Pegasus in Cappadocia

Walking around the city of Urgup, known in Greek as Prokopi, in Cappadocia (central Turkey) I came across a statue of Pegasus. The surprise, however, did not start there, since I flew to Cappadocia with Pegasus Airlines. Despite Pegasus being a mythological creature from Ancient Greek Mythology, it seems that this creature is respected and acknowledged by another country, another tradition, and in this case by Turkey. Who was Pegasus?

Pegasus was an immortal winged horse, which sprang forth from the neck of Medusa when she was beheaded by the hero Perseus. His father was Poseidon. Pegasus was captured and tamed by the Greek hero Bellerophon, assisting him in his fights against the Chimera and the Amazons. Later, Bellerophon continued riding Pegasus on their way to Mount Olympus, but Zeus dismounted him on the way; Pegasus, however, continued and took a place in the stables of Zeus. Pegasus was also placed amongst the stars as a constellation, whose rising marked the arrival of the warmer weather of spring and seasonal rainstorms. As such he was often named thunderbolt-bearer of Zeus.