Huge fairy chimney in Cappadocia now open to visitors

NEVŞEHİR - Anatolia News Agency

The Ortahisar Castle, the biggest fairy chimney in the Cappadocia region, is open to visits after nine years and has attracted 4,000 tourists in 23 days. AA photo

The Ortahisar Castle, the biggest fairy chimney in the Cappadocia region, is open to visits after nine years and has attracted 4,000 tourists in 23 days.

The 110-meter-long historic Ortahisar Castle, known as the biggest fairy chimney in the Cappadocia region and closed to visits nine years ago because of the danger of collapse, has been reopened to visitors following restoration works.

Ortahisar district Mayor Ali İhsan Özendi said that they had been working to open the castle to visits for two years, and experts from the Middle East Technical University had carried out seismic measurements for six months in the castle and cracks had been filled with a special material.

Özendi said that the Ortahisar Castle had been used by various civilizations as a shelter, adding, “The castle, which is a typical example of unique formations in Cappadocia, is the longest fairy chimney in the region. The castle is overlooking the whole region thanks to its location. There is also the opportunity to photograph the Uçhisar Castle, valleys, fairy chimneys and Mount Erciyes from this point.”

He said that with the opening of the castle, the tourism share of Ortahisar would be greater as it would become an alternative visiting area. The mayor said that 4,000 tourists had visited the castle in 23 days after the opening, adding, “This is above what we expected.

We believe that it will increase more. We also have started work to open the Ishak Paşa Castle to tourism in our district. Because of rock falls from the castle, historic settlements next to it were also remaining idle. Now this danger has been removed and touristic places will open there since there is high demand.”