Dilek Magarasi

Cave of Wishes - Düden Waterfall Cave

Useful Information

Location:	12 km northeast of Antalya. (36°57'49.93"N, 30°43'35.62"E)
Open:
Fee:	Adults YTL 1. [2006]
Classification:	Primary cave Tufa cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Düden başi mah 21 Cad, Düden Cd., 07320 Kepez/Antalya, Tel: +90-242-361-00-82.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The 20 m high Düden waterfall has a special sight, which is normally only known from adventure stories or the Lord of the Ring book: a cave behind a waterfall. Not a cavern which was created by the erosion of the waterfall, a real cave which extends as a labyrinth through the rock behind the waterfall and has openings to backside of the waterfall as well as to the surface and to the river below. The cave is called Dilek Magarasi (Cave of Wishes). If you reach the waterfall from above there is a spiral staircase down into the cave. But you can also enter from the trail along the river below the waterfall, A stone staircase goes up to a cave entrance, and a series of irregular chambers leads to waterfall.

This cave was formed by the water of the waterfall, which is very limestone rich. The deposition of the limestone makes this a growing waterfall, limestone is continually deposited at the edge which continually grow downstream. But the growth is irregular and so caverns remain open, are enclosed by tufa and finally for caves. Those caves are calle tufa caves and belong to the group of primary caves, which are caves formed together with the rock.

This cave is not really a show cave, it is actually a part of the park with the Düden waterfall. Most people actually go there to see the waterfall.