Turkey

The impact of tourism on Turkey's Fairy Chimneys

Mehmet Yucefayda

Where my restaurant stands today an apple and apricot orchard once stood. It's the same story for all of the cafeterias, carpet shops and restaurants in town as everyone here throughout my childhood depended on farming for a living. Modern houses were unheard of at that time and everyone lived in cave houses. All of the farms were also operated out of the caves. People would use them for storing hay and shelter for their animals. Today, people still sleep in the caves, although this is mainly for the tourists.

In the 1980s the first travelers began to arrive in Göreme and the surrounding villages. They came to see the fairy chimneys and the underground homes. The town's people began to open restaurants and hotels, they also began to build modern buildings. I was one of the first to open a business here in Göreme; I had a carpet shop. Around 1985, UNESCO declared the site World Heritage and that's when more and more tourists began to arrive.

Overall, I think tourism has had a positive affect on Göreme. The money generated from the tourism industry, for example, has been invested in protecting the cultural significance of the fairy chimneys. Many of the significant Frescos inside the chimneys are well protected and maintained within the Open Air Museum . It's also the same with the caves and chimneys that have been renovated to accommodate tourists. Planning and building regulations have ensured that the local built and natural environments are not destroyed. Construction is limited to designated areas and it must be undertaken using specific materials and in adherence to other building codes.

In Göreme I think we are lucky as tourism did not explode here like it did around the Mediterranean . It is still small scale, people can live normal lives, and development has not ruined the character of the town.