Winter has arrived early in central Turkey, where heavy snowfall has covered Mount Erciyes — home to one of the country’s most famous ski resorts. According to local reports, natural snow cover on the upper slopes has already reached around 50 centimetres, prompting hopes for an early season opening.
Hamdi Elcuman, director of Erciyes A.Ş., said the resort and nearby hotels are fully prepared:
“We’ve had strong snowfall over the past few days. In higher areas the snow is about 50 centimetres deep. We hope to open the season around the end of November or in early December.”
Last winter Erciyes welcomed over 3 million visitors from Europe, and the resort expects even higher numbers this season across its 112 kilometres of ski runs.
Snow has also affected other regions of Turkey. In the mountainous areas of Şırnak province in the southeast, snow depth has exceeded one metre, cutting off access to several villages.