The Dark Canyon has one of the most special, beautiful and even the most dangerous roads in Turkey.. It’s a shame that I haven’t been to the Dark Canyon until now.. This will not be a canyon writing expected from me. First of all, I have to point out that. This is not the canyons we know. It took 132 years to build and is one of the most dangerous roads in the world.. Where is the Dark Canyon in this post? How to get to the Dark Canyon? and what to do in the Dark Canyon? In other words, you will learn everything about Erzincan Dark Canyon.. What did I expect in the Dark Canyon? what did i find Let’s go to the article.
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Information About Erzincan Dark Canyon
Erzincan Dark Canyon is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. The www.dangerousroads.org site, which lists the most dangerous and challenging roads in the world, published “the most dangerous road in the world” about 2 years ago, Erzincan Dark CanyonStone Road They stated that it is even more dangerous than the similar Guoliang Tunnel in China.. Dark Canyon got its name because it does not receive direct sunlight.. It has steep walls that reach 500-600 meters.
The construction of
Keban Dam changed the fate of this place. When the dam was built, the waters rose 80 meters and turned into the magnificent place it is today.. The Dark Canyon is the most important place that comes to mind when Erzincan is mentioned.
How was the Dark Canyon built?
Dark Canyon Let me first write the purpose of its construction.. People who wanted to cross the impassable steep mountains and graze their animals were the first to open.. They dug for years with primitive hand tools.. Like digging a well with a needle. At that time it was used only for the passage of animals and was narrow.. Later, the tunnel was expanded and took its current form in 2002.
How many years was the Dark Canyon built?
The construction phase of the Dark Canyon started in 1870 by the people living in the region at that time.. In 2002, it was expanded with the help of the state, allowing it to pass in its vehicles.. The Dark Canyon was completed in exactly 132 years. It took so long because it was dug entirely by hand.. Inside the tunnels, you can see the digging marks that people shot 132 years before you.. What kind of patience is this? What kind of work is this?
How many tunnels are there in the Dark Canyon?
There are 38 tunnels inside the Dark Canyon. It’s actually only one tunnel if you ask me.. Because of the air holes opened in between, they counted each one and said that there are 38 tunnels.. Some are pretty open.. Let there be no injustice.
How many Km is the Dark Canyon?
The tunnel starts from one end of the mountain and the Stone Tunnel ends after 7 km. There are air holes in places.. Each tunnel is given the names of important people.. I wish it was numbered.. People wonder how many tunnels are left. The watery part of the Dark Canyon is 9 km long.
Where is the Dark Canyon?
Where is the Dark Canyon? now let’s take a look at this. Karanlık Canyon is located very close to the Kemaliye district of Erzincan. This is a nature protection area on the Karasu river of the Euphrates River, between the Munzur Mountains.. Kemaliye Strait is located in this region.
How to Go to the Dark Canyon?
When you are in Erzincan, the Dark Canyon says, of course, that I will go from Erzincan first, but Malatya. When I get closer to Arapgir, I leave the work of going to the Dark Canyon on the way back.. If I were to visit only one city, of course I would go via Erzincan. Dark Canyon is located in the middle of Sivas, Malatya and Erzincan cities.. He who goes to these three cities can add this place to his route. Dark Canyon is easiest to reach via Elazig. When it comes to Arapgir over Elazig on my way, I pass from Malatya Arapgir with my own vehicle to Dark Canyon.
It was one of the rare beautiful roads I passed in my life. definitely. Trying to reach the Dark Canyon before dark is one reason, the water is dry in places, another reason, I can’t stop on the road for a long time.. However, such a delicious road is rare.. Not for those who don’t like winding roads, but I love it. First you climb the hills. Then again, you go down, twisting and twisting.. I think it’s an unforgettable experience.. There are vantage points on the way where you can stop.. If I had a caravan, I would stay there overnight.
How far is it from Kemaliye to Dark Canyon? You can reach 8.2 km in 18 minutes.. When we go, we coincide with the road construction work and this time is a little longer.. You can go directly without going inside Kemaliye.
How far is it from Erzincan to Dark Canyon? You can reach 154 km in 2.5 hours.
How many km is it from Malatya Dark Canyon? You can reach 176 km in 2 hours and 50 minutes.
