Chimneys of Cappadocia

One of the most interesting things about Cappadocia today is the fairy chimneys that have stood in the Goreme area for millions of years. These fairy chimneys as they are known were formed from the eruption of many different volcanoes and when the lava settled, it turned into a soft pumice stone, which the locals know as tufa. The fairy chimneys now stand in a valley and the valley has been formed from erosion caused by wind and rain. This erosion has left in its place fairy chimneys which are made from the harder rock that is not as easily eroded. Fairy chimneys can be seen in many different shapes and sizes including those that look like mushrooms, or tall, cone-like shapes that have a very hard rock sitting on top of them.

Although these rock formations known as fairy chimneys have stood up to years of wind, rain, and other elements that could cause them to erode, these famous sights are now becoming damaged and some are even deteriorating at quite an alarming rate. This may be due to the fact that over recent years, nothing has been done to maintain these natural beauties. Before 1974 there was much being done to make sure that these shapes maintained their beauty and natural shape. This was because the citizens of Cappadocia could use the fairy chimneys for storage, barns or cellars.

There was no fee for the use of the fairy chimneys in this way and so many people took advantage of the extra space. However, that all changed in 1986 when the federal government declared that they were the property of the Treasury and so they began charging people with a fee for using them. After that, people began to stop using them for their own personal uses and so, the fairy chimneys started to deteriorate simply from being neglected.

The mayor of the city, Fevzi Gunal, has stated in the past that although the city is doing everything they can to preserve these natural wonders, it is a solitary battle and they are not getting help from anyone. The Goreme Tourism Development Cooperative has also spoken out about how there seems to be very little interest in protecting the structures and how more are collapsing with each passing year.

Not only is the deterioration of the fairy chimneys slowly taking away one of the many great sights of nature but it is also very bad for the economy of Cappadocia. The fairy chimneys are one of the most loved tourist attractions and bring in many people and in turn, a lot of money to the region every year. Should these structures fade away altogether, the people and the region of Cappadocia would find themselves in a very harsh economy.