Caving

Carbonate rocks lie beneath more than one third of Turkey’s territory. The intense karstification is spread almost all over Turkey particularly in 4 regions: Taurus Mountain Range, in Northwestern and Thrace region, in Southeastern Anatolia, and in Konya basin. Karstification is known to exist both at high altitudes (over 2000 m.) and also at elevations below the sea level, such as Ovacik submarine springs, Kas - Kalkan submarine springs and the Mediterranean region coastal springs.

Most caves in Turkey occur in limestone, despite the caves in the Plain of Konya. However the limestone spelaeology has been as little studied as the Turkish karst. Karstic landforms are mainly represented by the Taurus mountain range of Turkey, although smaller areas occur near Istanbul in the northwest, and near the border with Iraq in the far southeastern part of Turkey.

Here is a list of some of the most bizarre caves in Turkey: Damlataş Cave, Dim Cave, Karain Cave, Zeytintaşı Cave (Antalya); Kaklık Cave (Denizli); Karaca Cave (Gümüşhane); Ballıca Cave (Tokat).