Turkey is a land laden with a mystical heritage.

Some of that may come from

its colorful history and cultural flavor, but some of that enchantment comes purely

from the land itself. Turkey is rich in natural wonders, especially in sites such as

Pammukkale, the Valley of the Fairy Chimneys, the Armenian highlandsHighlands,

and the Aegean Sea.

Many of these natural wonders remain well-kept secrets, off the beaten

tourists path, which would lead typically lead to the urban sites of Ankara or

Istanbul. But in this case, that would mean missing out on some breathtaking

landscapes, some totally unique to Turkey. Of those these unique locations,

Pammukkale easily crowns them all.

Pammukkale is a natural wonder, a gem of geological formations, recognized

for its pristine natural beauty around the world. It is a World Heritage siteSite, prized

for its hot springs and deposits of the carbonate mineral travertine. The travertine

deposits give the rocky formation a crystalline, white appearance, matching its

name, which in Turkish means cotton castle.

The hot springs flow across and through Pammukkale, pooling at seventeen

intervals like terraces across the high face of the formation. They closely resemble

infinity pools found in high-end neighborhoods, only theyre pure white and on a cliff

face. When the pools reflect the sky, especially the sunset, the effect is stunning.

There has been some trouble with maintaining the purity of Pammukkale, so

shoes are no longer allowed around the pools. But who would want to miss walking,

or even wading, through those glistening hot springs? Not many whove come to

visit in the last several thousand years have been able to resist the urge. Though

only some of the smaller pools are open for use now, it remains deeply satisfying,

aside from the awe-inspiring view.

 Though Pammukkale is temperate and warm for most of the year, not all of

Turkey blushes under those soft Mediterranean breezes. Some of the harsher

environments have a mysterious beauty all their own, such as the Valley of the Fairy

Chimneys in the Cappadocia region.

The Fairy Chimneys of Turkey would more accurately be referred to as

hoodoos by geologists. They are magnificent spires of desert rock rising from about

5 feet to almost 150 feet. They form in areas where there has been volcanic activity

in the past. A harder type of rock on top helps to preserve the softer sedimentary

rock, called mudstone, beneath it. The result is a valley full of towers of rock, thin

and spindly, with points on top as if they actually were the chimneys of some

mythological desert creature.

The erosional patterns on the Fairy Chimneys give them a silhouette similar

to that of totem poles. They taper upwards from the ground with essentially the

same thickness from their base to their pinnacle.

The land around the Fairy Chimneys is intriguing as well. They are found in

the Cappadocia region on a high plateau bordered by the Black Sea, the Armenian

highlands, and the western plains of Turkey. The highlands in particular tend to go

overlooked by tourists.

The Armenian highlands Highlands are is often associated with the Armenian

Genocide, which took place during World War I, but the highlands Highlands contain

some incredibly beautiful secrets as well. They originally formed when two tectonic

platesthe Arabian plate and the Iranian platecollided, creating fold-shaped hills

and mountains. The far eastern parts of the highlands are still too near contested

territory in the Middle East to make for a comfortable tour, but part of the more

mountainous region (called the Zagros Mountains) still offers excellent views and
discoveries. These mountains, which can rise as high as 18,000 feet above sea

level, border the flatlands of Mesopotamia, a land acclaimed as the cradle of

civilization.

The climate in the highlands is somewhat cold and arid, but this has allowed

pieces of a bygone world to remain nearly unaltered. The bones of Neanderthals

have been uncovered there as well as many relics of civilizations that thrived

alongside ancient Sumerians.

The rural threads of civilization that continue do so much in the same way as

they have done throughout the ages. Such experiences could not be found in

Turkish cities.

Among the pistachio steppes in the highlands, the ancestors of many other

familiar plants can be found growing in the wild, including apricots, almonds,

pomegranates, plums, and walnuts. Some animals, such as the Persian fallow deer,

remain very similar to how they wouldve been in prehistoric times. Others, such as

the striped hyena and the Basra reed-warbler, are endangered.

These and other natural wonders in the Armenian highlands Highlands

appear in an isolated part of the world, yet their serene isolation stands in stark

contrast to over-crowded metropolitan centers. But there are some advantages to

being near these metropolitan centers. One of the natural wonders a little more

conveniently oriented is the Aegean Sea, and it rests in all its Mediterranean glory

on the western border of Turkey, the opposite side from the Armenian highlands.

The Aegean Sea is home to many islands, including Crete and Rhodes, that

fill in the distance between Turkey and Greece. The islands that belong to Turkey are

Imbros and Tenedos. These names are not as familiar as their Grecian cousins, but

they hold a comparable wealth of natural wonders and culture. According to legend,
the stables of Poseidons winged horses was were situated between the islands of

Imbros and Tenedos.

Imbros was the seat of an Athenian colony. Besides an abundance of history,

including a castle, there are beaches to enjoy, wooded areas to explore, and small

Turkish villages where many kinds of produce are harvested. There is even an

extinct volcano and an underwater scuba diving park, which hold a lot of potential

for new ways to enjoy nature. Conveniently, an airport is currently under

construction on the island of Imbros.

Tenedos was named for a hero in the Trojan warWar. The touch of antiquity

has certainly left its mark on this island. It is most well-known for its red poppies

and its abundance of fish. There is a ferry that reaches Tenedos from Istanbul.

On each of these Aegean islands, there is a mixture of Turkish and Greek

tradition. And nowhere is the tradition of balmy summer beaches kept with more

completely.

Not all of the places to visit in Turkey are in the bustling marketplaces or

noisy fishing docks. There are many places that slide into the backdrop of tourism

books, but these quiet gems hold their own when individuals seek them out to

unveil them. There are places like Pammukkale that invite awe, places like the Fairy

Chimneys that provoke curiosity, places like the Armenian highlands Highlands that

suggest timelessness, places like the Aegean Sea that offer tranquility.

When you think of Turkey, think of those places too. Dont be in so much of a

hurry that you miss out on some of the most splendid treasures of Turkey.