Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, which is one of Turkey’s most important nature museums and included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, are allegedly destroyed by construction machines during road construction works. However, it is also said that the destroyed structures are illegal structures in the region. We have summarized the discussions reflected on social media.
12 thousand years old in Gümüşhane Searching for treasure at the bottom of the Bottomless Lake Do you remember how it was destroyed? In addition, it is 12 thousand years old. Hasankeyf buried in concrete Events such as these have worried many people in our country about the future of our natural and historical heritage.
Among these concerns, the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, which took 60 million years to form, were added. So what’s going on in Cappadocia? Are fairy chimneys really being demolished by construction machines? We made a compilation based on the details reflected on social media.
Cappadocia with fairy chimneys, the formation of which started with a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago; A natural heritage of 250 square kilometers spread over 5 provinces:
These structures, which were formed by the erosion of the soil by flood waters and winds over the past millions of years, are very rare in the world. In Cappadocia, where people became urbanized after sedentary life many historical houses and religious buildings there is also. In other words, fairy chimneys and Cappadocia are natural heritage that should be protected not only for our country but also for all humanity.
In August 2022, the Cappadocia Environment Platform declared that “there will be no fairy chimneys left intact” with the road works in the region:
The statements made by the spokesperson of the platform, Mükremin Tokmak, to the Republic were widely discussed. During this statement, in which he claimed that fairy chimneys were damaged, road works It was 1.5 months. The entire statement was as follows.
“They are cutting the rocks below and destroying a Byzantine monastery,” said Tokmak. The road almost passes over the Hidden Church. This is where they carve a 45-meter mountain mass from top to bottom to level the ramp. They’re going to open an incredible rift around here. There will be no broken fairy chimneys or monasteries in that region. In the future, for the same reason, it will cause serious damage due to the shaking of vehicles. “There is an incredible massacre and no one speaks,” he said.
So, where is the road that allegedly damaged the fairy chimneys?
by existing road between Ortahisar and Göreme districts, which are 4.9 kilometers apart. a study is mentioned. There are many historical buildings between these two districts, as emphasized in the claims. Most importantly, since it is an area within Cappadocia, there have been concerns since the road works started, and the concerns are growing as the works progress.
The following video, published approximately 1.5 months after the discussions, brought up the claim that the fairy chimneys were demolished for road construction works:
The video of Deputy and CHP Deputy Chairman Ali Öztunç rekindled the debate on social media. While the opposition was supporting the issue, news channels started to bring the event to the public.
However, Ortahisar Municipality stated that the ones that were destroyed were illegally constructed WCs:
In one of the images taken by the citizens of the region, it is seen that the road passes right after the 2,000-year-old Hidden church, which belongs to the Byzantine period:
Here is an aerial view of the road works in question:
The ÇEKUL Foundation, which was established in 1990, was also included in the discussions, and a call was made to stop the road works:
According to the law, even nailing is not allowed in places that are classified as 1st Degree Archaeological and Natural Sites. Cappadocia is one of them:
Except for scientific studies that are subject to permission, no construction is allowed in these areas. In fact, even citizens who own land in these areas need to get permission to drive nails on their own land. While obtaining these permits, it is stipulated that the vegetation, soil structure and silhouette of the region should not be damaged. But like the way public buildings and structures; Maintenance works to repair the damage caused by natural disasters are excluded from this scope. Of course, they must be done without damaging the region.
In summary; The controversial road work in Cappadocia is actually legal as it is a public work done by the Nevşehir Special Provincial Administration:
In other words, the reason for the objections is not that the works are illegal, but that they are not done carefully and diligently, damage to natural and historical heritage claim.
As clear information about the region is shared, we will continue to convey it to you. During this time, we recommend that you do not rely on sources that do not provide precise information from the region, and that you check the sources of the claims and statements before entering the discussion on social media.