Karain Cave

Karain Cavern by Chris and Kat

Location: Antalya

Karain cave is found inside the borders of Yağca Village which is at 5 – 6 km. distance to the old Antalya – Burdur highway, 30 km northwest of Antalya.

Properties: The Karain cave which is one of the greatest natural caves of Turkey, is 150 m high from the travertine valley in front, ve430-450 m. high from the sea.

Karain cave stands in the period of the beginning of the history of the mankind, as the cavern was continuously accommodated by early humans during the prehistoric and classic periods starting from lower Paleolithic, medium and high Paleolithic, Neolithic, Calcolithic and Ancient Bronze stages. As a natural result of this, the cavern contains a thick cultural layer which can be 11 meters. But the longest and most important accommodation period of the cave is relevant with the Paleolithic period.

The usage at the classical period is more likely as an Offering Cave(Temple) and there are Greek inscriptions and niches at the cave exterior walls and ceiling. The archeological findings discovered from the archeological excavations done inside Karain Cave are displayed at the Antalya Museum and at the Karain Museum which is just near the cave.

Karain cave is situated 30 km. north, north-west of Antalya.It is on the east slope of mount Katran which is in the range of western Taurus mountains. Carved in Cratese period limestone, its altitude is 430m from the sea level and 150m from the travertine plain. The plain which is formed by transgression, is one of the largest travertine plais in the world. There are fine water springs where the plain meets the mountains. Geological and geomorphological researches in the recent years revealed a lake in the middle of the plain in Pleistocene; and many open air settlements in Paleolithic period. This is proved by the fossils of hippopotamus bones and shells of invertebrata found in the fauna of the Karain cave. The location of the cave is near the strait of Cubuk which is an important passage connecting the Mediterranean region with Inner Anatolia and the Region of Lakes. Karain is a complex of caves rather than a single cave. It consists of many chambers. These chambers are separated by calcite walls and narrow and curve passageways. Stalactites and stalagmites enriches the marvellous appearance of the cave. On the outer surface of the cave there are numerous niches and Greek inscriptions. The cave is found by Prof.Dr.Isin Yalcinkaya with the cooperation of the University of Liege and some other foreign universities. 

Caving (Speleology) in Turkey

An important geologic – geomorphologic fact in the formation of caverns is karstification (karstic fields) and this karstification is present in Western and Central Taurus Mountains (Mugla, Antalya, Isparta, Burdur, Konya, Karaman, Icel and Adana) of Turkey. The longest (Pınarözü Cavern, 16 km west of Beyşehir Lake) and the deepest (Çukurpınar Sinkhole, 1880 meters at the south of Anamur) caves of Turkey are present on this mountain belt.

In Turkey, the cavern investigations initiated by the Cavern Research Society (MAD) founded in 1964. Later on, the first university club, Bosphorus University Cavern Research Club (BUMAK) has been founded in 1973. In 1979, Karst and Cavern Exploration Unit founded under the authority of MTA Geology Studies Department is executing most of the cavern explorations nowadays.

About one third of Turkey is underlain by carbonate rocks. The intense karstification is spread almost all over Turkey. It is found particularly in the regions of the Taurus Mountain Range, in Northwest Anatolia, in Konya closed basin and in Southeastern Anatolia. Karstification is present both at high altitudes (over 2000 m.) and also it is known to exist at elevations below the sea level, such as Ovacik submarine springs, Kas – Kalkan submarine springs and the Mediterranean region coastal springs.

Turkey is thoroughly located in the Mediterranean sector of the Alpine organic belt. The Alpine orogeny and the following epirogenic movements in Turkey have been important factors in karstification.