Turkey: Newly discovered canyon dazzles locals

By Ismail Sen

ELAZIG, Turkey (AA) - A newly discovered canyon in eastern Turkey is dazzling local people with its natural beauty.

The canyon, dubbed Saklikapi, or hidden door, is located in Elazig’s Baskil district. Stretching out over 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) long, the canyon is up to 200 meters (656 feet) deep, with rich flora and fauna.

Fethi Ak, the local who discovered the canyon, expressed his wonderment, saying: “We used to see such places in documentaries, but it turns out that we’ve had it near us all this time.

“I have never imagined that there would be such a great place in our region, I’m so delighted.”

Taner Sengun, a geologist at Firat University, said discovery of the canyon will boost tourism in Elazig and Turkey overall.

“It’s a very young canyon in terms of formation, you can easily walk there,” he said.

“One of Turkey's most attractive canyons in terms of natural beauty and formation mechanism is now reachable in Elazig,” he added.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur