KURE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

The Küre Mountains in Turkey's western Black Sea region are a place of awesome beauty and magnificent wildlife. The western part of these mountains is of particular importance where the age and size of the forests, biodiversity, and variety of its endemic wildlife are concerned, and for this reason the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has listed the area as one of a hundred forest 'Hot Spots' in Europe deserving priority conservation. The Küre Mountains National Park situated here covers an area of 34,000 hectares between Kastamonu and Bartin.High rainfall in the area is one reason for the lush vegetation of this forested park, whose spectacular beauty is partly a result of the karst limestone structure, which has created countless caves, deep gorges and waterfalls. One of the most impressive sights is the Valla Gorge near the village of Muratbasi in Pinarbasi. The gorge begins at the confluence of two rivers, the Devrekâni and its tributary the Kanliçay, which themselves run through deep gorges.

With rock walls rising in places to nearly 700 metres in height, entering the gorge is practically impossible, but a magnificent view of the entrance can be had from near Valla, a neighbourhood of Muratbasi village which is situated high above the junction of the gorges. A guide from the village can show you the way to the best vantage spot, which takes a walk of around 20 minutes, partly through forest, to reach.

From here there is an unforgettable view of both the Devrekâni and Kanliçay gorges, and of the mouth of the Valla Gorge with its towering limestone walls. The lower reaches of the Devrekâni river flows down here to eventually pour into the Black Sea. This wild and lonely area is home to many birds of prey, including eagles, vultures, falcons, hawks, sparrowhawks, hobbies, and kestrels. For a view down into the gorge you must start out from Kayadibi village. Taking a guide is essential for this difficult climb of over two hours. But the view when you arrive is worth all the strenuous effort.

Most famous of the many caves in the national park is Ilgarini Cave situated at Sorkun Yayla. A two hour hike through forest from Sorkun brings you to this cave of international celebrity at an altitude of 1250 metres. The walk is a pleasure in itself, passing first through ancient deciduous forest, and then as you climb higher a mixture of deciduous trees and conifers. The mouth of Ilgarini Cave is hidden behind ferns. It is a dry cave presenting no obstacles for visitors without special equipment.One of the caverns has a high roof and contains many stalactites and stalagmites.

The larger cavern on the left contains numerous graves dating from the late Roman and early Byzantine periods. Beyond the graves, however, the cave floor slopes down to the edge of a precipice, whose dark depths appear bottomless. The truth is no less chilling, as it is a drop of 250 metres.Another fascinating aspect of the Küre Mountains is the wide variety of trees and flowers.

There are over a thousand plant species in the area, and in spring the meadows are carpeted with colourful flowers of many kinds, including orchids and lilies. Trees species are also very varied. Not surprisingly, therefore, these mountains are home to numerous wild animals. Of Turkey's total of 130 species of mammal, 40 are to be found here, including the brown bear, otter, wolf, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, fox, marten, badger and hare.

The inaccessibility of much of this mountain range, with its karstic structure, great forests and deep valleys is one of the main reasons for the preservation of its wild life.The picturesque villages of the region, with their houses mainly built of logs, seem like a natural extension of the landscape.The first indication that you are approaching a village is the sight of women in colourful costume busy in the fields.

At first you imagine that they are dressed up for some special occasion, but later you realise that this is their ordinary daily dress, perhaps inspired by the many-coloured flowers which blossom in the meadows and woods around them.

* Ali Ihsan Gökçen is a photographer

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