Faraşin Plateau, situated in Türkiye's southeastern Şırnak province, provides an exceptional retreat for children seeking refuge from the summer heat, boasting snow that remains unmelted even into July.
Found in the Beytüşşebap district, this plateau, alternatively known as the Huzur (Peace) Plateau, sits at an altitude of 2,625 meters (8,612 feet), offering refreshing coolness amid sweltering summer days.
With its winding and narrow paths, it is also a frequent destination for Yeşilöz village residents who take their animals to graze there daily and also bring their children along.
Even in July, this plateau, which accumulates snow depths of up to 10 meters (32 feet) in winter, provides children with a unique opportunity to enjoy summer vacation amid its snowy landscape.
After an hourlong journey, the adults graze their animals, while the children enjoy sliding on the snow with pieces of plastic barrels or nylon bags.
"We came here with my friends to slide. We are sliding on snow in July,” said 10-year-old Aryen Filiz, who lives in the Diyarbakır province and visits his grandfather in Yeşilöz during school holidays.
Filiz noted that it is very hot in Diyarbakır and that she is enjoying his vacation on the plateau.
"I haven’t seen any snow in Diyarbakır this year. It is so hot that I couldn’t go outside. But here, the weather is cool and there’s snow. It’s beautiful, we love seeing the snow here,” Filiz said.
Resat Aslan said it is enjoyable to ski in a cool and beautiful environment.
"It’s July. Mersin and Antalya must be hot now, but we are sliding on snow here,” Aslan said.
Adem Aslan noted that in some provinces, people cannot even leave their homes because of the heat and that it is a pleasant feeling to ski in thick clothes.
Erdal Aslan, a livestock farmer in the area, has taken his nephews to the plateau to ski, and said they take a minibus from the village to a certain point and then walk to the plateau.
He added that they take the children to the plateau every year to enjoy nature and the snow.
"Here, the children have fun in the snow and enjoy skiing, we do livestock farming and sometimes bring our children here for a different activity to let them ski on the snow.”
