This photograph by Matthias Barth was taken on the site of Göreme, as he traversed Turkey by car, one of the first stages of the long road trip that he took from his native Germany as far as Tibet. Göreme is the name of a Turkish valley, located in the province of Nev?ehir, in Cappadocia. The artist captured striking panoramas here, revealing these landscapes shaped by erosion. The valley of Göreme and its surrounds is home to cave sanctuaries, examples of Byzantine art from the post-iconoclast period, as well as houses, troglodyte villages and underground cities, the remains of a traditional culture whose origins date back to the 4th century. Each morning, hundreds of hot-air balloons fly over the gorges of Göreme, providing a breathtaking spectacle.

**The artist: Matthias Barth**

Matthias Barth lives and works in Munich, Germany, as a professional photographer and cameraman. In 1995, he began his career within the Bavarian Academy of Film then participated in documentary film crews and worked for television channels. His love of the 8th art led him to undertake an international road trip from Munich to Tibet in 2012 and 2013. He thus traversed over a dozen countries, from Austria to Romania, via Turkey, Pakistan, India and Nepal, to his final destination. Throughout this journey of over 38 000 km, the artist chose to document the various landscapes, cities and the locals he met through film and photography.