Heaven-hell Valley: A ‘paradise’ in southeast Turkey

03-06-2025
Shewket Harki
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HAKKARI, Turkey - The Heaven and Hell Valley in Hakkari (Colemerg) province is one of Turkey’s most stunning natural attractions. The place is known as Spixane in Kurdish. 

In Spixane, visitors experience both snow and spring flowers simultaneously at high altitude.

The green section is called Paradise, where vibrant flowers bloom, while the area referred to as Hell features a deep valley containing glaciers that are thousands of years old. 

A group of mountaineers visited the valley on May 20 and a Rudaw crew accompanies them. 

"This place is the beauty of Colemerg. Everyone should come and see this place, but they should not cause damage. Let no one leave their trash here. Everyone should come with their families and friends and visit this place. For us Kurds, Spixane is a very beautiful place," Kahraman Aytan, a mountaineer, told Rudaw. 

Kenan Canan from the TEMA Environmental Foundation warned that the glaciers have been melting in the last decade. 

"There is also the impact of people coming here. We want people who visit to be more conscious," he added. 

The valley, at an altitude of 3,200 meters, with its 20,000-year-old glaciers and streams surrounded by lilies and daffodils, offers an unparalleled feast for the senses to its visitors.

 

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