Tuzluca Tuz Mağarası

Useful Information

Location:	Aşağı, 76900 Tuzluca/Iğdır. (40.050561, 43.665818)
Open:	All year daily 8-17. [2025]
Fee:	Adults TRL 60, Children (0-8) Free, Students TRL 20. [2025]
Classification:	Salt Mine Halotherapie
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:	T=12 °C, A=975 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided, D=30 min
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Baki Varol, Sevket Sen, Turhan Ayyıldız, Koray Sözeri, Zehra Karakas, Grégoire Métais (2015): Sedimentology and stratigraphy of Cenozoic deposits in the Kağızman-Tuzluca Basin, northeastern Turkey International Journal of Earth Sciences. 105. researchgate DOI Turker Yakupoglu, Enver Karasu (2023): Mineralogical and Geochemical Properties of Miocene Rocks Outcropping Around Tuzluca (igdir-turkiye)tuzluca (iğdir-türki̇ye) Çevresi̇nde Yüzeylenen Mi̇yosen Yaşli Kayaçlarin Mi̇neraloji̇k Ve Jeoki̇myasal Özelli̇kleri̇ Eskişehir Technical University Journal of Science and Technology A - Applied Sciences and Engineering. 24. researchgate DOI Okan Özbakır, Mustafa Öcal, Alma Mehmet (2021): Post Mining Application: Tuzluca Rock Salt Mine Therapy Center for Health Tourism Natural Resources and Conservation. 9. 1-7. DOI Selim Kartal, Tümay Güneş (2024): Evaluation of Çankırı and Iğdır salt caves within the scope of health and recreation tourism Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. 93-105. researchgate DOI
Address:	Tuzluca Tuz Mağarası, Aşağı, 76900 Tuzluca/Iğdır, Tel: +90-.
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

1746	region invaded by Persia (today Iran) and subsequently became part of the Erivan Khanate.
1826-1828	Russo-Persian War.
1828	with the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Russia gains control over the area.
1917	Tuzluca comes under the administration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia.
1921	Soviet Union cedes the district to Turkey with a contract.
2021	Tuz Terapi Merkezi (Salt Therapy Center) opened.

Geology

Salt is deposited by evaporation, a cut-off basin with seawater in arid climate evaporates and the salt is deposited. To reach are certain thickness it is necessary that there is a cycle where the basin is refilled with seawater and then again evaporates. This happened here between 37 and 24 Ma ago during the late Paleogene Period. The resulting salt layer is about 100 m thick and spreads over an area of 4 km². The content of rock salt (NaCl) is 91.4 %, which is rather high. There is at least a reserve of 613 million tons of salt, probably 200 Million more.

Description

Tuzluca Tuz Mağarası (Tuzluca Salt Mines) is a salt mine located directly on the Armenian border. Over time, this area has belonged to various neighbouring countries, but since a treaty between the Soviet Union and Turkey from 1921, it has belonged to Turkey. The salt mine was developed for visitors a few years ago and is now primarily used for halotherapy. However, it is also possible to visit the mine, but only self-guided, there are no guided tours and no explanations on the history or technique of mining. The cavern is level and illuminated with coloured light. There are several side chamber which includes a concert hall. One smaller chamber has a ceiling covered in salt crystals.

Tuz is the turkish word for salt, and the Tuz Dağı (Salt Mountain) actually consists of salt. There is a spring, and the emerging river is called Tuz Deresi (Salt Creek), because thw water is actually salty. This district has the name Tuzluca (Salty) because it has enormous salt resources. There have been salt mines at least since medieval times. Located on the Silk Road, the salt has been of great economic importance since ancient times. During this time the area belonged to the Ottoman Empire, Persia, Armenia and Russia. If the frequent changes are a result of the location at the border or actually a result of the salt deposits remains unclear.

The area was mined for salt historically by digging massive passages into the hillside. The typical dimensions are 6-8 m high and 8-19 m wide. Numerous such historic mine tunnels can be seen, and while they are rather easy to visit we would strongly discourage, as abandoned tunnels tend to collapse, especially in salt. There is still one mine operational, which produces 60 tons of salt daily. The halotherapy site was created quite recently