Hobbit houses in Turkey offer isolated holiday amid pandemic

SIVAS, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 22: As holiday habits of people have changed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, isolated areas such as villas and caravans became more attractive rather than hotels. Hobbit houses in Turkey’s central province of Sivas attract people who want to stay away from crowded cities and keep social isolation. Besides isolation, visitors spend a holiday in a fairy-tale environment in the Hobbit village where a fantasy came to life. Also they experience a taste of middle earth. The cozy Hobbit homes have their kitchen, guest room, bedroom, and bathroom to satisfy the needs of the tourists. Gulhan Akman, who lives in Antalya said on Tuesday (September 23) that he preferred the hobbit houses due to the epidemic, and had a holiday by resting in a very decent environment. Aynur Ilbasi, one of the guests of the houses, stated that she was going through a difficult process due to the coronavirus outbreak and preferred Hobbit houses to stay away from the crowds. “We are very satisfied. The environment is beautiful; the houses are far from each other,” Ilbasi said, noting that “We feel like we are at our own home.” Inspire by the famous fantasy novel and movie, The Lords of the Rings, the municipality in Sivas province has built underground homes. The fantastic village consisting of 24 underground houses started to serve in 2019. In The Lord of the Rings, hobbits are a fictional and tiny humanoid race in the Middle-earth. This human race is residing in their underground hobbit homes built in hillsides, downs, and banks. (Footage by Halife Yalcınkaya/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)