We are heading to Kemaliye Tas Yolu, The Stone Road of Kemalyie. A clear blue sky and an asphalt road, having a dry Asian land as travel companion takes us further to Eastern Anatolia.
A metal bridge takes you over Euphrates River to the beginning of a dark tunnel carved in stone.
The tunnel is rough and dark, only the light coming from the motorcycle headlights caresses the rocky walls. The journey starts with a short section of paving slabs followed by tarmac. After about 1 km you leave the asphalt road and keep right on Euphrates riverbank on an effortless section of gravel and dirt. The giant rocky walls of the mountain guard your left and on the right side the magnificent views over Dark Canyon keep you company. The road is staggering. The high mountain walls seems to collapse on you any second, and a steep precipice drops to the cold waters of Euphrates River. The road is narrow, with no guard rails, you feel like walking a tightrope.
We have dreamed about this route for so long and here we are on a thrilling journey crossing every tunnel, carefully taking every corner on an impressive choreography following the sound of our beating hearts and the roar of our motorcycle engines.
Exclamations, interjections, epithets can be heard from the communication system from both sides.
My God, what a beauty!
The Dark Canyon and Euphrates River offer amazing natural beauty and challenging rides.
Just a short section of loose gravel cuts off your dance, but the rhythm is very soon restored with a section of wild tunnels carved in stone. The tunnels are dark and narrow. Only the balconies carved in stone with impressive views over Euphrates River allow a few rays of sun to touch the rocky walls. Some windows have guardrails to help you keep the wright track and a small road leads you to others making you feel like riding in a maze looking for your way out. A single wrong turn at high speed and you plunge in the Euphrates.
The passageways follow the shape of the mountain, and this makes your heart race. Narrow unmarked corners, in total darkness take you by surprise. A rollercoaster where danger lurks every step of the way if you don’t pay attention. To be able to completely enjoy this experience and not get caught by surprise we recommend you adjust the speed while riding here.
Kemalyie Tas yolu is one of the most spectacular roads in the world and at the same time, one of the most dangerous.
Kemalye Tas Yolu is the result of 132 years of hard work done by the locals with the support of the authorities. Construction of the road started in 1870 and completed only in 2002. Originally the road was so narrow that you could only use it by foot. In time, the path was expanded that currently it allows the passage for 1 vehicle at a time.
38 tunnels carved in the mountain are part of this 9 km stone road on a section of bends passing under sharp rocks and along landslides unprotected by guardrails. The Stone Road is situated in Eastern Anatolia and makes the connection between the settlements of Kemaliye and Divrigi and is considered one of the most challenging roads in the World.
The Stone Road of Kemaliye can be included in our Turkey Motorcycle Tour for private groups only, as experience in off-road riding is required.
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