Nigde
Where Cappadocia meets the Taurus: Niğde ranks first in apple trees, provides 25% of Turkey's potatoes, while Aladağlar's Demirkazık (3,756m) draws mountaineers rather than mass tourists.
Niğde exists where Cappadocia meets the Taurus Mountains. The Aladağlar range to the east—Demirkazık peak rising to 3,756 meters—creates the elevation gradient that defines the province's character: high-altitude grazing above, irrigated agriculture below. What looks like marginal land produces disproportionate output: Niğde ranks first in Turkey for apple trees and supplies 25% of the nation's potatoes. The "Agricultural City" stands fourth in per capita agricultural production value.
The combination of elevation, irrigation, and continental climate concentrates specialization. Apple orchards thrive where other Cappadocian provinces grow only grain; potato cultivation benefits from cool nights and day-length patterns. Nearly 47% of cultivated land uses irrigation—water infrastructure transforming semi-arid steppe into productive farmland. The Bor Leather Industrial Centre adds processing capacity; carpet production connects to broader Anatolian textile traditions.
The mountains define what Niğde is not: a tourism destination competing with neighboring Nevşehir's Cappadocia brand. While millions visit fairy chimneys and underground cities to the north, Niğde's appeal runs to mountaineers ascending Demirkazık from Çukurbağ village. The Aladağlar National Park draws climbers rather than mass tourists—a different economic model based on adventure travel rather than heritage consumption.
By 2026, Niğde's agricultural specialization faces climate uncertainty: irrigation depends on snowpack; apple and potato yields respond to temperature shifts. The province that built comparative advantage on elevation gradients must navigate what happens when those gradients change.