How many km from Sivas to Dark Canyon? You can reach 210 km in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
How many kilometers from Elazig to Dark Canyon? 152 km, you can reach it in 2.5 hours.
I have seen these blue waters from a train window before.. If you want to go with the Oriental Express, you can get off at İliç station and take the bus to Kemaliye. So Kemaliye is the place you will reach before Dark Canyon.. If you don’t have a car, it is possible to take a minibus from Kemaliye to very close to the canyon.. Then you’ll have to walk this road. You have to be very careful with the vehicles.
Dark Canyon Accommodation
There are plenty of places to camp around the Dark Canyon. Even those who have a caravan will love the surroundings of Kemaliye. No bro, if you say you need a hotel, Kemaliye is the closest place to stay.. They turned old historical mansions in Kemaliye into boutique hotels.. There are places you will fall in love with. Surely someone will appeal to you.
What to Do in the Dark Canyon?
Let me list what we couldn’t do this time.. If you have time, you should definitely do it.. For example, you can take a canyon tour with motorized excursion boats departing right next to the Shirzi Bridge.. You can have this amazing experience on 10-person boats.. We are not living. Boat tour is done in 8 km part of the canyon. The trip takes about 40 minutes.. Their first stop was Historic Stone Road.. Tours start at 16:00. At that time, the inside of the canyon was getting a lot of sun.. For this, it is useful to take precautions such as a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.. An important detail for those who cannot stand the sun and heat.
Search and rescue trainings are also given in the canyon, where mountaineering, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and boat trips are made.. You can also come across those who take mountaineering training.. Other sports you can do rafting, canoeing and jet skiing in the Dark Canyon. It is also possible to jump over the Euphrates with a parachute.. Isn’t the idea of flying over this view amazing?
Dark Canyon Boat Tour Prices
There are 2 properties for the boat tour. Boat tour prices are around 30 TL per person. Since I could not do a boat tour, I am waiting for comment support from those who do. We can add to the article. Personal experience is very important.
Dark Canyon Entrance Fee and Visiting Hours
The Dark Canyon road is completely free. You can find out the price of the activities you will do in the canyon. you only pay. Therefore, Dark Canyon does not have an entrance fee and visiting hours. My only personal recommendation is that you should not stay in the dark because of its winding roads and to see the sights.
What is Dark Canyon? When to go?
Since the winters in the region are tough, going in the spring and summer will allow you to have a better time.. Note that it is also hot in the summer months.
What Kind of Place is Kemaliye?
So What is Kemaliye like? Erzincan’s 9 Kemaliye, the largest and most popular of the district. The name of the district, whose former name was Eğin, was changed to Kemaliye by Atatürk as a gift as a result of their heroism in the War of Independence.. Many nations have lived in the region for a long time.. The name Eğin comes from the Göktürks and means ”beautiful garden like paradise”. I think it’s a word that describes Kemaliye in one word.
The first time I saw Kemaliye with its old name, Eğin, with its new name was January 2016.. I saw it from a train window and said “I must come here one day”. In the following years, I passed here by train many times.. Now I’m on my way to the Dark Canyon, one of the last stops of a long eastern tour, and my way passes through Kemaliye again.. When I come to the top and look at it, I see that wonderful view.. Reminiscent of Norwegian towns. I think it doesn’t get the attention it deserves because of some of our “value judgments” that we love in Norway but sneer when we are in our own country.
Two houses on the cliffs on the hill amazes me. “What is the view like?” I say. The house was known as Bekir Taştan Evi.. The house, which is perched on a rock, is reached by 85 steps.. People pray that bread does not run out at home. i hate everyone house. On such a peak, so alone. Jokes aside, it’s a great thing.
The road leads us to Kemaliye.. We’re just crossing the streets somewhere and I love it. I swear, if he was abroad, all the bloggers would have flocked there and had full-length photos taken.. I cannot stay in Kemaliye, which I have seen from the train window many times, this time from a hill.. It’s evening and I’m trying to reach the Dark Canyon before it gets dark.. It did not happen this time Kemaliye, but one day I will definitely come and stay here for a few days.. Promise.
