Freud would have much to say as to why women, and men,are so fascinated by these naturally formed pillars, called dovecotes, that populate the valley near Goreme Turkey. Terry and I hiked the valley exploring several ancient christian Churches and then climbing a sandstone cliff to get an overall view of the valley. Some of these phallic pillar had been carved out to make cave dwellings but they were no long occupied. One lone window is visible in the sketch. They are formed from thousands of years of erosion. One stone at the top resists erosion allowing water to run down the shaft gradually eroding a way sandstone.
In ancient Greek mythology the
dove represented Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love, and figures in the
holy books of the major monotheistic religions. The earliest reference is
in the Old Testament, where Noah releases a dove to seek land, and it
returns with an olive branch showing that life had been restored following
the deluge. From then on the olive branch and the dove became symbols of
friendship and peace. In the New Testament, when Jesus is being baptized,
the Holy Ghost alights on his head in the form of a white dove, which is
why in Christian iconography the dove represents the Holy Ghost.
In the
Koran, when Mohammed is fleeing from the Qureysh, he hides in a cave.
Spiders weave webs over the entrance and a dove makes her nest, so his
pursuers do not bother to look inside and he is saved. In consequence, the
generality of Muslims regard pigeons and doves as sacred and do not hunt
or eat them. From the same motive buildings in Islam countries often
incorporate dovecotes. The
earliest examples of nesting houses for birds in Turkey date from the 16th
century and can be seen in mosques, bridges, libraries, and other public
buildings. The dovecotes in these pillars, can be seen high up just at the lower edge of the head.
