Mysterious traces in the Koramaz Valley in Kayseri
Koramaz Valley, which is on the World Heritage Tentative List by UNESCO, continues to make a name for itself with the unique characteristics of the neighborhoods it hosts.
Prof. Dr. Osman Özsoy, Kayseri Provincial Representative of the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Values (ÇEKÜL), stated that the valley encompasses seven neighborhoods and made the following statement:
One of the most prominent settlements in the Melikgazi district is the Koramaz Valley. Formerly known as Koramaz village, the valley encompasses seven neighborhoods. It has been on the World Heritage Tentative List since April 2020. From east to west, it encompasses Büyük Bürüngüz, Subaşı, Küçük Bürüngüz, Ağırnas, Turan, Vekse, and Bağpınar. The Koramaz Valley's cultural and historical heritage is extremely rich. There is a constant increase in scientific studies, technical trips, and surface research. Theses are being published, and news reports are being published. There is significant interest both domestically and internationally. It has become a popular tourist destination. Its proximity to the city is a major advantage. Those who come to Kayseri instead of visiting Nevşehir, 100 kilometers away, have the opportunity to reach this valley, just 20 kilometers away. Furthermore, further down the valley are the temporary UNESCO Kültepe and Kaniş Archaeological Sites.
Prof. Dr. Özsoy, stating that there are many cultural heritage elements in the valley, continued his words as follows:
The Koramaz Valley contains many underground structures, as well as tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements. Each settlement boasts significant elements such as the fountains of Büyük Bürüngüz, ancient religious structures and mosques dating back to the 1500s, natural beauty, water resources, archaeological sites in Küçük Bürüngüz, the Kazlar area, underground cities, and the Seljuk Cemetery. In Ağırnas, we have a museum revived by the metropolitan municipality. This museum, which emerged almost from nothing, is a source of great interest and is regularly visited by expatriates.
In the coming period, a museum project will be undertaken for the Sinan House, creating two museums in one neighborhood. This will allow us to reach a point rarely seen in the provinces or throughout Anatolia. Turan is part of the Koramaz Valley. Numerous lime and plaster quarries are also located here. The village we call Turan or Dimitre-Dimdire within the Koramaz Valley contains invaluable cultural heritage elements such as bird sanctuaries, underground cities, underground religious carvings, mills, votive offerings, temples, and altars.
Prof. Dr. Osman Özsoy added that they thought the tracks found in the Turan Neighborhood were those of oxcarts, but that no study on this subject had yet been conducted in the literature, and concluded his words as follows:
"You are currently located southwest of Turan, approximately two kilometers from the neighborhood center. There are various tracks here. The tracks are distinct and deep. The distances between the tracks are generally very familiar and not random. We suspect this is a horse-drawn or ox-drawn cart path used in war, trade, or peacetime.
We know that such an area exists on the Kültepe-İldem axis around Lake Engir. It was chosen because it is safe. Its infrastructure allows vehicles to pass, loaded or unloaded. Due to its heavy use over the years, dozens of thousands of oxcarts pass through here, loaded or unloaded. Over time, these oxcarts have eroded these roads, even if they are rocky. They have created vertical holes nearly half the diameter of the wheels, creating what we see as long, visible holes. The distance from the center of the two wheels to the two lines here is almost the same. This confirms this thesis. Sometimes we see 10 or 20 road markings together. As the erosion progresses, different routes are chosen.
These routes were chosen to avoid collisions and prevent delays in cargo during high traffic. The presence of this value here adds an extra richness to the Koramaz Valley and Turan neighborhood. In addition to visits along the congested Ağırnas and Koramaz Valley axis in the region, it is crucial to bring these places, well-known to our villagers, to visitors, to see them, and to preserve them. We see interruptions at some points. We see that the elevations are cut straight across, as if slicing cheese. The rounded stones, resembling millstones, were cut and removed from the place where they were transported because they were 30 centimeters above the ground. If you follow them all the way through, you will see some very distinct traces. They could be considered hoof or horse-shoe prints. Just as the wheels of other oxen, transport animals that stepped on the same ground, left their own traces here. There is no study in the literature on this phenomenon. Considering the Koramaz Valley and the city, we hope for more detailed studies.
ntv
