 of the video is shot in the center of the country; you'll see the balloons, fairytale rock chimneys, and broad steppes of Cappadocia; the steppes of the Anatolian Plain; and some truly epic bird's eye views of Ankara, the great capital city.  Then the video transitions to the country's coastlines, and you'll see some of it most amazing stretches on the Black, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.    

Contributor IlkerCagatayAsik brings us this amazing wintertime aerial view of Ankara, the great Turkish capital city.  Located in the middle of the country in the Central Anatolia region, it's now the country's second-largest city after Istanbul.  Ankara's remarkable growth parallels the rise of modern Turkey; when Ankara became the center of the Turkish Nationalist movement in 1920, Ankara had a population of less than 50k.  Fast-forward a century, and it's the center of a metropolitan area of over 5 million! 

Top AirVuz contributor jesus_tr was a finalist for the Sixth Annual New York City Drone Film Festival for his dronie shot from over a "field" of rugs in a Turkish market.  The talented content creator strikes again with another incredible dronie video from Turkey, this one shot in the famous Cappadocia region.  Lying on a large plateau southeast of Ankara, Cappadocia is famous both for its "fairy tale" rock formations as well as for the balloons which take tourists over them.  Watch how his dronie incorporates both in a single shot.  

This beautifully edited travel video is courtesy of the talented drone pilot Khoubai, documenting his time in scenic Cappadocia, in Turkey's Central Anatolia.  Also along for the ride is the well-known photographer Jackson Groves.  Together, the two explore the area, and with their passion for creating captivating visuals, they capture the charm of locals, the 4-wheeled recreation amongst the rocks, and the expansive views and hot air ballooning for which the area is commonly known. 

Lake Meke is a crater lake that was formed in south central Turkey when a volcano erupted approximately four million years ago.  The inner crater of the lake was formed from a much more recent eruption about 9,000 years ago.  Now a registered natural monument of Turkey, it is situated in the Konya province of the country's Central Anatolia region.  This drone video by content creator and pilot Orhan Karaman provides a clear view of the famous copper volcanic cone island and the two surrounding lakes.

Contributor and pilot Okangulderen created this drone video of Konya, the second largest city in Turkey's Central Anatolia region after the national capital of Ankara.  The city of Konya is situated in the southwestern part of the great plateau which dominates Central Anatolia.  The area has been inhabited by humans since at least 3000 BC, and St. Paul's travels there earned it mention in the Bible.  Today, Konya is the seventh most populous city in Turkey, with a metropolitan population of over 2 million.

Check out this beautiful drone video from central Turkey, compliments of content creator and pilot impalos.  It was filmed in the town and surrounding district of Kahramankazan, in the province of Ankara.  Kahramankazan is a popular getaway for residents of the city of Ankara (Turkey's national capital and second-largest city), which lies to its southeast.  This beautifully edited video, set in the heart of the Central Anatolia region, was selected as a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week in September, 2019.

Among the more amazing natural sights in Turkey's Central Anatolia region is Lake Tuz.  It's the second largest lake in Turkey (after Lake Van in Eastern Anatolia) as well as one of the largest salt lakes in the world.  Located roughly between the cities of Konya and Ankara, the lake covers about 1.6k square km (a bit over 600 square mi).  It is home to one of the world's largest bird sanctuaries.  Alp Karaguelle created this epic drone selfie flying over this amazing salt lake on the great Central Anatolian Plain.

While Turkey may be best known for its great cities, mountains, and beaches, it's also home to some of the world's most important wetlands.  The country has over 300 designated wetland areas, more than any country in Europe or western Asia.  These marshy areas perform critical environmental functions, not least as sancturaries for the country's massive bird population.  In this drone video by Secoko, you'll get an aerial view of a flock of flamingoes frolicking in the wetlands of Central Anatolia.  

Cappadocia, Turkey is the believed to be the top worldwide destination for hot air ballooning.  The reason for this is primarily the other phenomenon for which this area is famous - its fairy tale chimneys, giant rock formations which are best appreciated from the air.  In this drone video, contributor AprilWed uses some epic editing techniques to make this fantastic drone time-lapse of the ballooning scene in this area of Central Anatolia, the region which cover much of the middle of the country. 

Contributor Pascha created this amazing drone video of Sultan Reedy National Park in the middle of Turkey.  It's located in the Kayseri province, which is situated on the great Central Anatolian Plain which covers much of central Turkey.  Unusually, the marshes of the park are a combination of saltwater and freshwater varieties.  Home to many varieties of flora and fauna (notably including a large bird population), the area was turned into a national park by the Turkish government in 2006.  

Seeing Cappadocia, Turkey from an aerial view is one thing, but seeing the storied region from above in the winter is a whole other thing.  Content creator and pilot GHT took bird's eye view shots of the mountainous landscape, with its unusual rock formations covered in a light dusting of snow.  Some of the abstract angles make the natural features look like cake or donuts covered in powdered sugar.  These famous "fairy tale chimneys" were formed by a highly unusual pattern of erosion which is almost unique.  

