The Jewel of Cappadocia

The Ihlara (Peristremma in Antiquity) Canyon is one the most popular destinations of the whole Cappadocia Region and the visitors may enjoy marvellous natural beauty and cultural riches side by side. The natural beauty was carved by forces of nature with the care and elegance while the chapels and churches were carved with great patience and grace and adorned with frescoes with a great mastery of generations past. Undoubtedly the visitors will love the Ihlara Canyon where beauties of nature, history, art, and culture have been combined, and wish the timeless moments enjoyed would never end.

An Unforgettable Walk Through Historical Riches and Natural Beauty

The 14 km (9 miles) Ihlara Canyon is the longest hiking route of Cappadocia. You may have tackled various routes across the world, however, you would find the Ihlara Canyon is an ideal track passing through natural beauty spots and historical heritage where every turn would bring a surprise. The Ihlara Canyon was carved by the Melendiz Stream (Potamus Cappadocus in Antiquity) over the ages, in some places up to 200 m (660 ft) deep, and the stream would show you the way along the route. The soft rock bed or tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) carved by the stream was laid by the eruptions of Mount Hasan (Athar in Antiquity) volcano. Altogether the canyon was the result of combined effect of natural forces. The beauty of chapels and dwellings carved by reclusive monks who settled in the cliffs merge with the vistas provided by the nature to make the canyon a remarkable route for hiking.

A Crossroads in the History of Christianity

The first settlements and initial structures were dated back into Roman era; however the Ihlara Canyon found its identity during the Byzantine period. Ihlara became an important religious centre during the early Christianity. Some of the churches of the canyon were from that early period of Christianity. The Ihlara Canyon was the learning ground for great theologians of the Early Christianity, such as Basil of Caesarea (also called Saint Basil the Great) and Gregory of Nazianzus. The monasteries and churches carved into tuff were adorned with historically significant frescoes depicting Biblical stories and lives of saints, painted with unmatched artistic mastery using natural dyes. For the early Christians building their places of worship into secluded areas was a very important prerequisite, and visitors of the Canyon would realise how Ihlara provided an ideal setting to cater that need. However, carving churches did not end at that era, and many churches have been carved and adorned with frescoes during the Byzantine era as well as long after the domination of the Seljuk Empire over the region. The Selime Monastery which is the largest monastery of Cappadocia Region is also there. Ihlara Canyon is a site where exceptional historical heritage such as those rock hewn churches that has arrived to our times almost intact could be visited.

Alongside the monasteries and churches carved from rock since the 4th century AD, there are carved dwellings in the Canyon, and the tradition of carving worshipping spaces out of rock has continued during the Byzantine era as well as during the Islamic domination of the region. The mosque of Ilusu town, where a Roman bridge and bathhouse could also be visited, is one of the prime examples of that centuries old tradition.

Secluded Paradise

Visitors of Cappadocia who are familiar with the meagre plant cover of the steppe are astonished when they see the lush green cover of Ihlara Canyon. The microclimate of Canyon is quite different from its environs, and it enables growth of various plants and trees which create a secluded paradise. For visitors of Ihlara Canyon, Belirsırma is the most remarkable village. In the village there are many options available to enjoy a meal on either banks of Melendiz Stream listening the bird singing amid the greenery of the Canyon.

How to Go?

Cappadocia Region is in the central part of Turkey, and Ihlara Canyon is about 49 km to the Aksaray Provincial Seat. After flying to Ankara, reaching Ihlara Canyon takes a three-and-half-hour coach ride. If you fly to Kayseri it takes a three-hour coach ride, or if you fly to Nevşehir it takes a two-hour coach ride to reach to Ihlara Canyon.

Information Text on the Use of Your Personal Data

This Consent and Information Document (“Information Document”) regulates terms and conditions for use of the data notified by Users of services (“Patients”) and/or gained from Patients during delivery of Oba Tourism Organization Adversiment  and Publishing Limited Company (“Medithrace”) with headquarter at Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ pursuant to Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698)  activities performed to deliver services, including “Free-of-charge Second Opinion and Health Counseling” (“Services”) at contract partner hospitals (“Hospitals”) with details written below.
 
How is your medical history and health information obtained?

