On Saturday morning, June 8, 2013, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew realized his annual pilgrimage to the ancient Christian and monastic region of Cappadocia, present-day Niğde in Turkey. He was accompanied by
In the 4th century small anchorite communities began to form in the region, acting on instruction of Saint Basil of Caesarea. They carved cells in the soft rock. During the