Water tunnels of Güvercinlik Valley (Cappadocia, Turkey). Gilli Eric, Yamaç Ali
WATER TUNNELS OF GUVERCINLIK VALLEY (CAPPADOCIA – TURKEY)
Ali Yamac (1), Eric Gilli (2)
(1) OBRUK Cave Research Group, Acikhava Apt. 16/7, Nisantasi, Istanbul, Turkey
ayamac@gmail.com
(2) Paris 8 University. Department of Geography 2, Rue de la Liberté, Saint Denis, Paris
e.gilli@wanadoo.fr
Abstract
The region, known as Cappadocia and located in the borders of four provinces of Turkey today, has witnessed continuous settlement up to now. Tuffaceous rocks spewing out of the active volcanos in the late Pliocene and Pleistocene period in the region were used for many different purposes such as houses, barns, churches, burrowing by the locals. There are also underground cities for shelter and hiding. Water and irrigation requirement of the local people has also been solved by troglodyte methods.
Because of the fact that there is not enough water on the plains of Cappadocia, only dry agriculture can be carried out. Water exists only in the valleys and the main agriculture lands are inside those valleys. In ancient times, the need of water for irrigation was provided by the tunnels within tuffaceous rocks in those valleys. At first sight, it may seem illogical to take the water flowing on the surface into a long tunnel on the wall of a valley which needs a tremendous effort to dig. But; apart from having a continuous and controlled irrigation of those agricultural lands, those tunnels should also have been excavated to decrease the surface water flow in order to widen the efficient agricultural lands in the valleys which are already narrow and also to protect the valleys from floods.
Today, there are one or more than one water tunnels in all the valleys of Cappadocia and only three of them have been extensively explored up to now. The water tunnel system, located in Guvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley in Uchisar is probably the last of two (or possibly three) different water tunnels excavated in different dates in this valley besides being the longest one known. With a total length of 1840 meters, 14 separate surface connections and several side tunnels, that main water channel is a marvelous example of hydraulic engineering of Middle Ages.