Caves of Eskişehir

Sarıkaya Cave

Location: Eskişehir, Mihalıççık District, Yalınkaya Village

Following the branch of Eskişehir Mihalıççık road in the direction of Büyüdüz - Sasa - Yalınkaya, Yalımkaya village is reached. To reach the cave, an hour of walking inside the deep canyon of Domya creek from Yalınkaya is necessary.

Properties: The total length of the cave is 665 meters and it has two main entrances. The cave is formed of three layers connected to each other. The floor of the cave contains sand, pebbles and rubbles and because of the humidity of the lower layer, there are numerous damlataş formations. These damlataş are at the shapes of stalactite, stalagmite , pillar, wall and drapery damlataşı and their formation is still in process. The damlataş pools are mostly in colors of black and brown. The upper layers contains fossils. These layers are poor of damlataş.

The atmosphere of the cave is cold and moistured. The upper layer has a temperature of 13ºC, 80 percent humidity, the lower layer has temperature of 10ºC ve90 percent humidity.

The cave contains Flintstones chipping, ceramic and brick pieces and human bones displaying that this cave was in use at the prehistoric and historic periods.

Yelinüstü Cave

Location: Eskişehir, Günyüzü District, Kayakent Sub district

The cave is located at the southeast part of the Sivrihisar Mountain extending between the Sivrihisar - Günyüzü road and Sakarya river. Reaching to the Kayakent sub district is possible via Ankara-Eskişehir or Ankara -Polatlı - Yunak highways. The cave is close to the Kayakent Subdistrict.

Properties: The total length of the cave is 420 meters and the depth of the final point in respect to the cave entrance is at -90 meters. The second chamber is reached via a narrow gallery having small downward descends branching from the right side of the cave entrance. There are different damlataş formations inside the chamber covered with large blocks. This saloon gives opening into two different saloons having the same formations.

The cave is mostly dry except the periods at which water drips from the ceiling. There are cisterns and pools constructed to collect these dripping water. The average temperature inside the cave is 20ºC and the humidity is 70 percent.

This cave displays similar properties with Yelini Cave and remains and shapes showing that this cave had been used by humans for a long time are also present in this cave.

Yelini Cave

Location: Eskişehir, Günyüzü District, Kayakent Subdistrict

This cave is located at the south of the Yelinüstü Cave and is at the southeast of Sivrihisar Mountains extending between Sivrihisar and Günyüzü Sakurada river. Reaching to the cave is possible via Ankara-Eskişehir or Ankara - Polatlı -Yunak highways.

Properties: The total length of the cave is 271 meters and the deepest point in respect to the cave entrance is at -26 meters. The cave had been divided into many saloons and chambers by the large blocks fallen from the ceiling and damlataş and is covered with extremely beautiful looking damlataş.

Generally, the temperature inside the cave decreases while humidity increases as advanced from entrance to the end. The cave has temperature of 25.5ºC and humidity of 45 percent at the entrance and temperature of 16.1ºC ve79.5 percent of humidity at the final saloon.

This cave displays similar properties with Yelinüstü Cave and remains and shapes showing that this cave had been used by humans for a long time are also present in this cave. In front side of the cave and at the slopes and fields, flint stones, chipping, axes and spearheads were found. At the entrance part, various tools, bones, pottery pieces were found. There are cisterns and pools with depths exceeding 2 meters made of bricks were present at the saloon.