“Yellow Hıdır” Population: zero
If you’re driving from Avanos in Cappadocia to Kayseri you might want to divert north to visit the underground city at Özkonak. And if you do that you will first cross the Kızılırmak river at the point where the abandoned village of Sarıhıdır bestrides its banks.
Most of the villagers moved out in the 1950s when there were fears for the safety of the troglodytic villages. Plagued by water problems, others left for a replacement modern village in the 1990s. The village also became known as one of a trio (with Karain and Tuzköy) where more than 50% of local deaths were from mesothelemia, probably caused by the presence of a mineral called erionite in local building material combining with a genetic predisposition to the disease.
There are no great sights here, just the ruins of lovely old stone houses set beneath a wall of rock with the old mosque as the centrepiece to one side. It’s a pleasant place for a short stroll or perhaps to enjoy a riverside picnic.
Transport info
Sarıhıdır has to be visited with a private car unless you can organise a boat trip from Avanos.
