Sunk in snow: Turkish town and its struggle and joy in winter

Bahçesaray is one of the many towns that experiences heavy snowfall in Turkey and the effects of climate change are hitting them hard

Dubbed the "ninth planet" by locals, the town is aptly named as it is cut off from the rest of the world with its ubiquitous, thick piles of snow.

A total of 14,000 people live there, both young and old. The town is accustomed to harsh winters, a staple of eastern Turkey.

The town is not necessarily know for its natural beauty, but rather the disaster that happened two years ago in a matter of days. Karabet, a treacherous passage connecting the town to central Van, the eastern province with which Bahçesaray is administratively associated, was the site of an avalanche on Feb. 4, 2020 which buried a minibus and bulldozer.

Disaster struck twice when the search and rescue teams fell victim to another, even larger, avalanche as they were frantically searching for the two buried people. A total of 42 people, including 11 gendarmerie officers and nine village guards, were killed and 84 others were injured in the double disaster.

An iron, sliding gate with a hefty padlock on it is an unusual sight for a town road but it is a necessity for Bahçesaray. A sign reading "road is closed temporarily due to adverse weather conditions" is hung on the gate whose perimeter is clear of snow.

Only a few steps down the road, columns of snow block the place. A crew from the General Directorate of Highways (KGM) possesses the key and they have to inform authorities including the local gendarmerie commander before opening the gate to let anyone through.

Few people are allowed inside and outside and though the road appears clear at first, mountains of snow piled on two sides and intimidating white masses accumulated on the slopes make it impossible to cross the terrain for inexperienced travelers.

With the snow piling high, one might think that boredom would take hold but the residents have found a nice hobby to keep busy: chess.

Being in a remote town, with or without snow, is a hassle for healthcare as well.

Not only do children enjoy the snow in winter.

A view of the town from top of a hill with some of the snow cleared.

An excavator makes its way through the building-high snow.

A child stands outside their home in Bahçesaray.

A man tends to his sheep, holding one close.

Thick icicles hang from one of the windows.

A security officers accompanies a group of people as they make their way to the town.

A cat walks through one of the houses in Bahçesaray as a boy approaches it.

Children enjoy their time out in the snow.

A few girls are shy about being photographed.

A view of the town as the sun sets and life gets even slower with the descending night.