Aşağı Dünya Obruğu

Akhayat Sinkhole

Useful Information

Location:	D400 coastal road, exit Karadedeli̇, after the gas station. Follow main road, for 9 km, turn right on narrow road. Signposted. (36.448200, 34.010300)
Open:	no restrictions. [2022]
Fee:	free. [2022]
Classification:	Doline
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=165 m, W=120 m, VR=70 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Aşağı Dünya Obruğu, Öztürkmenli, 33940 Silifke/Mersin
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

Description

Aşağı Dünya Obruğu (Lower World Pothole) is better known as Akhayat Sinkhole. Its a classical collapse doline, almost circular, with vertical walls show the remains of the collapsed cave including some speleothems. The site is in the middle of nowhere and currently there is not much development for tourism, but there is a road to the rim.

The doline is worth a visit due to its enormous size. With diameters between 160 and 120 m it almost qualifies as a tiankeng, but it is only about 70 m deep. But the floor has a slope and the avaerage depth is more like 40 m. Nevertheless, it is qute spectacular and one of the biggest collapse dolines in Turkey.

Located at the southern coast it is not far from the tourist centers and there are plans to create some infrastructure and make it a tourist sight. However, such ideas are free, but development costs money, we will see it will happen. This will probably depend on the development of tourism in the area after the pandemic.

The doline was obviously used by the locals, there are several man made caves on the walls of the sinkhole. There is also a sort of path, a steep staircase of steps was cut into the rock on the north-west side. Unfortunately it is partly destroyed, and it is not safe to use it to descent.