Prepare to be amazed by contributor and pilot Alp Karagulle's drone video of Ortahisar Castle in central Turkey.  The magnificent fairy tale chimney rock formations for which the Cappadocia area is famous aren't a strictly natural phenomenon.  In this case, a castle was built right into the chimney, a seemingly impossible task many centuries ago when it was built.  The castle was opened to the public in 2013 after extensive renovations and is now one of the top tourist destinations in Central Anatolia.  

Explore the Cappadocia region of central Turkey in this excellent piece by first-time AirVuz contibutor twindesigner.  Shot with a DJI Mini 2 drone, the video will take you over this distinctive land, which is famous for its "fairy tale" chimney rock formations (the result of the unusual erosion patterns here) and balloons which fly over them.  In addition, you'll see some of the lakes which dot the region, including Lake Tuz, Turkey's second-largest lake and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world.    

Phrygia is an ancient ruins site in southwestern Turkey.  For around 500 years beginning about 1200 BC, it was the center of a very powerful regional empire - two of its kings were amongst the most well known names during the Antiquity, namely Gordias (he of the Gordian Knot)and  Midas (whose "touch" could famously turn ordinary objects into gold). In this video by yasinilcebay, you'll get an amazing bird's eye view of the ancient city, which is located in the western part of the modern day region of Central Anatolia.  

Contributor IlkerCagatayAsik used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 to create this marvelous aerial tour of a snow covered Ankara, Turkey.  While it is the country's second largest city, Ankara was a relative backwater until it became the capital of modern Turkey in 1920.  As a result, its cityscape is much more modern looking compared to Turkey's other big cities.  Video highlights include epic shots of the Atakule observation tower and the Radisson Ankara, the tallest structure in Central Anatolia for 15 years.  

When legendary first person view (FPV) drone pilot JohnnyFPV says he has a video that features his craziest FPV experience, you know it is going to be incredible.  In this epic and highly cinematic FPV freestyle video, he takes on the region of Cappadocia in central Turkey.   The area is famous for its fairy tale chimneys and the hot air balloons which fly over them, but you've likely never seen it from this perspective.  This epic, 4K, sixty-second piece is just a teaser for the full-length video he plans to release. 

The famous "fairytale chimney" rock formations of Cappadocia in central Turkey are not just natural phenomena.  Centuries ago, various monastic orders began building monasteries in and atop these giant stone formations, which were created by the unusual sedimentation and erosion patterns in the region.  Some of the monasteries here date to the third century AD, in the infancy of Christianity.  Get a bird's eye view of this cultural treasure, compliments of contributor and drone pilot Nelstill.  

Contributor and drone pilot Pascha created this beautiful drone video from Turkey's Nallihan Bird Sanctuary.  This preserve is situated near the town of Nallihan in the province of Ankara, in the Central Anatolia region which covers much of the middle of the country.   It's a sanctuary for some 200 bird species, some of which are quite rare.  The wetlands of Central Anatolia, as well as of Turkey's Aegean and Marmara regions, represent some of the most important ecological assets of western Asia.  

Contributor and pilot IlkerCagatayAsik used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to create this beautiful aerial video of a well known lake in central Turkey.  It's called Lake Mogan, and it's located near the town of Gölbaşı in the Ankara Province of the Central Anatolia region.  The lake is situated about 25 km (around 16 mi.) south of the city of Ankara.  The relatively small (around 1400 acres) but beautiful lake is a popular picnic area for visitors from Ankara, Turkey's capital and third largest city.  

Check out this stunning drone video of a modern statue in central Turkey, compliments of contributor and pilot Denizvisual.  It's called the Mehmetçik Monument, and it's located near the town of Polatlı in the Ankara Region of Central Anatolia.  The steel statue, which depicts an anonymous Turkish soldier, commemorates the country's victory over Greece in the Battle of Sakarya in 1921; the victory marked a turning point in the Turkish War of Independence which erupted after World War I.  

This video by top AirVūz contributor and drone pilot Omer Gokcen gives us spectacular aerial views of Turkey's "Time and Space" sculpture park by artist Andrew Rogers. The one and a half mile-long project took the Australian artist four years to complete. The twelve sculptures he created for the park are a part of his "Rhythms of Life" project of fourteen other stone sculpture, or geoglyphs, sites around the world. This one, located on the plain of Central Anatolia, Turkey, is something to behold.

Check out these stunning drone views from an important river in central Turkey, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Murat Turna.  He filmed a stretch of the Sakarya River in the Nallihan District of the Ankara Province, about 160 km (around 100 mi.) west of Ankara.  The Sakarya is the third-longest river in Turkey.  It rises on a section of the Anatolian Plateau and follows a sinewy, generally northeastern course, through a gap in the Pontic Mountains to a discharge point on the Black Sea.

