Tourists return to Turkey’s Munzur Baba nature site

MUNZER BABA, Turkey – Despite the continued presence of coronavirus in Turkey, tourists from across the country have resumed excursions following the easing of lockdown measures.

Due to its awe-inspiring nature, Munzur Baba is one of the southeastern province of Dersim’s (Tunceli) popular tourist sites. The location marks the place where the Munzur river juts out of a mountain by the same name.

“Dersim is a very wonderful place. We bring tourists from Diyarbakir, Batman and Mardin here. Despite the existence of coronavirus, people still come here. We give them masks and disinfectants. People enjoy their times very comfortably,” said tour organizer Ahmed Ileri.

Thousands of tourists visit Munzur Baba every year, but some say the grounds need to be taken better care of.

“It is very beautiful, but there is some dirt. The people do not preserve the place,” said tourist Aras Salvi of the site located 80 kilometers northwest of Dersim (Tunceli) city.

According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the number of tourists visiting the province in 2019 has increased compared to the three previous years, with nearly 130,000 tourists visiting.

However, with movement restrictions put in place in April, Dersim has seen slightly less visitors this year compared to the ones without a pandemic.

Reporting by Ali Haidar