The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

Turkey’s Cappadocia region is extremely an exclusive for its beautiful nature and history. The Fairy Chimney also called tufa rock cones are located in a region once known as Cappadocia, which ran through the historic Silk Road trading route.  The ancient civilization shows the sings how they carved out towers of rock, give way to homes thousands of years old but still decorated with original frisks. The fairy chimneys are result of a geologic process that started millions of years ago, when sculpted by wind, flood water, and volcanic eruptions rained ash across eventually hardened into stuff, a porous rock, covered by a layer of basalt. Ultimately, the lengthy work of erosion instigated, the softer tuff wore down, giving way to pillars, stand as tall as 130 feet.

The harder basalt erodes more sluggishly, founding a protective, mushroom-shaped cap over each one. Just like that, a fairy chimney is born. The humans have used these chimneys for centuries, but as the centuries running like wheels, the area was raided and invaded by European empire builders. The Hittites, the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans all laid claim to the land at one time or another. The fairy chimneys with caps have a conical shaped body and a boulder on top of it. The cone is constructed from tufa and volcanic ash, while the cap is of hard, sturdier rock such as lahar or ignimbrite. Various types of fairy chimneys are with caps, cones, mushroom like forms, columns and pointed rocks.

During the Roman times, persecuted Christians fled in droves to Goreme and built homes, churches and expanded ancient caves into underground cities in these chimneys.  Now, the rock sites of Cappadocia and Göreme National Park designated “World Heritage Site by UNESCO” and describes as one of the world's most striking and largest cave-dwelling complexes. In the ancient times, local’s inhabitants used these chimneys as shelter under threat of invasion, shielding themselves from outsiders with heavy stone doors and intricately designed traps. As the time passes, new ideas came into the mind of locals to use them as a source of income. They’ve hand dug artifacts make stunning bond with Cappadocia’s natural wonders. Every year millions of peoples come to see this marvelous place, even they can sleep in certain caves and chimneys have been converted into unique hotels.

Without any doubt, the fairy chimneys are product of Cappadocia environments, a true miracle millions of years in the making however, humans transformed these miracles into home burrowing into the magic and making it his own way to generate revenue. Moreover fairy chimneys are usually found in the valleys of the Uchisar- Ürgüp-Avanos triangle, between Urgup and Sahinefendi, around the town of Cat in Nevsehir, in the Sogani valley in Kayseri, and in the village of Selime in Aksaray. The natural beauty is drawn by the high rocks surrounding it and the fairy chimneys within; it's a place that offers unbelievable natural treasures. You can say as “Valley of the Fairy Chimneys,” and photographs can’t even begin to give you an idea of what it was like to actually be there, but the experience of seeing this part of the world with our own eyes was breath-taking.

The Stone Town of Kuklica, Macedonia

Macedonia is a place with a complicated history similar to many European countries. It has been settled, invaded, conquered, and fought over for thousands of years.  There’s a stone town area comprising of more than 120 naturally formed stone pillars located in the village of Kuklica about 8 km northwest of Kratovo. Kuklica is a small town, housing no more than about 100 inhabitants. However, stone formations are situated on the right bank of Kriva River Valley, an altitude of 415-420 m stretching an area of 0.3 square km. There’s an interesting behind the stone pillars, when there is a man who fell in love with two women but could not decide which he should marry. He was in troubling in dilemma situation between two women. One day he decided to marry both women on the same day at different times.

Therefore, when the first wedding was in progress, the other women saw her future husband marrying another women, she cursed all in attendance at the wedding and turned them into stone pillars. Moreover another interesting story is that, when a popular legend was went in forest in that area, but due to battles it was burned down. After that the area became a wasteland. Even though, the temperatures were very low and when the army passed through the wasteland, all of the soldiers turned into rocks. Furthermore, according to local villagers, new figures appear every five to six years. There’re 4 places at the Balkans where you can this phenomenon, however three of them in Macedonia.

Well, despite the mystic stories the earth pyramid in Kuklica was formed as a result of natural erosion processes in the Holocene, almost 100,000 years ago. The stone dolls of Kuklica, as they’re often called, are recognized in geological circles as earth pyramids, or earth pillars are mainly believed by specialists that they are the product of natural erosion and the more conspiratorial among us roll our eyes on cue. In fact, the entire region was at one time part of a large volcanic system, as most of the rock in the area is tuff (solidified ash) and volcanic rock, both of which are relatively soft.  Thus, differences in the erodibility of the volcanic rocks of the area are the main factor for the pillars creation. Therefore, soft tuffs rocks on the base are overlaid by solid, sturdy andesites and ignimbrites on the top, which are nearly 30 million years old. Kuklica is quite small and not an easy place to find, so it is suggested to hire a tour guide to get the most out of their experience. 

Ancient Acoma Pueblo Sky City

Tiny settlement has been home to the same tribe for 800 years still doesn't have running water or electricity and is reached by a staircase cut out of rock nestled on top of a large cliff in New Mexico is a sleepy commune that is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. It is believed that Acoma Pueblo in Valencia County has been occupied by the Acoma people for more than 800 years, since 1150AD - however nowadays it only has 50 full-time inhabitants even they don’t have any running water, electricity or sewage system. In the 1950s part of the rock-face was blown up and a road was constructed to the top. But before that the only way to visit the site via 360 feet above the desert was up a near-vertical staircase carved into the golden rock-face.

