Pasabag, Turkey
Pasabag, Turkey
These incredible pillars located in Pasabag Valley, Turkey are called fairy chimneys. They were formed from soft volcanic rock that eroded over 30 million years. Some of the pillars have double and triple mushroom-shaped caps. A hermit named Saint Simeon was living in seclusion at a top of a chimney like this in 5th century in the area of Aleppo – when the rumours of his miracles spread, he tried to escape this attention by living in a taller cell carved into one of these formations (comprised of three chimneys). At first he lived at the top of a 2m column and later on moved on to one of 15m in height. Since then, several hermits carved cells and a church in the chimneys. There is still a small church dedicated to St. Simeon still operating in one of the chimneys.
