Description of the attraction
Alanya's pirate past could not but leave its traces in the numerous caves and grottoes that are scattered along the entire coast. They can only be reached from the sea. According to local aborigines, once in one of them - Kyzlar Magarasy - pirates hid women who were kidnapped during raids.
Karain Magarasy Cave is one of the most interesting archaeological and historical monuments and at the same time the largest natural cave in Turkey. It is located in the Mediterranean region of the country, near the village of Yagja (Yenikoy region), twenty-seven kilometers northwest of Antalya, on the eastern slope of the rocky Chan mountain. The cave itself is located at an altitude of approximately three hundred and seventy meters above sea level and eighty meters up the slope, where the zone of calcareous tuff plain borders on the Western Taurus. The cave is about one hundred and fifty meters high.
Karain Magarasy, in addition to its natural value, is also of great historical value. Due to its convenience and very good location, it, starting somewhere from the Paleolithic era (about twenty-five thousand years ago), was inhabited by people who left a very large number of material reminders of their stay.
Damlatash Magarasy Cave is located at the western foot of the peninsula, in the center of Alanya. The name Damlatash is translated from Turkish as “stone in drops” (damla - drop, tash - stone).
The cave was discovered during the construction of the port, which was carried out in 1948. A quarry was located at this place. After the explosion, which was made in order to obtain stone for the construction of the ferry pier, the entrance to the cave was opened. Inside it were discovered stalagmites and stalactites of amazing beauty, their age is about fifteen thousand years. The cave was taken under protection and research work began.
Damlatas is one of the few Turkish caves specially equipped for visiting tourists. It is useful to visit it for people with asthma. The healing factors here are very high humidity, stable temperature, low ionization and radioactivity of the air, as well as an increased content of carbon dioxide.
Dim Magarasy Cave is an ancient natural formation, completely filled with stalagmites and stalactites of the most bizarre shapes and colors. There is a small salt lake in the very center of the cave. This place has long been known to the local people who hunt, they found refuge in it. In 1986, the cave began to be developed for visitors and since 1998 has been a local landmark.
