Çamlıdere Fosil Ormanı (Pelitçik)

A petrified forest registered as a first-degree protected site on three hectares between Pelitçik, 11 kilometres southwest of the Çamlıdere district centre, and Yahşihan. Roots, trunks and branches lie on the surface of the slope; geologists date the forest to the Early Miocene, between 23 and 15 million years ago according to the sources. It was a mixed forest dominated by pine and oak, and the official pages add juniper. The trees were silicified in the silica-rich water of volcanic lakes, then covered and preserved by the ash of later eruptions. Experts from the Chamber of Geological Engineers and MTA write that the site deserves to be an open-air museum. Ask the Çamlıdere District Governorate about entry conditions before going, and do not move any piece.