Fairy chimneys, which we encounter in the Cappadocia region of Nevşehir in our country and are also found in many different parts of the world, are considered one of the most unique rock formations. The answer to the question of how fairy chimneys are formed has a story that you would watch with excitement in three series if it were filmed.
Today, one of the first places that comes to mind when nature tourism is mentioned in Turkey is the Cappadocia region in Nevşehir. Although it is now seen as a holiday more suitable for foreign tourists’ wallets, there is still no one who does not know the unique beauty of the fairy chimneys in the region. Fairy chimneys are not only in our country, A unique rock formation that we can encounter in different parts of the world.
As can be seen from the shape of the fairy chimneys, they do not exist in this way, but they are not touched by human hands. Nature, as the greatest artist, uses all her power and takes away the soft rocks over time, leaving a shape that is believed to be made only by fairies. Bride How do fairy chimneys form, which we admire once again every time we see it? Let’s take a closer look and see the interesting details about this unique formation.
What exactly are fairy chimneys that look like they came from outer space?
In its simplest form, fairy chimneys are a kind of rock formation. Known as hoodoos in English While the body of the fairy chimneys consists of soft minerals and rocks The rock that looks like a mushroom head at the top is harder and harder to erode. Although it looks like a long-stemmed mushroom, its shape may vary according to the formation process.
The colors of the fairy chimneys vary according to the type of minerals and rocks that make up the body. Their diameter is at least 1 meter, sometimes this diameter can expand up to 15 meters. They can be several meters in length, sometimes tens of meters in length. It is divided into two basic types, hoodies and tops. In other words, some may have a smoother structure, such as a column, not a mushroom.
So where are the fairy chimneys located?
Of course, as we all know, the Cappadocia region, which is located within the borders of Nevşehir province of our country, is extremely rich in terms of fairy chimneys. Likewise, in Erzurum province, Narman Fairy Chimneys There is an area called It is possible to encounter fairy chimneys in many different regions of Turkey, but we can say that the areas where they are concentrated are Cappadocia and Narman.
Fairy chimneys are generally found in areas as dry and hot as the desert. Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA It is the region where fairy chimneys are most abundant in the world. There are also many fairy chimneys in other parts of the country. Some parts of Armenia, Taiwan, Japan and even Canada also have fairy chimneys, though not in the full sense we know.
Have you ever thought why fairy chimneys got this name?
It is said that fairies, who stayed away from people, lived in the fairy chimneys. There was a time when giants persecuted people a lot. Fairies took pity on people and helped them. The human prince wanted to marry the fairy princess on top of that, but when the fairies didn’t allow it, the people fired them. The fairies took the form of doves and fled away.
It’s a good story. People called these shapes by this name because they thought that fairies would only make them. English names such as hoodoos, fairy, goblins similarly ascribes a scare. Interestingly, the French call these shapes demoiselles coiffées, that is, ladies with haircuts. So we got scared and called it fairy, the French likened it to women who laugh and cut their hair short.
It is normal for such natural structures to be regarded as frightening and given appropriate names in every culture. Because even today we know how it was formed Think of people who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Huge rocks are standing on thin bodies, of course, it is normal for them to think that if they did, they would make a genie.
When exactly did the fairy chimneys form?
Since the fairy chimneys in each region have a unique historical process, we cannot know all of them for sure, but let’s take a look at the ones found in Cappadocia. Everything is in the third geological period so 60 million years ago It started when the volcanoes became active after the Taurus Mountains rose and the Anatolian fault line was compressed.
As we know from fossil evidence today, the Cappadocia region, which was an inland sea at that time, was inhabited by Mount Erciyes, Güllüdağ and Hasandağı about ten million years ago. became the target of ejected lava. All this lava dried up what was there two million years ago, and a tuff layer rising to 150 meters in places emerged. The real formation of fairy chimneys begins right now.
How are fairy chimneys formed by the skillful hands of nature?
Do not think of the formed layer as tuff only, there are many other soft rocks and minerals like sand here. On it is hard sandstone, limestone, basalt, ignimbrite and similar hard rock. So what’s going on? It snows, it rains, it floods, the wind blows and there are many natural events that come to mind.
In each event, soft rocks and minerals are dragged out, creating erosion. The ones that have spaces because they are not formed all at once. The soft layer is gradually subjected to the pressure of the hard rock above it. While the structural integrity of the exposed part is preserved, the surrounding parts continue to be eroded.
Imagine this whole process going on like this for millions of years. Finally, we come across the fairy chimney shape that we admire today. Since the structural integrity of the body depends on the pressure of the rock on the hill, most of the time when the top of a fairy chimney falls, the whole body disintegrates in a short time.
Do people have an influence on fairy chimneys?
Frankly, at any point in the process of formation, however unbelievably complex it may seem. There is no evidence that it was created by human hands. Of course, most of the caves in Cappadocia, which were carved into the fairy chimneys, were made by the people who lived there or the existing structures were expanded. However, there is no human contribution in the natural formation process.
An interesting point is how people affect the fairy chimneys today. Many experts around the world examine the situation of fairy chimneys, which inevitably interact with visitors even though most of them are in protected areas. Maybe not as big an effect as a natural event, but even the simple air currents that people create around them It affects the natural structure of fairy chimneys. Of course, not in a few years, but it is possible to see this effect in the form of the destruction of the fairy chimney over time.
Although they look like imaginary structures on a far distant planet How do fairy chimneys, a true wonder of nature, form? By answering the question, we talked about the details you need to know about this unique rock formation. How fascinating it is to see that nature itself is the greatest artist when we try to produce art with our hands.
Source :
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/131022-hoodoo-goblin-valley-state-park-utah-toppled-boy-scout