Hundreds of millions of years old! This magical Stonehenge forest was the setting for Star Wars
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the eruption of Mount Elgiers in the Cappadocia region of Turkey changed the surrounding terrain, causing ash and lava to accumulate and form tuff layers. Since then, the slowly weathered rocks have been transformed into a unique geological wonder in the world, the Magic Stonehenge Forest, known as the "Elven Chimney”.
The landscape of the "Elven Chimneys" resembles the surface of the moon, making it the preferred location for the American film "Star Wars". These are actually oversized conical peaks of rock in the shape of a pyramid, with a basalt "hat" placed on top of the spire by nature.
Cappadocia's stone columns are of many styles and grow upwards to form a unique rock forest landscape. Some resemble a slender telephone pole, while others resemble a giant bunker. Some are light red, ochre or brown, while others are gray, earthy or creamy white.
The surface of the rocks is very polished, changing its hue with the sunlight and the shadows of the clouds. Walking in the "elf chimneys", it is like entering a wonderful fairy tale world, perhaps turning around inadvertently to see the elves looking curiously at the entrance of the cave.
The elves are timid and shy, curious about the world beyond the chimney. Their eyes linger on each visitor, but they quickly hide themselves when the visitor turns around.
The locals used these natural pillars to build their houses, hollowing out almost all of them, laying the floor, painting the roof and cutting the walls. The result is a stone house that blends natural and artificial beauty.
After countless hours of weathering, nature has made them into natural apartments suitable for living. Many travelers prefer to stay at these "elf chimney" inns. These "complexes" of kilns once served as wine presses for the Byzantine monasteries.
In 1985, the magical stone forest of Cappadocia was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both culture and nature.