Home › News › World › Cappadocia
News · WorldA fairy chimney collapses in Cappadocia, Turkey: three dead and five injured
Part of one of the famous rock spires fell next to an entrance to the Göreme tourist area, on a public holiday. Authorities believe heavy rain weakened it and are already investigating.
Translated from the original Spanish article. Read in Spanish
News published on October 29, 2026. The situation may have changed since then.
A tragedy in one of Turkey's most visited places. Part of a fairy chimney, the famous rock spires of Cappadocia, collapsed on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Three people died and five others were injured.
What happened
The rocks fell in the Göreme area, near a parking lot next to one of the entrances to the tourist area, not far from the Göreme Open-Air Museum, in Nevşehir province.
The victims were trapped under the blocks of stone. Two of them were Turkish citizens. The nationality of the third has not been confirmed.
It happened on Republic Day, a national holiday in Turkey, when the area is usually packed with visitors. Authorities evacuated the site for fear of further collapses.
Why it fell
The governor of Nevşehir, Hüseyin Kök, said the most likely cause was the heavy rain of recent days weakening the rock. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that an investigation has been opened.
Fairy chimneys are made of tuff, a soft volcanic rock that water and wind slowly carve over time.
A fragile landscape
Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for its rock spires and its hot-air balloons.
This is not the first time one of these formations has come down. In 2024, another fairy chimney collapsed overnight, weakened by snow, but that time no one was hurt.
More stories on video
This story is web-only. Every week on our social media we tell the stories behind brands and the news.
Do you think areas with rocks at risk should be closed to tourists, even if they are the most beautiful ones?
Tell us in the comments on our social media.
Sources (in Spanish)
- Muertos, heridos, lugar, nacionalidad de dos víctimas, lluvias e investigación: AAP y DPA, en The Canberra Times (30 de octubre de 2026).
- Museo al Aire Libre de Göreme, gobernador, desalojo, roca volcánica y derrumbe de 2024: Hürriyet Daily News (29 de octubre de 2026).
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses; the author and license are shown under each image.
