‘Narman fairy chimneys might be included in UNESCO list’

ERZURUM

Fairy chimneys in Narman district of the eastern province of Erzurum are on the way to become a member of the UNESCO World Heritage List if the region is turned into a geopark, an expert has said, refusing the claims that the region was once removed from UNESCO’s tentative list.

Fairy chimneys in Narman district, known as the “land of red fairies,” are one of the important natural wonders of the region.

The 2.5-million-year-old fairy chimneys, which were declared as a registered natural protection area in November 2019 by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, have become a popular destination for local and foreign tourists.

A two-story social facility was built to welcome tourists visiting the fairy chimneys, which are 100 kilometers away from Erzurum and seven kilometers away from the district center.

Regarding the claims that the fairy chimneys were removed from UNESCO's Temporary Heritage list on the grounds that the facility disrupted the natural structure of the place, Istanbul University faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıldırım Güngör made a statement to the local media.

Expressing that the chimneys have never been included in UNESCO's tentative list, Güngör said that he has been conducting scientific studies on the region and the canyon since 2010.

“As a result, we have seen that the region has the capacity to be an international geopark. It is a place where the best examples of extraordinary landforms and extraordinary erosion patterns are experienced. Two-and-a-half million years ago, the crimson fairy chimneys emerged with the erosion of the material filling the basin,” he stressed.

“Narman is not on UNESCO's tentative list, nor has it ever been removed from the list. Though, with extensive work, it can become a place to be globally recognized, within a couple years. Narman brings an incredible sustainable development model to the region. It can bring more local and foreign tourists to the region than all the historical artefacts in Erzurum and Palandöken.”