Kendovan is the first and only Iranian village that has managed to enter the World Tourism Organization's list of "World's Best Tourism Villages." Entrepreneurial villagers, aiming to provide better services to tourists and gain new ideas, visit Cappadocia in Turkey.
The village of Kendovan, located in the Osku district of Tabriz, often referred to as the "Little Cappadocia" of Iran, aims to host more tourists with its natural beauties and local flavors.
Kendovan has been included in the "2023 World's Best Tourism Villages" list by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. With this feature, it became the first Iranian village to be included in the list.
The village, attracting many visitors with its natural beauty and rock houses, is expected to be visited by more local and foreign tourists.
After a journey through walnut trees for about an hour near Tabriz, you reach Kendovan.
Immediately after entering the village, which resembles a small Anatolian town, a stream flows from a spacious square.
The bridges built later over the stream, separating the village's settlement area from the groves, add a historical atmosphere. On one side of the square, there are trees, and on the other side, there are various small businesses.
When viewed from inside the village, situated on a hill, the general beauty may not be immediately apparent. However, looking from the opposite hill just behind the trees reveals a "unique" panorama.
Rows of rock houses carved into volcanic rocks, when observed, evoke thoughts of Cappadocia. Due to this resemblance, the place is also referred to as "Little Cappadocia" and "Cappadocia of Iran."
In almost all of these fairy chimneys, life continues. This provides an opportunity to witness the village's traditional way of life.
As the village gradually gained a touristic identity, villagers have opened businesses in the lower levels of the fairy chimneys, which they have converted into houses through carving. Some of these small chambers, formerly used as cellars, haylofts, or barns, now host customers.
Due to the increase in family population or the need for new homes, some villagers have also built new houses in the area where the fairy chimneys are located. This juxtaposition of historical and modern, natural and artificial structures reflects the contrast between old and new.
While walls constructed around some fairy chimneys may disrupt the natural appearance, they serve as a support to prevent the collapse of the rock.
In a small part of the village, there is the possibility of using motor vehicles. Due to steep slopes and narrow streets, transportation is facilitated through stairs.
While climbing the stairs, there is the possibility of suddenly reaching the door of a house or shop, or even exiting the village. Although this may seem a bit challenging, it can be considered as a journey to be explored by visitors.
The village's merchants offer a wide range of shopping opportunities by adding locally made home products from surrounding villages to their own local products.
Products such as honey, butter, various jams, dried fruit pulp, traditional cookies (kömbe), and medicinal herbs are sold in these small shops.
Some villagers are not welcoming the new identity of the village. Alongside those who welcome the village's transformation into a tourist destination, there are also those who are not fond of this situation.
Some villagers who do not want their traditional way of life to change prefer to keep a distance from tourists. The number of those who turn away or close their doors when they see cameras is quite significant.
In Kendovan, a Turkish village, guests are warmly welcomed, and various treats are offered. To maintain this hospitality, visitors are asked not to use cameras and photography equipment.
Those who accept the village's new identity and try to adapt to it are transforming the rock houses into boutique hotels, hosting visitors.
Ali Oskuyi, a shopkeeper, mentioned that entrepreneurial villagers, aiming to provide better services to tourists and gain new ideas, visit Turkey to explore Cappadocia.