Narman Peribacaları

The Narman Fairy Chimneys are a red badland landscape south of the town of Narman, in the northeast of Erzurum province. Locally and in promotional texts the area is called the "Land of the Red Fairies". The Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism places it about 90 kilometres from the city centre and 7 kilometres from the Narman district centre. The chimneys stand right beside the Narman-Pasinler road, so they are easy to reach by car. Wikipedia notes that the area lies between the Alacayar and Yoldere neighbourhoods. Sources of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism describe the formation briefly as follows. Sand, gravel and silt carried by streams into a sedimentary basin built up layer by layer, and rain and wind later eroded these soft deposits. According to the ministry, today's landscape was shaped by this process, which began 2.5 to 3 million years ago in the Pliocene. Wikipedia describes the layers in the basin as Neogene sandstone, conglomerate and siltstone. The red colour of the rocks comes from the oxidation of iron within the sediments. The sources disagree on the age; a news item published by the governorate gives a far larger figure, so it is more prudent to rely on the value given by the ministry. The area is not a single valley. According to an announcement by the Erzurum Governorate, it consists of 12 separate valleys whose total length reaches 62 kilometres. Harder caps that resisted erosion sit like hats on top of slender columns, and these twin and triple columns are the most photographed shapes. Between the columns you see narrow clefts, hollows and slopes that descend in steps. Promotional texts compare the valley with the Grand Canyon cut by the Colorado River; the comparison is about colour and layered walls rather than scale. The Culture Portal notes that in Eastern Anatolia fairy chimneys of this kind are found only in this area. According to the Culture Portal, the Narman Fairy Chimneys were declared a natural monument in 2018 and are protected under national park principles. The governorate's announcement adds that the area was also registered as a natural protected site. Because of this protection, climbing the columns, scratching the rock or breaking off pieces is not appropriate. The soft sedimentary rock crumbles easily underfoot, so it is important to stay on the open paths. The first stop of a visit is the viewpoint at the roadside. According to the governorate, a visitor building was built right next to the road, and a path of about 3.5 kilometres was laid out down into the valley. The same announcement mentions a walking trail in the area that takes about one hour. The trail descends into the valley and the return is uphill, so plan the walk with that in mind. Bring sturdy shoes, a hat and water, because there is very little shade in the valley. The red colour looks most vivid in the first light of morning and the last light of evening. In the midday sun the colours fade, while in the late afternoon the columns turn orange and deep red. Because of Erzurum's high climate the terrain can lie under snow in winter and road conditions can change. For that reason the most comfortable time to visit is late spring, summer and early autumn. Right after rain the clay-rich soil becomes slippery, and on such days it is safer not to go down into the valley. Arriving by public transport is also possible. The Culture Portal writes that access is provided by Narman vehicles leaving from the western district bus station in the Şükrüpaşa neighbourhood of Erzurum. However, the minibus goes to the town centre, and the rest of the way to the chimneys is completed on foot or with a local vehicle. If you come by your own car, the road from Pasinler passes directly in front of the site. The Narman Fairy Chimneys are a natural stop on a day trip between the Pasinler Plain and Oltu. Pasinler Castle and the Çobandede Bridge to the south and Oltu Castle to the north can be combined on the same day. Wikipedia reports that exhibitions and festivals organised by Atatürk University helped promote the area, and that fairy chimney festivals are held in the summer months. Since the event calendar changes from year to year, check current information in the announcements of the district and provincial institutions.