Hotel Constructions Raise Concerns Over Cappadocia's Future

I am getting off the bus in Uçhisar resort, Nevşehir to reach the historical Cappadocia.

My eyes can't see a soul whom I can ask for directions. No locals live here. It is like I have arrived to a neighborhood of hotels.

I am not exaggerating: Since 2007, Turkey's world famous Cappadocia region has been bloated with half a dozen of hotel constructions that threaten the authentic landscape and texture of a geological wonderland.

There are currently 911 locations in UNESCO's World Heritage List with Cappadocia being among the exclusive 27 that were listed for both natural and cultural purposes.

Even though the region has been added to UNESCO World Heritage List 37 years ago, 94 percent of the locals and 75 percent of tourists have no idea about it.

Geologists say that it may take up to a million year for a fairy chimney--Cappadocia's natural wonder--to come into being.

Every year, the whole Cappadocia area (including Nevşehir, Kırşehir, Aksaray, Kayseri, and Niğde provinces) attracts 2.2 million tourists from around the world.

The current touristic capacity of the region is limited to 25,000 beds. Claiming that there is no need for more hotels is totally unimaginable. Locals are eagerly expecting to receive more visitors.

The concern is that unplanned hotel constructions may lead to over exploitation of the region's habitat, which can decimate the whole touristic capacity.

For years, local NGOs have raised concerns over the unplanned urbanization of the region, but their voices have gone short due to lack of popular support and resources.

* Arinna Lodge Hotel

Until two new hotel constructions (Arinna Lodge Hotel and CCR Hotels) in Uçhisar resort launched with full speed.

First, 200 people gathered on the steps of municipality preservation council that approved the project. The protest achieved its goal, urging officials to suspend both hotel constructions.

* CCR Hotel's

In addition, a delegation from Turkey's main chamber of architects and engineers (TMMOB) launched an investigation in Uçhisar district. The delegation spokesperson said they would take legal action against local officials if needed.

This was just the beginning.

What is the procedure of construction project approvals? How do municipalities manage and inspect the process? What are the environment-friendly requirements for hotel constructions in the region?

bianet investigated the case in the field and witnessed locals' concerns.

Yüksel: We don't understand the preservation council's priorities

Filiz Yüksel, a former preservation council member and currently an archeologist working in courts as expertise defined both hotels as "freakish".

"Giant construction vehicles worked on the site all day long as if they were in stone mine. Fairy chimneys are already in a fragile site for years, what if a vehicle crashes? They did both two constructions in an arbitrary way. One was erecting a four story hotel building, other was building nothing than a cluster of concrete."

Interrogating how the preservation council could the two projects in the first place, Yüksel said their action emphasis was rather on the preservation council than the hotel owners.

"If an ordinary local resident tried to do a simple renovation in their house, it could end up with a prison sentence. The council punished ordinary people but favored hotel owner with huge construction vehicles. We don't understand their priorities, which seem to be filling their pockets."

Yüksel said projects should be approved according to certain standards. "The council should not approve any projects that exceed two stories or with banal designs. Projects should also be environment-friendly and should not isolate its zone from public use.

Several abusers served in prison

Previously, several people served prison terms because environment abusers used to be tried in criminal courts.

Ali Yavuz, a local culture preservation association chair and hotel manager in Göreme district, served 8 months in prison for building an 8-step staircase in his hotel located between two fairy chimneys. "Most people were unaware about what they needed to preserve back in the day," he said. "I learnt the hard way. I hope people will learn from my mistake."

Another local tourism association chair Mustafa Durmaz was sentenced to 8 months of prison for building a sidewalk in an open-air museum in Göreme with the naive aim to help tourists walk their way around from mud.

* An old photo from the region

There are many examples like these two people who said later on that they had lost their sense of justice. "We see the hotel constructions now. Did we serve in prison for nothing?"

Aslan: I guide tourists away from ugly buildings

Aslan Özcan, a senior official at a tourist guides association, said that tourist always complained about why Turkish administration neglected the natural wonders of Cappadocia region. "I am tired of guiding tourists away from ugly building. They always complain that we don't preserve our natural wonders."

Öcmen: Traditional architecture should be protected

One of the reasons why tourists stay in hotels carved inside fairy chimneys is to experience sleeping in a natural wonder. But since number of fairy chimneys available for lodging is limited, how do we resolve this?

Tunçel Öcmen, a senior architect from Ürgüp district warned that the traditional texture of the town might disappear soon.

"Several old buildings were deconstructed and the stone texture were stolen from these buildings. I remember two ancient churches and a massive antique market. We can't protect the remaining few buildings either. I am preservationist person but I don't oppose hotel constructions. What bothers me is that even stone graves were transformed into hotels. Even if these stones belong to individuals, they should be registered under antique cultural items. People used to exploit these stones without knowing it but these hotel owners exploit everything on purpose."

Öcmen resumed his words and criticized the preservation council and local government. "Projects get approval from the council anyways. The municipality has no control mechanisms. Then complaints come along. The municipality sends a bill to the council to take action. But most times it is too late to do something. They should only permit constructions for two story buildings in the first place. The projects must also be eco-friendly. We can't accept projects where they are carving an entire fairy chimney to build two rooms either."

Mehmet Kaya: An exclusive bill should be implemented for Cappadocia

Mehmet Kaya, an environmental foundation representative in Ürgüp, underscored that construction projects also affected the real estate market in the region. "Thousands of tourists arrive with their tour buses and do little sightseeing in a couple of days. To suit their needs, they are building hotels that occupy massive territories. Locals used to go to downtown in the evenings and frequent in cafes. One of the objectives of cultural tourism is to interact with locals. This is not the case in Cappadocia anymore."

Kaya said his foundation (ÇEKÜL) hosted a workshop where experts discussed issues on regional administration planning, Cappadocia preservation council, inventory of unregistered cultural heritage, role of civil society in culture protection and creating of a sustainable ecological habitat in the region.

Tekiner Kaya: We demand an UNESCO investigation

Tekiner Kaya, an Ürgüp resident, protested that UNESCO underestimated the ecological cost of hotel constructions in the Cappadocia region and urged UNESCO officials to launch an investigation.

"UNESCO must send a team of experts here to observe the environmental costs. Tourism is exploring the region without giving anything in return. Even local wine festivals are held without any production. We need to work on a serious roadmap to re-organize the region's capacity for environmental, cultural and religious tourism purposes." (NV)