[Read more about the region at:
http://www.focusmm.com/blk_003.htm
See a traveler's photographs of the rivers and streams of the region:
http://www.iem.pw.edu.pl/wakk/galeri...cja2000/rzeki/ ]

x0x Unruffled lakes and rushing streams: SALACUR

By Ali Ihsan Gokcen

The mountains of the eastern Black Sea region are characterised by
lush vegetation unequalled elsewhere in Turkey. Even at the height of
summer these mountains, which rise in places to over 3000 metres in
height, remain emerald green thanks to the abundance of water. This
mountain barrier running parallel to the Black Sea coast causes the
clouds to empty their moisture on its slopes, so that precipitation
occurs an average 250 days of the year, and levels are the highest in
Turkey. Plentiful water nurtures thick forests up to an altitude of
2000 metres, and above the tree line the alpine pastures are green
throughout the year and carpeted with colourful flowers in spring and
summer. Streams fed by melting snow and rain give life to hundreds of
species of flowers and fill the spectacular glacier lakes. The Salacur
Valley running from south to west is one of the best places to enjoy
the flora and breathtaking scenery of the eastern Black Sea mountains.

Against a backdrop of soaring snowclad peaks you can explore glacier
lakes, rushing streams and rivers, thick forests, flower bedecked
meadows and charming mountain villages. The mouth of the valley is
located near the town of ispir at the confluence of the Aksu and Coruh
rivers (the Coruh by the way being one of the best ten rivers in the
world for white water rafting). A few kilometres after entering the
valley you come to the village of Aksu, also known as Salacur, where
wooden houses cling to the rocky slopes above while the lower part of
the village nestles in woodland. Here we called in at the tiny coffee
house shaded by a great plane tree, and were delighted to find Asik
Canimoglu, a traditional ministrel, singing ballads. We ordered tea,
only to discover that in Aksu this means a magnificent breakfast
complete with the local speciality, dried cream, and alpine flower
honey.

From Aksu we drove to the village of Catakkaya, where apart from the
tiled roofs the houses are built entirely of wood. This village lies
just above the tree line in a side valley to the north. As one of the
few villages which has never been ravaged by fire, Catakkaya preserves
its original wooden architecture intact, and is like an openair
museum. Moreover, since many of the younger people have moved away and
the elderly inhabitants who remain continue their traditional
lifestyle unchanged, time seems to have stood still here. The last
village in the valley is Yedigoller at an altitude of 2000 metres. In
this typical mountain village the inhabitants make their livelihood
from animal husbandry, beekeeping and agriculture.

If you decide to venture higher into the mountains it is advisable to
consult the local people about routes and conditions first. It is also
possible to hire horses so that you can explore unimpeded by heavy
packs. At an altitude of 2200 metres above Yedigoller the valley
begins to broaden out, and alpine meadows whose grass is later cut for
winter hay stretch far into the distance. Mountain streams pouring off
the higher plateaus and mountains above this point swell the waters of
the Aksu River. The most beautiful and well watered of these plateaus
is the 3000 metre Yedigoller, a bowl surrounded by mountains in which
lie seven glacier lakes amidst flower-strewn meadows. This is
undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable mountain views in Turkey.

Gobekli Gol (Navel Lake!), so named after the tiny island in the
centre, is the largest of these lakes whose calm surfaces mirror the
blue sky. And when you get close enough to see reflections of snow
capped peaks in their waters, the view is nothing short of magical.

Cifte Goller, the Two Lakes, is another plateau lying to the west at
an altitude of 2800 metres. Here a great rock rises dramatically from
the beds of the two lakes to a height of several hundred metres. Deli
Gol is a small but beautiful lake at 3100 metres, set in a bowl
encircled by high mountains. When you stand on the shore of the lake
and shout the echoes reverberate for so long that you wonder if they
might go on for ever. It is probably this phenomenon that inspired the
name, meaning Crazy Lake. From the top of a 3250 metre high ridge you
get your first view of the largest lake of all, Mal Golu, and the 3711
metre peak of Mount Vercenik towering behind.

With its mountains, glacier lakes, alpine flora, unique architecture
and a way of life that remains in many ways unchanged, the remote
Salacur Valley is one of the most amazing places in Turkey.

* Ali Ihsan Gokcen is a photographer and freelance writer