Paşabağları Peribacaları

Paşabağları lies beside the road between Göreme and Avanos, and many of the best-known pictures of Cappadocia's fairy chimneys are taken here. According to Kültür Portalı, the area is to the right of the Göreme-Avanos road, about one kilometre in from the road. Once known among local people as the Valley of the Priests, it is now called Paşabağları. Together with neighbouring Zelve, it is part of the Zelve-Paşabağları Archaeological Site run under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. What sets Paşabağları apart is the shape of its fairy chimneys. Here, chimneys with two or even three heads rise from a single trunk, and each head wears a dark, hard stone cap. In the words of the governorship, the area is one of the places where these many-headed fairy chimneys, now a symbol of Cappadocia, are seen in the greatest numbers. The story of these shapes began millions of years ago. Volcanic eruptions around Mount Erciyes, Mount Hasan and Göllüdağ left thick layers of ash, tuff and lava across the region. In places, the soft tuff was covered by harder, more resistant rock. As rain, snowmelt, floods and wind slowly wore away the soft layer, the part sheltered beneath the hard rock eroded more slowly, and today's conical trunks emerged. The cap decides how long a fairy chimney survives. A chimney that loses the hard stone on its top is left unprotected and soon wears away. As you walk around Paşabağları you can see that some trunks have lost their caps while others still keep their balance. This difference lets you watch different stages of the same geological process side by side. Notice the colours of the chimneys too. The trunks are pale cream and beige, while the caps are dark grey and brown. This difference in colour is the simplest sign that two different rocks sit on top of each other. As the afternoon light drops, the erosion lines and small hollows on the surface of the trunks become more visible. For centuries people carved this soft rock and put it to use. Seating places and small rooms were cut into some of the many-trunked chimneys; one three-headed chimney contains a carved chapel and a hermit's cell. Seeing these hollows from outside is a reminder that the rock is both a natural monument and a space that was once lived in. A stone-paved walking path laid out inside the area runs between the fairy chimneys. The path is level, and walking slowly around the whole site does not take long. Climbing the chimneys or touching the trunks damages the soft rock; staying on the path is both the safe choice and one that helps protect the site. The Cappadocia Area Presidency carried out a lighting project at Paşabağları. According to news reports, thanks to lights chosen so as not to harm the valley's wildlife, the fairy chimneys take on a different look after sunset. If an evening visit is possible, seeing the same place in daylight and after dark gives two quite different experiences. Early morning or the hours close to sunset are best for photographs. At these times the shadows of the chimneys grow longer and the colour difference between caps and trunks stands out more. At midday the light is harsh and the site is busier. The governorship describes fairy chimneys as a fragile heritage. Natural erosion continues today, and changing climate conditions and human impact can speed up the process. So not writing on the rocks, not entering the hollows and not leaving rubbish behind all matter if the fairy chimneys are to reach future generations. Paşabağları is an easy stop to reach from the Göreme-Avanos road and can be visited by private car or on day tours. It can be combined in the same visit with the nearby Zelve Archaeological Site. Since the site is ticketed, check entry conditions, visiting hours and museum card validity on the Ministry's official page before you go. There is little shade, so remember to bring water and a hat in the summer months.