Aksaray becoming a natural film set

AKSARAY – Anadolu Agency

Boasting a wealth of natural and historical beauty, Aksaray, the gateway to Cappadocia, is attracting an increasing array of producers and directors for cinema films, TV series and programs.

“Aksaray is a special province in Cappadocia thanks to its historical venues and natural beauty. One of the world’s biggest canyons, the Ihlara Valley, is a popular place for its natural texture and historic artifacts. Also, the Sofular Valley, Kızılkaya, Demirci, Yüksek Kilise and the Mamasın Dam are places for filming. Producers get a chance to catch the scene,” said Aksaray Culture and Tourism Director Mustafa Doğan.
 
In recent years, directors and producers have come looking for natural settings for their films and series, and the Cappadocia region has come to the fore thanks to its authentic venues, Doğan said.


“In the first six months of this year, we accepted more than 30 applications and gave permission for filming. Among them are cinema films, TV series, documentaries and promotional TV programs. The Ihlara Film Festival that we organized last year led to the increase of filming in the region,” the director said.

Since 2014, six cinema films have been made in Aksaray, according to Doğan. Among them are “Patron Mutlu Son İstiyor” (The Boss Wants a Happy Ending), “Buğday” (Wheat), “Somuncu Baba,” “Kapadokya’da Aşk Başkadır” (Love is Different in Cappadocia)” “Helak; Kayıp Köy” (Lost Village) and “Yitik Kuşlar” (Lost Birds). 

“Also, the shooting of the Hollywood film ‘The Mountains and The Stones’ has been continuing here recently. All these reveal that Aksaray is really preferred by producers and directors. We consider it as a promotional chance and help producers here,” Doğan said.


Open-air film set

The director of “Somuncu Baba,” Kürşat Kızbaz, said his film, which will be released this year, had been completely made in Aksaray. 

He said it was one of the rare provinces that had managed to maintain all the historical and cultural values of Anatolia. 

“The province is like an open-air film set thanks to its places from the Seljuk and Ottoman eras. This is why Aksaray was a very suitable place for our film. We got the opportunity to tell a 13th-century story in a place like Sultanhanı, Ağzıkarahan, Zinciriye Madrasah and the Red Church,” Kızbaz said.