( CNN ) -- Turkey 's mountain sculptures . The lava-rock moonscapes , fairy chimneys , cave dwellings and ancient Christian chapels of Turkey 's Cappadocia region have long been a fascinating destination for backpackers and tourists . Now , an Australian artist named Andrew Rodgers has unveiled a man-made addition to the region 's remarkable landscape : a statue park called `` Rhythms of Life . '' Best seen from the vantage point of a hot-air balloon , the park consists of enormous sketches made of stone walls built in the shape of a horse , an ancient grinding mill and an ancient Hittite symbol . More then 1,000 locals worked on the ambitious project . Ivan Watson reports from Turkey 's interior . Istanbul 's Soho . Like Soho in New York or Montmartre in Paris , Istanbul 's Cihangir neighborhood has become a cultural hub -- a draw for artists , writers , and intellectuals . Rima speaks to Turkish author Buket Uzuner to find out more about this up-and-coming neighborhood . Mawazine Music Festival . Festival Mawazine is a celebration of world music hosted every year in Rabat , Morocco . Nearly 1,500 concerts , street performances and art exhibitions attract millions of spectators . Elton John , Carlos Santana , Sting and many other European , African and North American music stars lit up this year 's festival . The theme of this year 's event was `` universalism , tolerance , openness to others , '' promoted through the diversity of music . Istanbul 's `` Oscars '' of homophobia . As Istanbul celebrated its eighth LGBT Pride events , Inside the Middle East was there for a unique award ceremony : the `` Genetically Modified Tomato Awards , '' where gay-rights activists name politicians , media personalities , educational institutions and others who have made public homophobic remarks or actions over the year . We speak to an activist about the challenges facing Turkey 's gay-rights movement . Palestinian female race-car drivers . It 's not what you would expect to see from eight Palestinian women in Ramallah on a Saturday afternoon : smoke billowing from underneath their cars , wheels spinning wildly , and screeching tires marking a race track with black marks . These eight women are breaking every stereotype in the male-dominated world of car racing . Paula Hancocks meets 21-year-old Noor , who has wanted to be a race driver since she was 10 , and is competing in her third race of the season .
Inside the Middle East gets an aerial view of a theme park in Cappadocia , Turkey . Istanbul 's Cihangir neighborhood has an up - and - coming cultural scene . The Mawazine is a celebration of world music held in Rabat , Morocco . Inside the Middle East meets the Palestinian female race - car driver .