"Only the suicidal, the insane or the paid-to-do this should ever drive down," an article on the "dangerousroads" website says about Derebaşı Bends or Bayburt-Of road in northern Turkey. This does not deter local authorities counting on the tourism potential of this road that connects the Black Sea city of Trabzon to the sleepy town of Bayburt to the south. Authorities consider introducing off-road and climbing races to draw thrill seekers to Soğanlı Mountain where the notorious route is located.
At an altitude of 3,500 meters, the road is the shortest route from Trabzon, a large port city, to Bayburt, which connects part of the Black Sea region to inner regions of Turkey. Although most drivers prefer longer routes, steep rocks and 13 hairpin turns hardly discourage motorists braving the route.First built by locals doing forced labor during the Russian invasion of the region in 1914, the road has been restored occasionally, but it barely resists the forces of nature, from dense fogs and rainfall common in the Black Sea region, to landfalls and avalanches. It is closed to traffic for about six months every year due to heavy snow, but in summer, melting snow creates a scenic route for drivers as it turns into pristine water in streams straddling the slopes. Yet, if one is taken in too much by the views and drives without caution, you can end up at the bottom of the cliffs, as the road has no guardrails. Sudden, steep grades also pose a challenge for those missing road signs. Some narrow sections of the road are not wide enough for two cars, and some parts are made of gravel instead of stable asphalt.
Ali Ayvazoğlu, head of Trabzon's culture and tourism authority, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the road has always been a challenge for drivers, but its notoriety has also made it world famous. "It gives you a rush of adrenaline, while giving a picture-perfect view of nature. It is a landscape formed by streams, evergreen mountains and fresh weather," he says. Thus, it has tourism potential for Turkish and foreign tourists, according to Ayvazoğlu. What better way then to promote it with races? Ayvazoğlu said a string of events are being considered, from off-road races to climbing contests. "This is an alternative place for tourism," he said, adding that it can be as significant as one of the places it leads to: Uzungöl, probably Turkey's most popular highland in the Black Sea dotted with plateaus.
Derebaşı Bends is not the only dangerous road in Turkey where coastal regions are home to mountain ranges. The Bird's Nest that connects the country's Mediterranean region to its Anatolian heartland is also listed on the "dangerousroads" website, which advises motorists against driving on this winding route atop Mt. Toros in southern Turkey. Nevertheless, comfort trumps tourism potential as authorities drilled a series of giant tunnels on the 60-kilometer route for a safe journey with less vomit for travelers fearing high roads with a sheer drop of 2 kilometers on one side and a sharp vertical rock face on another.