Dark Canyon
It is also called
Kemaliye Dark Canyon or Egin Canyon. I think I gave a cry of victory when we finally saw the first tunnel. After a day of hot, then crazy rain, then windy torment, we arrived at Dark Canyon and we definitely deserved that cry of victory.. If you’ve ever seen two women jumping around in front of the first tunnel, taking a thousand square pictures in heavy truck and lorry traffic, they were us, but we were in a bit of a hurry.. The real Dark Canyon starts two tunnels later!!!
The first tunnels had locked cobblestones. At the beginning of that tiny narrow tunnel it says KDark Canyon but I don’t want to believe it’s that road. Vehicles always pass over the bridge from the right and continue.. Finally, when I was not sure, I stopped a truck and asked.. Pointing to that narrow tunnel. Yes Bahar, that road is the way you will go. You will enter that narrow road pasha pasha and it is about to get dark.. What is that poor car pulling from you? I can see a cobblestone road from the beginning of the tunnel. Trucks are not allowed. It’s impossible to get in anyway.
Dark Canyon Road
It’s getting dark and I’m at the beginning of a narrow tunnel. Dark days fell on me again, alas!! We go into that tunnel with all our anxiety. There is nothing to do. We find ourselves on a very winding rough road. After a while, the cobblestone road gives way to a dirt road. oh my destiny. Ventilation holes are opened from time to time.. From there we can see the magnificent color and view of the magnificent Karasu River. We proceed on the road above the walls of the road, which is 500-600 meters high in places, going down to the river.. Quite a winding road. It is exactly for me. one of my favorites. All I’m missing is an all-terrain vehicle. What did my poor 1.2 motor car take from me?
While we’re taking pictures inside a tunnel, we hear the sound of a car. Thank God we are in a place that is not too narrow. Are there any other vehicles in the Dark Canyon? is it one sided? It’s like a big answer to all our questions that we wonder.. Make sure your headlights are on when you stop.. The car was not slow at all. Thank God we did not meet in a very narrow place.
We can’t help standing up and taking pictures. Such a different atmosphere.. I don’t know what kind of connection I have with these kinds of ways, but it always excites me.. My only wish is not to encounter a road that is too bad for the car to pass.. Prayers are always in this direction, but the three days we say mashallah do not live. On a slightly sloped place, the surprise I was waiting for was waiting for us.
Flying down to the Dark Canyon
The road is badly broken and the ground is crushed.. Zero chance of the vehicle sticking to the ground. The stones I threw, the skid I took, the back of the car sliding towards the cliff, the two women alone, the weather about to get dark, my unaware of the danger and the fact that he still took pictures in the sliding car. The scenery and the environment are so mesmerizing that we are about to fly down to the Blackwater river in the Dark Canyon, but we can still take pictures.
I quickly get out of the car and look at the situation.. When I dig a little bit of gravel on the road with my foot, I see that the ground at the bottom is hard and we start digging the road with two wheels.. I do this with slippers on my feet. There is dust, you think, but I have no other choice at that moment. It’s going to get dark. last brews. I’m muttering, “I gotta put a shovel in the car now”. As long as I have this head, I won’t have any other ways. Digging the road works. After a few tries, we manage to get out of there and we don’t encounter any other bad surprises.. Thank God.
Black colored, red-footed pigeon-like birds nested in the tunnels.. They are so many and they are so beautiful. I say don’t leave without looking up as you pass by.. After the tunnels are finished, the road is winding again, but it turns into asphalt, fortunately.. I’m sure there were amazing views but we can’t see. Wild animals appear in the area when it gets dark. For example, we saw two lynxes. While I have a special fascination with lynxes, it’s a wonderful thing for me.. We are wriggling towards Sivas.. The nearest place is Divrigi. We were very hungry, but there are not many open places in Divriği in the evening.. For your information…
How many days to stay in Kemaliye Dark Canyon?
Definitely at least one or two days in and around Dark Canyon you should separate. I left one of the most difficult roads in the world behind me, and I left without dying.. what else. I know I will come again, take a boat tour in that canyon, fight the raging waters on rafting, and sleep in a room against the Dark Canyon.
See you Kemaliye, see you Dark Canyon. I will come again…
- You can clickhere to read my other canyon articles.
With love…
