A glance at a topographical map of Turkey reveals that this is a country of mountains. Rising from all four directions, mountains encircle the peninsula of Anatolia. A part of the Alpine-Himalayan Mountain range, Turkey has mountainous regions with different geological formations.The North Anatolian range skirts the Mediterranean shore. Turkey’s magnificient mountains and forests are mostly undeveloped, existing as wonderful natural preserves for an extraordinary variety of wild life, flora and fauna. Two of Turkey’s most famous peaks are volcanos, both inactive, Mt. Erciyes in Kayseri in Central Anatolia (3917 m) and Mt. Ağri; (Mt. Ararat 5137 m) in the east. Other mountain ranges are the Rize Kaçkar (3932 m) in the eastern Black Sea region, Niğde Aladağlar; (3756 m) in the central Taurus range and the Cilo and Sat mountains (4136 m) near Hakkari in the eastern Taurus.
The mountainous nature of the country has influenced its cultural evolution. For centuries, nomads and semi nomadic peoples have migrated annually to the fresh pastures of the higher elevations in the summer. These alpine meadows, called yayla, still represent a firm tie to traditional culture. For climbers and those interested in mountain geography, Turkey offers a wealth of exploration. Glaciers, volcanoes, and peculiar geological formations such as karst; prove irresistible to researchers and students of geology. The challenging terrain offers great opportunities for aficionados of outdoor sports who find interesting experiences on the mountains of Eastern, Central and Southern Turkey.
Turkey has a landscape diversified with volcanic mountains such as Mt. Agri (Ararat), Suphan, Nemrut, Hasan, Erciyes and range of mountains namely Taurus range by the Mediterranean, Kackar range by the Black Sea, Cilo-Sat and Munzur ranges in Eastern Anatolia. All these mountains reaching 5,000 meters consist of undiscovered natural beauties. An organized trip to any of these mountains or regions will also give you the opportunity to satisfy your interest in exploring these areas as well as to visit other cultural, historical and natural points of interest.
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