21.09.2025 18:32
In the Cappadocia region, one of Turkey's important tourism centers, a significant portion of the fairy chimneys collapsed last night, and today, rocks in the front part of Kadıkalesi, one of the symbolic points of Ürgüp district, also fell. Residents of three houses at risk were evacuated.
In Cappadocia, which is on the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List, the risks related to natural structures are increasing. After the collapse of a fairy chimney yesterday, today a large rock mass broke off and fell in the Kadıkalesi area of Ürgüp district. Thanks to the precautions taken before the incident, a possible disaster was averted.
DANGER WAS DETECTED EARLY Ürgüp District Governor Ömer Coşkun identified a risk of a giant rock breaking off in the front part of Kadıkalesi during his inspections in the area last night. Following this determination, a total of 19 people staying in 3 houses and 1 hotel in the area were evacuated for safety reasons.
IT ROLLED DOWN WITH A LOUD NOISE At 01:58 AM, the warnings were not in vain. Large pieces separating from the main rock mass rolled down with a loud noise. While there were no injuries or fatalities during the rock fall, the moment was recorded second by second by a security camera of a business.
"PRECAUTIONS SAVED LIVES" In a written statement after the incident, Ürgüp District Governor Coşkun evaluated the events with the following words: "On September 20, 2025, during our inspections in the Kadıkalesi area of Ürgüp district, we identified a serious risk. Without wasting any time, we gave the necessary instructions to urgently evacuate the houses in the area. At 01:58 AM today, pieces breaking off from the main rock caused serious destruction. But thankfully, thanks to the quick measures we took, not a single citizen was harmed. If those houses had not been evacuated, we could have faced a major disaster today."
This incident once again showed us that taking precautions against natural disasters, seeing risks in advance, and acting quickly saves lives. At the moment the incident occurred, our AFAD, Police, and Fire Department teams were dispatched to the area to ensure safety. Additionally, due to the ongoing risk, we safely relocated our citizens living in houses near the main rock and guests in a hotel to other hotels."
After detailed technical inspections to be conducted by the Cappadocia Area Presidency and the AFAD Provincial Directorate, it was reported that necessary precautions would also be taken regarding other risky areas in the region.