| Oylat Cave | |
|---|---|
| Oylat Mağarası | |
  Location of Oylat Cave in Turkey | |
| Location | Hilmiye,İnegöl, Bursa, Turkey |
| Coordinates | 39°56′36″N29°35′26″E / 39.94333°N 29.59056°E /39.94333; 29.59056 |
| Length | 730 m (2,400 ft) |
| Height variation | 93 m (305 ft) |
| Discovery | 2004; 21 years ago (2004) |
| Show cave opened | 2006; 19 years ago (2006) |
Oylat Cave (Turkish:Oylat Mağarası) is ashow cave inBursa Province, northwestern Turkey.
The cave is located 1 km (0.62 mi) south ofHilmiye village and 17 km (11 mi) southeast ofİnegöl town in Bursa Province.[1] It is accessible from İnegöl on the state road toAnkaraD.200E90 southwards, then taking İnegöl-Tavşanlı routeD.595 untilGündüzlü village exit, thenafter changing to the provincial road16-27 at the junction marked "Oylat Thermal Spring Resort" and passing through Hilmiye village.[2][3][4]
Oylat Cave was formed on a significant, east-west orientedfault line in the marble formation dating back to around 3Ma. It is situated at the end of the Oylat Creek Canyon in aterrain of thePliocene period. Fossils have been found in the cave.[1][3]
The cave's main entrance is 5–6 m (16–20 ft) above the canyon floor, where at this place the canyon walls rise up 450–500 m (1,480–1,640 ft) high. There exist three more entrances high above the cave's main entrance.[1] The cave has two interconnected levels, and has ameandering shape.[3]
Discovered in 2004, the cave has an overall length of 730 m (2,400 ft) with a 93 m (305 ft) clearance. Thestalactites andstalagmites in the cave are colorful. It has a rich natural ecosystem, and is inhabitad bybats,butterflies,worms andguanobites.[3]
A large chamber is reached following a narrow gallery of 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft) width and around 15 m (49 ft) height after entry to the first floor cave. The chamber is occupied by dripstone ponds and gravel yards. The cave above is 25–55 m (82–180 ft) wide and 3–15 m (9.8–49.2 ft) high. It is composed of large blocks, pillars, stalactites and stalagmites as well as gravel, sand and clay layers.[3][4]
The meteorological conditions inside the cave vary according to the location. Narrow galleries and gateways connecting chambers and floors are somewhat windy. At an outside temperature of 29 °C (84 °F) and a humidity of 47%, the temperature falls to 19 °C (66 °F) and the humidity rises to 55% in the cave entrance. In the narrow gallery, the temperature decreases to 17 °C (63 °F) while the humidity goes up to 78%. Finally in the chamber, the temperature is at its lowest value of 14 °C (57 °F) and the humidity reaches 90%.[3][4]
Located in aspa resort, the cave was opened to tourism in 2006. It is believed that the cave is capable of curing respiratory complaints, such asasthma andbronchitis. The cave is visited by domestic and foreign tourists. While domestic tourists come all around the year, foreign tourists, mostly fromKuwait and theUnited Arab Emirates, visit the cave during the summer season, between June and October.
Only 650 m (2,130 ft) of the cave is open to the public. Visiting the cave takes about 90 minutes.[3]
