Yerküpe Mağarası

Useful Information

Location:	East Menteşe Mountains, at Hebil river. Between the village Kavaklıdere, Menteşe, and Çamyayla. (37.403627, 28.430115)
Open:	closed. [2024]
Fee:	closed. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=100 m, VR=17, H=2-8 m, W=3-10 m, T=5 °C.
Guided tours:	self guided. V=10,000/a [2014]
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Yerküpe Piknik Alanı, Menteşe, 48580 Kavaklıdere/Muğla
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

2004	opened to the public.

Description

Yerküpe Mağarası (Yerkupe Cave) is a rather small cave in the intermittent state, between fossil cave and active river cave. In other words the cave river flows underground working on the next lower level of the cave but is reactivated during the wet season. The floor is covered by many sediments, mostly gravel and sand. But it also has rimstone pools, stalactites, and stalagmites. Small ups and downs in the cave are caused by blocks falling from the ceiling and the dripstone deposits. But the most spectacular part is probably the cave entrance. A waterfall beneath the entrance portal shows during times of high water. It can be seen from the trail leading down to the entrance.

The cave was long known to the locals. It was used by the nomadic Yoruk shepherds for their animals as a cool barn, and to store their products. The cool temperature made it a natural refrigerator. The cave has only 5 °C, which is quite low for Turkey, and with an outside temperature of 38 °C you should definitely bring a fleece jacket for the visit.

The cave was developed with walkways, stairs, handrails, and electric lights by the Muğla Governorship in cooperation with the Menteşe Municipality. The area around the cave entrance was transformed into a picnic and recreation area, surrounded by green pine forests. It is also used for yearly wrestling matches in June which are a sort of local tradition. They are known as Menteşe Yerküpe Yağlı Pehlivan Güreşleri (Menteşe Yerküpe Oil Wrestling). There are also numerous market booths, a café, and a spring with fresh water which is collected by the locals.

We had some difficulties with this cave, as there seems to be no operator. It seems the cave is gated, but it is opened after a schedule, and then it is freely accessible. We were not able to find out the rules of this. The only article on the web we found, which was actually describing the situation first hand, failed to visit the cave. There was no sign with opening hours or contact information. He asked the shop and café operators in the park, but they could not help. This gives the impression that even the locals have no idea what’s going on. We have no contact info, no open hours, no website, actually no info at all, and as the only first-hand report says that the cave was closed, this is the only info we have.