You remember how it was destroyed in search of treasure at the bottom of the 12 thousand-year-old Dipsiz Lake in Gümüşhane before. In addition, events such as the burying of 12,000-year-old Hasankeyf in concrete made most people in our country worry about the future of our natural and historical heritage.
Among these concerns, the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, which took 60 million years to form, were added. So what’s going on in Cappadocia? Are fairy chimneys really being demolished by construction machines? We made a compilation based on the details reflected on social media.
Cappadocia with fairy chimneys, the formation of which started with a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago; A natural heritage of 250 square kilometers spread over 5 provinces:
These structures, which were formed by the erosion of the soil by flood waters and winds over the past millions of years, are very rare in the world. There are also many historical houses and religious buildings in Cappadocia, where people became urbanized after they settled down. In other words, fairy chimneys and Cappadocia are natural heritage that should be protected not only for our country but also for all humanity.
In August 2022, the Cappadocia Environment Platform declared that “there will be no fairy chimneys left intact” with the road works in the region:
The statements made by the spokesperson of the platform, Mükremin Tokmak, to the Republic were widely discussed. During this statement, in which he claimed that the fairy chimneys were damaged, the road works had left behind 1.5 months. The entire statement was as follows.
“They are cutting the rocks below and destroying a Byzantine monastery,” said Tokmak. The road almost passes over the Hidden Church. This is where they carve a 45-meter mountain mass from top to bottom to level the ramp. They’re going to open an incredible rift around here. There will be no broken fairy chimneys or monasteries in that region. In the future, for the same reason, it will cause serious damage due to the shaking of vehicles. “There is an incredible massacre and no one speaks,” he said.
So, where is the road that allegedly damaged the fairy chimneys?
There is talk of a study conducted between Ortahisar and Göreme districts, which are 4.9 kilometers away from the existing highway. There are many historical buildings between these two districts, as emphasized in the claims. Most importantly, since it is an area within Cappadocia, there have been concerns since the road works started, and the concerns are growing as the works progress.
The following video, published approximately 1.5 months after the discussions, brought up the claim that the fairy chimneys were demolished for road construction works:
The video of Deputy and CHP Deputy Chairman Ali Öztunç rekindled the debate on social media. While the opposition was supporting the issue, news channels started to bring the event to the public.
However, Ortahisar Municipality stated that the ones that were destroyed were illegally constructed WCs:
In one of the images taken by the citizens of the region, it is seen that the road passes right after the 2,000-year-old Hidden church, which belongs to the Byzantine period:
Here is an aerial image of the road works in question:
The ÇEKUL Foundation, which was established in 1990, was also included in the discussions, and a call was made to stop the road works:
According to the law, even nailing is not allowed in places that are classified as 1st Degree Archaeological and Natural Sites. Cappadocia is one of them:
Except for scientific studies that are subject to permission, no construction is allowed in these areas. In fact, even citizens who own land in these areas need to get permission to drive nails on their own land. While obtaining these permits, it is stipulated that the vegetation, soil structure and silhouette of the region should not be damaged. However, public buildings and structures such as roads; Maintenance works to repair the damage caused by natural disasters are excluded from this scope. Of course, they must be done without damaging the region.
In summary; The controversial road work in Cappadocia is actually legal as it is a public work done by the Nevşehir Special Provincial Administration:
In other words, the reason for the objections is not the illegality of the works, but the fact that the works are not done carefully and diligently, and the natural and historical heritage is damaged.
As clear information about the region is shared, we will continue to convey it to you. During this period, we recommend that you do not rely on sources that do not provide precise information from the region, and check the sources of the claims and statements before entering the discussion on social media.
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