Therefore, these days, most visitors use the road, but the staircase is still an option for those who are courageous enough. It is conventional, given its dizzying heights, that the camp is also recognized as Sky City. Several centuries ago, in 1540 Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronad was one of the first European visitors to the ancient settlement.  Acoma Pueblo was 'one of the strongest places ever seen, because the city was built on a high rock. The ascent was so difficult that we repented climbing to the top'. Thus, approximately 60 years after this, raids started in the area, led by colonial governor Juan de Oñate. Moreover in a bid to defend their sandstone dwelling, the Acoma Pueblo villagers made the first move and were said to have killed a number of men, including Oñate's nephew.

So, it turned out to be a terrible idea, as two months later the Spaniards pursued revenge, killing 600 inhabitants and enslaving 500 others.  The settlement's population rapidly dropped from 2,000 to just 250, with survivors starts in on the slow process of reconstructing their home. Although, Spanish control was still felt in Acoma Pueblo, though, with villagers enforced to pay taxes on cotton, crops and labour. Furthermore, Catholicism was initiated with the arrival of missionaries and somewhere in between 1629 and 1640 a church was erected in the camp. Building this was no easy feat, as 20,000 tons of stone and earth and 30 foot beams had to be lugged up the steep mountain, because not everyone was pleased with these new changes.

The Pueblo Revolt took place in 1680, with more than 17,000 inhabitants rising up against colonists, wiping out all the Spanish camps in the area. Further invasions occurred during the centuries that followed, mostly from the Apache, Comanche, and Ute tribes and the establishment of railroads in the 1880s saw a stream of missionaries and schools trying to influence the Acoma Pueblo dwellers. Lastly the villagers gave way to a more modern lifestyle, and by 1920 a lot of of the children were sent away to boarding schools for education. Hence, now there are around 300 earthen buildings still unharmed, but very few enduring inhabitants due to the lack of electricity, sewage disposal and running water. The greatest things about Acoma are the people, who consider themselves to be a peaceful and spiritual group that will merged into the world.  

Semuc Champey; Guatemala

Semuc Champey, consists of natural 300 m limestone bridge, a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala near the Q’echi’ Maya town of Lanquin. The Cahabon River passes under the bridge, and atop of bridge a series of stepped, turquoise pools. Semuc Champey, which in the language of the Maya means “sacred water,” and another name for it might well be heaven. Semuc Champey is a natural wonder tucked away in the mountains of an isolated jungle in Guatemala where the harder rock on the surface has held strong while the river eroded the softer rock beneath.

It’s a famous swimming place among visitors and getting more popular as the time passes. The pools naturally created by Cahabon River which turquoise color and Muddy River runs beneath them and out the bottom of a larger waterfall on the other end. The pools water is so clear, as it is rain water and river may flood over the pools as well. The natural limestone bridge & turquoise blue pools of Semuc Champey had revealed themselves where you can get a great view of the scenery around you. The Cahabòn River water color is incredible a strong bright turquoise blue that sharply stands out from the surrounding green jungle.

So, you should be very careful to get close to the edge, as few people have fallen in here before, never to be found again. Due to this sad incident, the park has hired a guy who stands near the hole and warn you with whistle not go to edges. Make sure to dip into pools, some areas are deep enough to dive into from high points on the limestone shelf. The limestone's have small caves too, and you can swim and enjoy into them and explore from underneath a waterfall. There’s slight sunlight outside reflecting from the bright blue water to give you beautiful view.

This is the perfect place which had inspired visitor’s quest, a source of fascination and trepidation and it looks like Mother Nature’s amusement park. In spite of staggering beauty the place is so cut off but most extraordinary spot you’d have ever seen. A tangle of greenery with lovely parrots in the trees, monkeys, an underground river, miles of stalactite-and-stalagmite-filled caves orchids in the trees, butterflies fluttering: if there was an Eden on earth this might be it.

The Incredible Hydrothermal Fields of Ethiopia

The hydrothermal fields of Ethiopia look like landscape of an alien plant. The amazing photographs of Dallol Volcano in Ethiopia look out of world. Dallol is actually hydrothermal field, is an endless yellow orange landscape, craters stretching for several miles around. The volcano fields are located in the northern Danakil depression. This part of world has too many hot springs which discharge brine and acidic liquid. However almost 150 feet below sea level, Dallol’s craters lowest known subaerial vents in the world, the explosion crater are was formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma in Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity.

A German based photographer Adrian Rohnfelder, who is curious to look something special in Ethiopia to, fulfilled his desire to shoot active lava lake. He was self-proclaimed lava hunter to shoot lave lake of Erta Ale, another volcano in Ethiopia. Adrian visited this part of world at the end of Feb 2016. He said, I’m really amazed and blown by Dallol, what an incredible view, a massive huge area full of bright colors, like orange, yellow, red, green, blue and white. I was totally stunned and thought this planet is far away on the other side of our milky way, it’s scene I have never seen before.

I took the gorgeous images of lave flowing from volcano Erta Ale, located in the Afar region. Moreover, as well as Dallol's lively landscape alike to the hot springs of Yellowstone Park in the U.S. Therefore, Erta Ale continues Lava Lake has been active from past several decades. I’ve been becoming interested in volcanoes since 2005, the photographing of active lava lake of Erta Ale has long been a dream. Because, volcanoes let me feel the real power of nature in every sense, the ear battering explosions, frightening shockwaves, falling lava bombs and the agonizing heat of nearby floating lava, including the optical spectacle of infinite fireworks. You know, “Erta Ale” volcano with one of the very rare persistent lava lakes on earth of course has been on the top of my volcanic bucket list.