contents: Turkey Caverns : Zindan Cave Isparta, Aksu District Aksu Creek Valley Inönü Cave Kuz Cave Pınargözü Cave Ayiini Cave The Lakes Region Egirdir District Marian layers karstic layers Sütçüler District Asar Hill Köprüçay canyon Yalvaç District.

Caves of Isparta

Zindan Cave
Location: Isparta, Aksu District
The cave is located inside the Aksu Creek Valley which is 2 km. northeast of Aksu district. The road following the creek bank and leading to the plateaus above passes in front of the Zindan Cave. Reaching to the cave via this road by bus and other sorts of vehicles is possible.
Properties: The Lakes Region in which the Zindan Cave is located is one of the most dense karstic areas of Turkey. The total length of the cave is 760 meters and is horizontal and semi active. The cave is known and used from the Roman period.

Inönü Cave
Location: Isparta, Egirdir District
The cave is located at the northern skirts of Inönü Hill which is 1.5 km south of Sariidris village. Reaching to the cave from the village is possible via tractor.
Properties: The cave is 227 meters long and is horizontal and dry. In precipitant seasons, some small lakes are formed inside some branches of the cave. The cave is generally dry. The temperature inside the cave is 16ºC. The atmosphere moisture is 82 percent.

Inönü Cave has developed among the cracks in various directions inside the Jura - Creates aged limestone which are sitting on the Inönü Hill as a skullcap. Under this limestone layer, dolomite and locally Marian layers of Trias age. The cave could not developed deeper because of these non - karstic layers.

Inönü Cave had been developed in horizontal direction and as narrow galleries from the entrance. There is only a wide saloon at the entrance section.

Here, there is a thick ground layer and inside this layer there are numerous skeleton parts. Therefore, it is understood that this section of the cave is either accommodated or used as a burial ground. Most of the galleries are empty, but there are numerous damlatas formations in some branches.
The cave is known by the local folk for a long period and a lot of skeleton pieces were discovered at an area close to the cave entrance. No investigations on this fact had been executed.

Kuz Cave
Location: Isparta, Sütçüler District
Kuz Cave is located at the steep side of the Köprüçay canyon, near Asar Hill which is to the southwest of Kesme Borough. Reaching to the edge of the canyon from the borough in 15 - 20 minutes by tractor or any other land cruiser is possible. When this road is arranged, this period would be much shorter. However, in order to reach the cave which is at the middle of the 700-750 m. deep canyon is possible by foot and takes about half an hour. This downward walk is hard and dangerous.

Properties: The total length is 224 meters and the deepest point in respect to the entrance is at 17.5 meters. The cave has hot and semi dry atmosphere. There is a significant air circulation at the narrow passages and side branch connections.

The width of the cave alters between 2-16 m and the height of the ceiling alters between 1-20 meters. The middle and final sections of the cave is covered with beautiful various shapes of damlatas (stalagmite, stalactite, pillar, wall and cover damlatas, damlatas pools,... etc..) To the end of the main gallery, a thick sand and pebble deposit could be encountered. These parts of the cave are the deepest sections. The ending point of the side branch separated from these deposits is + 10 meters above the entrance.

Kuz cave is 250-300 meters above the river bed and is a fossil cave which is hydrological suspended (vadoz belt).Because of this fact, except from the dripping or leaking water in precipitant seasons, it is completely dry. These waters form small ponds at the end of the main gallery.

Ayiini Cave
Location: Isparta, Yalvaç District.
Ayiini cave is located at 15 km northeast of Yalvaç and is at the southern skirts of Sultan Mountains above the Nazilli creek. The cave is 20 - 30 meters above the valley bottom and reaching both from Yalvaç and Özgüney Boroughs by stabilized two roads is possible.

Properties: The cave is 407 m. long, developed horizontally and is a fossil caveat resource situation. The cave has cold and semi moisture atmosphere. As the cave has a cracky structure and is composed of two layers, there is a significant air circulation inside the cave.

No specific animal community is found inside the Ayiini Cave. But rarely there are bats living in different locations.

Ayiini is suitable for touristic purposes with the beauty of the natural surroundings and interesting damlatas and cistern formations inside the cave. Especially the cisterns found in different locations inside the cave are unique. Also, protection walls present in some parts of the cavern makes the cave more attractive.

Pınargözü Cave
Location: Isparta Yenisarbademli District
The cave is located at 11 km. west of Yenisarbademli.
Properties: As discovered to the 6th kilometer before, Pinargözü Cave is the longest cave of Turkey with 12 km length reached in 1991. With the siphon just 50 meters away from the entrance and with the waterfalls and travertines having long siphons to climb, Pinargözü Cave is a hard cave to wander about. The exploration of this cave is still in progress.