Ecotourism in Cehennem River Basin (İdil, Şırnak)

As a result of the facilities provided by mechanization and the developments in transportation, Industrial Revolution and the development of technology, people's leisure time has increased. With these developments, people felt the need to travel and visit. Formerly massive the concept of tourism described as the sea-sand-sun trilogy; As a result of actions and situations such as increasing environmental awareness, realizing the negative effects of mass tourism, adrenaline, and people's tendency to behave more individually, it has been seen that ecotourism has started to be demanded more. The aim of this study is to reveal the importance, historical and cultural background of the Cehennem River, as well as the eco-tourism activities that can be done in this area. In the study in which qualitative research method was applied, the data were obtained by observation and document analysis technique. As a result of the research, in the study area; 18 old settlements, 10 water mills, 10 cemeteries, 2 churches named Mer Dodo and Mer Gorgis and cemeteries belonging to these churches and caves used for animal husbandry today were identified. It has been determined that Cehennem River has natural attractiveness and is quite suitable for trekking and river tourism. With this study, the Cehennem River trekking route has been extended to include cultural areas, and alternative roads and pathways have been added. The locations that stand out with their natural attractiveness, observation hills, old settlements consisting of caves, cemeteries, water mills, trekking routes have been processed and mapped as point data. It has been concluded that the Cehennem River has ecotourism potential with its natural and cultural structure and that the region can develop in terms of tourism with future studies. Key Words: Cehennem River, Canyon,Yarbaşı (Hespıst), Eco Tourism, Trekking Routes