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Every September, the town of Urgup in Nevsehir province, central Turkiye, turns back the clock.
For four days, streets near the region's famed Cappadocia rock formations fill with costumed visitors, marking a medieval-themed fair built from one man's childhood imagination.
The fair traces back to Muammer Erinal's boyhood, when his mother read him medieval tales before he could read them himself.
He drew his own small heroes on cardboard, staged their battles on paper horses, and dreamed of one day bringing those stories to life.
Erinal, now 60, graduated from Yildiz Technical University's architecture faculty in 1987 and went on to build his career in the field.
For the past 24 years, he has lived in Urgup, carrying his medieval fascination with him even as his profession took him elsewhere.
Settling in Urgup, Erinal bought an aging building in the town and converted it into a medieval-themed restaurant.
The project let him combine his architectural background with his lifelong interest, giving the town's tourism a new draw.
In 2023, Erinal turned that restaurant into the seed of something larger, launching the first edition of his medieval fair.
He used social media to invite fellow enthusiasts to Cappadocia, and the event has expanded every year since.
Held each September for four days, the fair now draws participants from across Turkiye and abroad.
Attendees arrive in costumes and accessories that reflect the period, transforming Urgup's streets into scenes lifted from another century.
Erinal's architect daughter, Ada Erinal, points to Cappadocia's stone buildings and dim lighting as ideal backdrops for the theme, noting that the same atmosphere is hard to recreate in cities such as Istanbul or Ankara.
The fair's early participants included artists who traveled from El Salvador and Mexico, alongside visitors from across Türkiye.
Some attendees now spend six to seven months preparing or sourcing costumes from abroad specifically for the event.
Rafael Bukov traveled from Russia after learning the fair's dates, making it his first visit to Türkiye.
He described the atmosphere as remarkable, pointing to the costumed crowds and calling the event exciting.
Deniz Apaydin, who came from Eskisehir, has read history and mythology since childhood and returns to the fair every year.
She said Cappadocia's landscape suits the medieval theme, and that stepping into the event feels like being transported to another era.
What began with a handful of enthusiasts has grown into an event drawing thousands.
Erinal said the fair now brings together people who share an interest in medieval history that he once thought he pursued alone, calling the shared gathering a source of genuine enjoyment.
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