Kristal Teras

Tokatlı Kanyonu - İncekaya Kanyonu

Useful Information

photography — Tokatlı Kanyonu, Turkey. Public Domain.

Location:	Safranbolu, Karabük. Off the road to Aşağıdana, signposted. (41.279804, 32.682462)
Open:
Fee:	Kristal Teras: Adults TRL 4. Tokatlı Kanyonu: Adults TRL 3. [2021]
Classification:	Gorge
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=1h
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Kristal Teras, İncekaya Cd., 78600 Tokatlı/Safranbolu/Karabük, Tel: +90-370-725-1900. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Kristal Teras (Crystal Glass Terrace) is a glass observation deck extending out from a cliff and offering dramatic views of Tokatlı Kanyonu. It is located 80 m above the ground, and 11 m wide, can carry 75 t of weight. The terrace consists of three pieces of glass with a thickness of 3 cm. 30 people are allowed at the same time on the 100 m² terrace, but it is stable enough for 400 people. The terrace is located on the grounds of the restaurant and cafe Kristal Teras. The floor of the terrace is made of transparent glass, so you can see directly down into the canyon. Unfortunately the glas is not hard enough and gets scratches from the shoes of the visitors. The operators polish them now and then, because a glass floor makes no sense if it is cloudy. But if you visit immediately before the next polishing, the visit might be a bit clouded.

Its also possible to walk through the canyon, from the parking lot on the plateau behind the Kristal Teras a trail leads down into the canyon. Wooden elevated plankways with wooden railings were build through the Tokatlı Kanyonu and its side branch İncekaya Kanyonu. On the bottom of the canyon are various installations like a cafe, a barbecue area and some sports equipment. However, we are not sure who operates what and how much it costs. It seems this rather often changes and the site is mostly used on weekends by day trippers from nearby Safranbolu. So we recommend to avoid weekends if you want to enjoy nature.

One side branch of the canyon is crossed by a huge aqueduct, the İncekaya su Kemeri̇ (İncekaya Aqueduct). It was built by Sadrazam İzzet Mehmet Paşa to provide drinking water to the city. The aqueduct has a rather exceptional design. On one side its a closed wall, on the other side it has 5 arches. The middle part has a different direction and a huge central arch through which the river of the canyon flows. The two bends give the aqueduct a sort of S shape. The aqueduct is 116 m long and between 110 cm and 220 cm wide. From the rim of the canyon and the trail into the canyon it can be seen from various directions. Its also possible to get there by just following the road which ends at the aqueduct.