Gilindire Cave (Aynalıgöl)
In the Aydıncık district of Mersin, there is a mysterious place straight out of a fairy tale: Gilindire Cave! Here, visitors are greeted as if by a hidden treasure nestled both beside the sea and deep within the earth. Have you ever wanted to see the lake that lies at the end of the massive stalactites?
A Discovery Chasing a Hedgehog
This enormous cave was actually discovered very recently, in 1999. The story behind it is quite fascinating: A shepherd, while grazing his flock, encounters a hedgehog. When the hedgehog disappears into a rocky crevice where no shrubs grow, the shepherd, curious, follows it. Through a narrow opening, he finds himself facing an endless, mesmerizing underground world.
Gilindire ( Aynalıgöl ) Mağarası( Anadolu Ajansı )
A Grand Journey Into the Earth
At the entrance of the cave, you are met by a staircase of exactly 560 steps. As you descend, the air changes and you are surrounded by massive stalactites formed over thousands of years. The total length of the cave is 555 meters, and its interior resembles a labyrinth. Dripping “curtain stalactites” along the walls and ceiling-hanging formations resembling ice stalactites turn the cave into an art gallery.
Why Is It Called “Aynalıgöl”?
At the very end of the cave lies a vast lake that leaves visitors in awe. The seepage water is so still and smooth that it gives the impression of looking into a mirror, as if the stalactites above continue endlessly below. This is why people named it Aynalıgöl. Some parts of the lake are so deep that the water level even dips below sea level.
A Time Machine from the Ice Age
Gilindire Cave is not only a beautiful sight but also functions like a time machine. The formations inside preserve clues about the climate of the Ice Age from thousands of years ago. Scientists study the submerged sections of the cave to understand how the Earth looked in historical times. Because of this, Gilindire is regarded as the only and most significant “record site” in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Journey Through Time
Excavations in the cave have uncovered pottery fragments and animal bones dating back 7,000 years, to the Neolithic period. This proves that humans knew about this cave in ancient times!
