24.08.2026 00:41
In Ardahan, on the banks of the Kura River, hundreds of thousands of white butterflies known as "one-day wonders" turned their annual, repeated "death flight," reminiscent of snowfall, into a visual spectacle.
In the city, white butterflies, mostly gathering on the banks of the Kura River and called "one-day flies" or "Mayflies" due to their short lifespan lasting only a day, begin to swarm around the lighting lamps beneath Ardahan Bridge and Ardahan Castle, especially as darkness falls.
THE DEATH FLIGHT OF BUTTERFLIES IS BREATHTAKING
The number of butterflies, which continue to gather until nighttime, reaches hundreds of thousands within minutes. Coming from the river surface toward the bridge in swarms like snowfall, the butterflies fly over the bridge for about half an hour and then collectively perform a "death flight," ending their lives.
The "death flights" of the butterflies, which began about two days ago and have been increasing daily, turned into a visual feast today as hundreds of thousands of butterflies came together and flew.
EVERYONE CAME TO WATCH
Those who came to watch the butterflies, which resemble heavy snowfall, struggled intensely to capture this moment. Some citizens tried to protect themselves from the dense butterfly swarms that occasionally descended upon them.
One citizen, Kadir Kıranşal, stated that he was deeply affected by the scene created by the butterflies, saying, "The death flight of the butterflies resembles snowfall. This is actually a sign that autumn is coming and the weather will get colder."
The moments when butterflies caught in spider webs on the iron railings of the Kura Bridge were captured by spiders also created interesting images.