caves Marmara

Dupnisa Cave, Kırklareli

Located in the village of Sarpdere, in Kırklareli's Demirköy district, Dupnisa Cave is the only cave in Türkiye's northwestern Thrace region.

The cave is closed between November 15 and May 15 each year to allow for the reproduction of its nearly 60,000 resident bats, which belong to 11 different species. When the reproduction season is over, the cave welcomes visitors again.

Having been formed in the early Jurassic epoch, Dupnisa Cave comprises three interconnected caves and has three entrances. The total length of the cave is 3,200 m, and the variety and dissimilarity of the three caves make them an attractive tourist destination.

Dupnisa Cave is the water source of the Rezve River, which serves as the natural border between Türkiye and Bulgaria.

Oylat Cave, Bursa

Three thousand years ago, the natural formation of the Oylat Cave was completed and today, it is a beloved destination for nature lovers. With a total length of 665 meters, it is considered to be Türkiye's second-largest cave, located in Bursa’s İnegöl district. You can reach this natural wonder, whose height matches that of a 40-story building, following a long and memorable trail.

Oylat Cave was discovered in 2004. It has an overall length of 730 meters and in some places the walls rise up 450-500 meters. High above the cave’s main entrance, there are three other openings. The cave is full of colorful stalactites and stalagmites. If you’re lucky, you might get glimpses of the bats and butterflies that inhabit this huge cave.

Yarımburgaz Cave, İstanbul

Yarımburgaz Cave is the site of the first human settlement in İstanbul, dating back 400,000 years. It is a natural limestone cave around 600 meters long in the valley of Sazlıdere River, north of Lake Küçükçekmece.

The first archaeological excavations in Yarımburgaz Caves, which are made up of four separate caves, were carried out in the 1960s. Important artifacts were found during the excavations, but today the caves are in ruins due to years of neglect and irreversible damage caused by the reckless members of the public. 

At its entrance, there is an upper chamber measuring around 50 m that is linked to a lower chamber that measures around 600 m. The floor of the upper chamber has been destroyed by treasure hunters and illicit digging; the lower chamber yielded extensive finds dating back to the Lower Paleolithic era.

The cave was the site of a monastery until the Late Byzantine era, with the upper chamber functioning as a chapel. Traces of a small basilica can be found outside the entrance of the upper chamber and an apse has been carved at its entrance. In addition, there are traces of a division wall on the ceiling, a column with a carved capital, three vaults, and nine niches on the east wall.

Other Caves in the Marmara Region

• İkigöz Cave, İstanbul (Requires equipment)

• Yanasu Cave, Kırklareli (Requires equipment)