Gelin Rock (Yozgat)

Gelin Kayası is a rock formation located in the Yozgat province of Türkiye, behind Nohutlu Tepe, in the Cehrilik area, resembling a bride seated on a camel. This natural building is associated with a local legend.

_{Cehrilik Tulip and Gelin Kayası - Photo Selim}

According to the local narrative, a bridal procession sets out from a village. During its passage, bandits surround the procession intending to capture the bride and other travelers. The men in the bridal party fight the bandits but are killed. As the bandits are about to seize the bride and groom, it is said that the bride and groom prayed to Allah: “Oh God, do not let us fall into the hands of these bandits; turn us into stone or birds.”

According to the tale, the bride, the bandits, the horses, and the camels were turned to stone. The groom transformed into a bird and flew into the sky. The story also states that red tulips bloomed where the bride’s tears fell.

In the vicinity of Gelin Kayası, the Cehrilik Tulips, associated with the bride’s tears, bloom particularly during the second week of May. The appearance of white doves in the Cehrilik region is another element of the legend. People it is believed that these doves must not be hunted.