One of the most recognizable landmarks of Ankara, Turkey is the Atakule Communications Tower.  Designed by a well known Turkish architect, the 125 meter (410 ft.) tower was completed in 1989.  Atop the tower is a revolving restaurant and two other dining establishments, all of which offer commanding views of Turkey's capital and second largest city.  In this beautiful video by contributor and drone pilot IlkerCagatayAsik, you can see this well known landmark from a bird's eye perspective. 

Turkey's capital Ankara is a fascinating city.  Its population during the height of Roman power was about 200,000, roughly 3x what it was in the 19th century.  After World War I, it became the base of Turkish resistance to allied plans to completely dismember the Ottoman Empire, and became the capital when the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923.   Its population is now over 5 million, and it's the country's second largest city.  Check out the city's  modern skyline in this drone video from Denizvisual.  

Contributor Denizvisual created this beautiful drone video of Mount Erciyes, a volcano in Turkey.  It's situated in the Kayseri Province of Central Anatolia, in the south-central part of the country.  With a peak of 3.9k meters (around 12.85k ft.), it's one of the country's taller mountains.  It last erupted around 7,000 BC and is considered dormant, although it has the potential to do enormous damage if it were to erupt again.  The mountain is now home to one of the most popular ski resorts in Turkey.  

The area around Cappadocia in central Turkey is known for two things: (1) its spectacular "fairy tale chimney" rock formations and (2) hot air balloons.  This is not coincidental; the reason hot air ballooning became so popular here is that it afforded the best way to view the spectacular natural scenery, which is a function of the unusual patterns of sedimentation and erosion which prevail here.  The balloons themselves create a skyscape which beautifully compliments the landscape.  Witness this fantastic drone video from Aquinox Media.  

Many people have never heard of Cappadocia, the semi-arid region in central Turkey. After all, it’s just a small part of the country rich in history thanks to the Ottoman Empire. Once you’ve seen the region’s distinctive tall, cone-shaped rock formations known as “fairy chimneys” you’ll never forget it. See the rocky places people have called home for thousands of years in this drone video by pilot IlkerCagatayAsik. This video was shot using the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

The oddly-named Anti-Taurus Mountains (Aladağlar) is a range in southern Turkey.  They lie in the central part of the broader Taurus range, which vaguely resembles a "smile" shape paralleling the southern coast of the country and which forms the southern boundary of the Central Anatolian Plateau.  The highest peak of the Aladağlar is Mt. Erciyes, which has a summit elevation of about 3.9k meters above seal level or around 12.85k ft.  Check out the beautiful peaks of the Anti-Taurus by drone in this video from TarikGOK.

Check out this fantastic first person view (FPV) drone tour of a city in central Turkey, compliments of FPV pilot Vladimir Metiver.  The video was shot over the town of Sivas, a provincial capital set on the banks of the Kızılırmak River in the region of Central Anatolia.  Settled since the Antiquity, the city continues to maintains its importance as a transportation hub astride important routes connecting Turkey with other parts of the Middle East.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in December, 2021. 

Top contributor jesus_tr created this stunning drone video of one of Turkey's great 20th century landmarks: the Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.  Completed in 1953, it's located in the capital city of Ankara.  Atatürk was the Ottoman Empire's greatest military commander in World War I, and went on to lead the Turkish National Movement in the civil war which erupted afterwards.  He became the first President when the Republic was declared in 1923.   

Travelers oftentimes say that visiting the Cappadocia area in central Turkey is like visiting another planet. After watching drone videos like this 4K piece by pilot and world traveler dronesantana007, you can see why this is the case. The whimsical fairy chimneys, peculiar rock formations formed by unusual erosion patterns here, form some of the most unique natural scenery anywhere on earth.  It's the reason why Cappadocia has become the unofficial hot air ballooning capital of the world.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist tntrmedia created this marvelous drone video of a newly built "fairy tale castle" in one of the largest cities in central Turkey.  The "medieval" castle was built in 2014 and is a major attraction for children and families.  Eskişehir is the capital of the province of the same name in Turkey's Central Anatolia region, which covers much of the middle of the country.  The city is located roughly in the middle of a triangle formed by Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara - Turkey's three largest cities.   

If you thought that the Dutch had a monopoly on gigantic tulip fields, check out this drone video from Turkey.  Contributor and pilot Orhan KARAMAN brings us this marvelous aerial view of a seemingly endless tulip field near the city of Konya.  The area is on the southern edge of the Great Anatolian Plateau which covers much of the middle part of the country.  The farm, which lies a bit outside of the city (Turkey's seventh largest as of 2019), produces an astonishing 90 million tulips every year.  

Here's a great drone video of the largest mosque in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot secoko.  It's called the Kocatepe Mosque, and it's located in the Kizilay neighborhood of the city.  The mosque was completed in 1987 following a two decade construction period.  The drawn-out construction period was in part a function of resistance to the initial, highly modernistic design; construction stopped for a time after the foundation was laid and the structure was re-designed.