Magical paths of Phrygian Valley

In Afyonkarahisar, the heart of the Phrygian Valley, the land of mythological legends, the nature and culture route stretching from the Ancient King's Road to the mountainous interior full of Cybele monuments tells many stories along the way. From the ears of King Midas to the storyteller Aesop, from the monumental temples of Cybele to the mysterious cliffs, many historical and natural beauties accompany hikers on the trail.

I am in Afyonkarahisar to explore the southwestern corridors of the Phrygian Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Phrygian Way, one of the most popular cultural routes in Turkey, is not just a single valley. We are talking about a network of 506 kilometers of magical roads between Afyon-Eskişehir-Kütahya and Ankara. The Phrygians, who presented very important motifs to humanity with the reliefs, inscriptions and patterns they made on gigantic rock blocks, are the inventors of many musical instruments and safety pins. One of the famous names of the Phrygians is Aesop, the legendary father of animal tales.

Melih Uslu, at the Ancient King's Road.

After a delicious breakfast enriched with Afyon's famous clotted cream, I am ready for a walk in the historic Phrygian Valley, which looks like a natural open-air museum. We reach Göynüş Valley, the heart of Phrygia, after turning northwest (left) from the 36th kilometer of Afyonkarahisar- Eskişehir highway, with a journey of about 2 kilometers. It is early morning, the sun is shining brightly... Our 12-kilometer hike from the ancient King's Road to the mountainous interior full of Cybele monuments, ending at Aslantaş, starts with fun. The difficulty level of the trail is 2 (medium). We pass through a narrow rock gorge, where deep traces of the Phrygian oxcarts can be seen on the high walls, and open up to a fairytale oasis. The valley is full of settlements, rock churches, tombs, temples, large and small caves, and fairy chimneys carved with arm power. A paradise for photographers...

I feel as if I have arrived on another planet. I follow the Phrygian Way, following the red and white trail markers that are periodically arranged on the rocks and tree trunks. The rocks, which are about 14 million years old and cover the Phrygian Valley covered with the tuff of Mount Turkmen, are engraved with various reliefs of the cult of the Mother Goddess Cybele.

One of them, the Büyük Kapıkaya Monument, stands out in the rugged terrain leading to Üçlerkayası Village near the town of Döğer. It is a roadside open-air temple built by cutting the west face of a monolithic rock. Since the structure of the rock was loose, the upper triangular roof section melted and a standing relief of the Goddess Cybele was carved in a niche on the front side. In front of this monument, which is thought to have been built in the 7th century BC, there is a landing for ceremonies held in honor of Cybele. The relief of Cybele, placed in a square niche, was here until the 1990

Unfortunately, treasure hunters stole it. It is still worth seeing. We continue on our way with the game of likening the surprising rocks we come across to people and objects. Accompanied by steep rocks reaching 10 meters in height in places, we arrive at Aslankaya Monument, the most magnificent Phrygian rock temple on our route. Aslankaya, which looks like an ordinary rock at first glance, surprises people when you pay a little attention. The gigantic lion figure on the side surface is of impressive dimensions. With its façade decorated with geometric reliefs, it shows the point reached in the stone processing of the period. After seeing the historical rock settlement where the movie 'A.R.O.G' was shot, we take a break on the shore of Lake Emre at noon when the sun starts to show its hot face. Reminiscent of a natural movie plateau, the area is also the place where we will camp for the evening. The lake, 50 kilometers from Afyon, is a pleasant resting address for travelers who come to explore the Phrygian Valley. Emre Lake, which has been transformed into the Garden of Phrygian Civilization with the investments made in the region, sets sail for alternative tourism with its new concept.

There is also a balloon ride

While the café on the peaceful shore of the lake offers a panoramic view, the boat named 'King Midas', based on Phrygian artifacts and motifs, takes those who wish to take a ride on the lake. Those who wish can take a bird's eye view of the valley's geography resembling a giant anthill from a hot air balloon. After a break, we approach Maltas, one of the exciting corners of the Göynüş Valley in Kayıhan. Maltaş, so named by the locals because it was used as an open-air barn where cattle and sheep rested until recently, is actually a typical Phrygian-style temple facade. We are now approaching the end of our route. The roads of the interesting ancient settlement, surrounded by giant pointed rocks reminiscent of axe stones stuck in the ground, hide dozens of Phrygian artifacts carved into the rocks throughout the valley. Two more important Phrygian artifacts await us about 500 meters from Maltas. Yılantaş with two monumental tomb chambers is one of them. To the east of the monument, on the edge of a complex rock forest that whispers mythological stories to its guests, is Aslantaş. On either side of the doorway, there are reliefs of two imposing lions standing up, facing each other, and a lion cub under their feet. Thought to be the tomb of an important Phrygian king, Aslantaş was thought to have been built in the 7th century BC. However, research has revealed that the history of this rock tomb goes back much further. As the sun sets, I repeat the phrase of the Phrygian barber who whispered the secret of King Midas into the well, "Midas' ears are donkey ears" and say goodbye to this magical geography. Promising to come again...

This is Melih Uslu's column about his cultural trip experience published on the Hürriyet website on June 19, 2022. Sourc: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/seyahat/frig-vadisinin-buyulu-patikalari-42086549