81-year-old Turkish man's unique lifestyle and cave house catchs attention of tourists and photographers
Şükrü Kurt, a resident of Küçükkürne village in Malatya's Akçadağ district, has been living in a cave overlooking the Levent Valley for many years.
- Travel
- Published Date: 05:27 | 19 June 2023
- Modified Date: 05:35 | 19 June 2023
The region is known for its steep cliffs and caves with ruins dating back to the Neolithic Ages, making it a popular tourist destination.
At 81 years old, Kurt has turned the cave, accessible through the steep cliffs, into his home. He has raised his 18 children, all of whom were born in this cave.
Kurt's unique lifestyle has drawn the attention of both tourists and photographers visiting the region.
Kurt explains that his ancestors used this area as a plateau and utilized the caves for storing products such as milk and cheese.
After his father's passing, Kurt inherited the area and, after trying various occupations, he found happiness in living in this cave and decided to settle there.
Kurt has been married four times, and unfortunately, his first wife lost her life due to a fall from the rocks. He has a total of 20 children from his marriages, but two of them passed away due to illnesses.
Kurt proudly states that he has nine sons and nine daughters, some of whom live in Istanbul, one son in Manisa, and others in Malatya. All of his children grew up in this cave.
Although Kurt occasionally leaves the cave to visit his children, he admits that he misses it dearly when he is away. He has a strong attachment to his cave home and prefers to stay there.
While his wife Kiraz sometimes hesitates to join him, Kurt cannot bear to be away from his beloved cave.