Nature / Canyon
Karanlık Canyon (Dark Canyon) and the Taş Yol (Stone Road)
Kemaliye, Erzincan
The deep canyon carved by the Karasu through the Munzur Mountains and the famous Taş Yol, a road with tunnels that local people carved into the rock over about 130 years.
Safety warning
Its story
The section of the Kemaliye Gorge, formed where the Karasu River cuts north–south through the Munzur Mountains, between Bağıştaş in İliç and Dutluca in Kemaliye is called the Karanlık Kanyon (Dark Canyon). In the canyon, about 25 km long, the walls rise in places to nearly a thousand meters, while its floor narrows to only 10–15 meters wide; sunlight hardly reaches some sections. The Taş Yol (Stone Road), carved into the canyon wall, was begun in the 1870s to connect Kemaliye to Divriği; the work, carried on by villagers with simple tools, was completed with state support in 2002. The road, advancing through dozens of tunnels and sharp bends, can be traveled both on foot and by vehicle. Activities such as boat tours, rock climbing, canyoning and base jumping take place in the canyon; the site is on the UNESCO Tentative List together with Kemaliye.
Key facts
- Length
- Canyon about 25 km; Taş Yol 7–10 km (varies by source)
- Admission
- Open area
- Getting there
- North of the Kemaliye district center, around the Kemaliye Bridge
- Visit duration
- 2–3 hours
Trip purpose
- Photography
- Day trip
- Hiking
Location
39.28477, 38.48810
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanlık_Kanyon | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karanl%C4%B1k_Canyon | https://goturkiye.com/erzincan/see | https://goturkiye.com/erzincan/smell | https://goturkiye.com/erzincan/48-hours | https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/6744134045