Your personal health details are derived from “your medical reports, details about medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports” that you submit us and they are shared with or disclosed to partner hospitals in Turkey and their relevant personnel in order to create your treatment plan.

Which data is processed?
 
This article lists the data that is regarded as personal data in Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and processed by Medithrace for the services delivered to patients. Unless otherwise is stated, “Personal Data” and “Data with Specific Quality (Sensitive”) shall have following meanings pursuant to terms and conditions of this Information Document. 

Hospital collects following data that are notified by Patients. 
 
●    Identity - Address Details: Name surname, identity number, gender, date of birth, business or personal e-mail, phone number, home address or business address that are written on relevant forms,
●    Health Evaluation Details: Your medical history, medical reports, details of medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports.
●    Extra data: Other health and/or personal information that is required for service delivery and not covered in above written data classes. 

Pursuant to Articles 3 and 7 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and regulations to be issued by the Committee, personal data or sensitive data shall not cover the data that is anonymized by deleting your identity details in an irreversible manner and terms and conditions of this Information Document, hereby, shall not apply to such data. 

Why do we use your data?

Your data is shared with or disclosed to physicians, healthcare staff and other relevant hospital personnel to help our firm provide you with “free-of-charge second opinion” service that is rendered in relation with your probable treatment. Thus, they are used to have contract hospitals create a complete treatment plan and submit estimated cost.

Hospitals may process the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the Hospital from the personal data in order to help the Patient use the Services, deliver the Services, fulfill the intended use of the personal data specified in this Information Document, fulfill the liabilities arising out of the content of Services and meet any and all legal obligations.

In addition, the Hospital may process the personal data and disclose them to third parties without any need to consent of the Patient pursuant to Articles 5, 6 and 8 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and/or in the presence of exemptions in the relevant legislation.

Allowed Disclosures
 
Medithrace shall be entitled to disclose the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the hospital from the personal data in order to render the Services, improve the patient experience, improve Services and achieve any one of the goals specified under the section “Why do we use your data?” of this Information Policy.

Your personal, clinical and genetic data collected pursuant to this Information Document, hereby, shall be processed in line with the provisions written in this document and the provisions and security measures dictated by relevant legislation of the country, where the data is stored and/or processed.

Your Right to Access Your Data and Your Correction Requests

 The patient shall have the following rights by applying to Medithrace;

●    Learning if the personal data is processed or how it is processed,
●    Requesting relevant information, if personal data is processed,
●    Learning the intent of processing personal data and whether they are used in line with the intention, 
●    Learning local and international third parties who are shared the personal data,
●    Requesting correction, if personal data is processes incompletely or incorrectly,
●    Requesting correction, deletion or disposal of the personal data in line with the provisions set by relevant legislation; requesting notification of the correction, deletion or disposal to third parties that are transferred the personal data,
●    Raising an objection to a negative outcome arising out of analyzing the data exclusively with automated systems,
●    Requesting compensation of loss and damage that arises out of illegal processing of personal data. 

The patient may post the request in writing to Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No: 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ or e-mail the request letter to info@medithrace.com. Medithrace shall issue and transfer the positive or negative response in writing or electronically pursuant to the above mentioned requests, provided the grounds of negative response are notified. The Patient undertakes that the details subject to this Information Policy are complete, correct and up-to-date and that they will be immediately updated in case of any change Medithrace shall assume no responsibility, if up-to-date information is not notified by the Patient.

Duration of Storage for Personal Data


Medithrace shall store the personal data notified by the Patient for the interval that the Services are actually delivered in order to fulfill liabilities set in this Information Policy, hereby, and arise out of the content of Services to help the Patient use the Services.

Our Measures and Commitments for Data Security

Pursuant to provisions set by relevant legislation or mentioned in this Information Policy, Medithrace commits to take necessary technical and administrative measures to ensure appropriate level of security in order to prevent illegal access to the personal data and/or illegal data processing.
Possible Changes in Information Policy
Medithrace shall be entitled to amend provisions of this Information Policy at any time, provided the amended policy is accessible at the Web Site, www.medithrace.com. The amendments made in the Information Policy by Medithrace shall be put into force immediately after the amended provisions are publicized.

By signing the declaration and consent document, I agree and state that I received the information and consent document, I read and understood the content and my personal data is processed, used and disclosed to third parties if necessary for my potential treatment.

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