Cappadocia
Is Cappadocia in the Bible? Yes, at Pentecost and in Peter's first letter. Today it is the region around Nevşehir, Kayseri, Niğde and Aksaray in Türkiye.
- Today
- Around Nevşehir, Kayseri, Niğde, Aksaray
- Country
- Türkiye
- Status
- Region: Göreme Open-Air Museum, rock-cut churches
- Identification
- Certain
Cappadocia is a broad region of central Anatolia that became a separate province under Rome. The Bible mentions it twice: among the crowd in Jerusalem who heard the apostles speaking in their own languages at Pentecost were people from Cappadocia (Acts 2:9), and Peter addressed his first letter to believers scattered in Cappadocia and neighbouring regions (1 Peter 1:1). Christianity therefore took root here very early; in later centuries Cappadocia became known for church fathers such as Basil of Caesarea and for its rock-cut churches.
Read the chapters
- Acts 2
The day of Pentecost — the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first believers and the birth of the church, a turning point in Christian history.
- 1 Peter 1
The opening of a letter to believers under hardship, encouraging them to hold to a living hope and to lead a set-apart, pure life worthy of that hope.
Related topics
Related people
- Paul
- Peter
- Barnabas
- Stephen
- Lydia
- Matthew
- Timothy
- John the Apostle
- Philip the Apostle
- Judas Iscariot
- Mark
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Hope
- Bible Verses About Salvation
- Bible Verses About Repentance
- Bible Verses About Humility
- Bible Verses About Generosity
- Bible Verses About Holiness
- Bible Verses About Witness
- Bible Verses About Loneliness
- Bible Verses About Trials and Testing
- Bible Verses About Joy
Reading plans
- The Early Church Through Acts — 28 Days
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
- 30 Days with the Gospel — An Introduction to the New Testament
Related guides
- Who or What Is the Holy Spirit?
Who is the Holy Spirit, and how is the Spirit described in the Bible? A short, neutral and non-denominational guide to the Spirit's work, the event of Pentecost and the "fruit of the Spirit."
Books
Places in the Bible
Where is Cappadocia today?
Cappadocia is today in Türkiye, a region of central Anatolia spread across the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Niğde and Aksaray; its best-known area is around Göreme and Ürgüp in Nevşehir. People from Cappadocia were in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:9). Visitors see frescoed rock churches at the Göreme Open-Air Museum, the Ihlara Valley and underground cities such as Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı; Göreme and its surroundings are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Where is Cappadocia mentioned in the Bible?
Cappadocia appears in two places: in the list of people present in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:9) and in the greeting of Peter's first letter (1 Peter 1:1). Both show that there were believers in the region from very early on.
Do Cappadocia's rock churches date from Bible times?
No. Most of the famous rock churches at Göreme were carved centuries later, in the Byzantine period, and their frescoes are largely medieval. They are the legacy of Christian communities who lived in the region for many centuries.