Fairy chimneys in Turkey’s east counting down days to host tourists

ERZURUM

The fairy chimneys in the eastern province of Erzurum’s Narman district, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list, is counting down days to host tourists.

There are 12 different canyons in the area of Narman Fairy Chimneys, which is known as the “Land of the Red Fairies” by the locals, that will be brought to tourism with a joint project prepared by the Erzurum Governor’s Office, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality and Narman Municipality.

The formation, which dates back 300 million years, is similar to the Grand Canyon in the Colorado Valley in the United States.

Thousands of tourists will be hosted in the region thanks to the two-storey facility, which has been completed and which contains resting areas, along with walking paths that have already been made.

Those who come to visit the valley will also be able to do safaris with bicycles, horses and all-terrain vehicles.

Erzurum Governor Okay Memiş has said that the whole world should see the Narman Fairy Chimneys, which are easy to reach and have a natural wonder with walking paths.

“The people we invite to see the natural wonder will understand how right we are when they come here,” Memiş said.

A three-and-a-half-kilometer road was built to watch the area where Narman Fairy Chimneys are located from the top point.

The region is expected to be put into service in the spring months.

The chimneys are a result of a geologic process that began millions of years ago due to volcanic eruptions.

Sitting on the layers of sandstone, a type of sedimentary rock, the red chimneys get their color from the presence of ferric oxide.

It is believed that there are no other examples of this in the world caused by the same material composition.