The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia
In central Türkiye, thousands of tall rock cones rise from the valleys. Villagers said they were the chimneys of fairies living underground.
What was reported
Cappadocia's valleys are crowded with tall pillars of soft volcanic rock, many topped with a darker stone cap, some hollowed out into homes and churches. In Turkish they're called peri bacaları, 'fairy chimneys'.
Local stories said fairies lived inside them and below them, and that smoke rising from the rocks came from their underground hearths. Early Christians carved monasteries and painted churches into them, and some are still used as houses and hotels.
Explanations offered
The cones are hoodoos: thick ash from ancient eruptions hardened into soft tuff, which rain and wind wore away, except where a harder rock on top sheltered the column beneath. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Göreme, Nevşehir, Türkiye
- Witnesses
- Cappadocian villagers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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