Newly discovered canyon dazzles locals

ELAZIĞ-Anadolu Agency

A newly discovered canyon in eastern Turkey is dazzling local people with its natural beauty.

The canyon, dubbed Saklikapi, or hidden door, is located in Elazığ's Baskil district. Stretching out over 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) long, the canyon is up to 200 meters (656 feet) deep, with rich flora and fauna.

Fethi Ak, the local who discovered the canyon, expressed his wonderment, saying: “We used to see such places in documentaries, but it turns out that we've had it near us all this time.

“I have never imagined that there would be such a great place in our region, I'm so delighted.”

Taner Şengün, a geologist at Firat University, said discovery of the canyon will boost tourism in Elazığ and Turkey overall.

“It's a very young canyon in terms of formation, you can easily walkthere,” he said.

“One of Turkey's most attractive canyons in terms of natural beauty and formation mechanism is now reachable in Elazığ,” he added.