Gaziantep Sulu Mağara

Useful Information

Location:	Kılınçoğlu, Ali Baba Cd. No:36, 27300 Şahinbey/Gaziantep. (37.0552606, 37.3934832)
Open:	All year workdays 8-17. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Rock Mine Factory
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed, ask
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Gaziantep İlk İplik Mağarası, Kılınçoğlu, Ali Baba Cd. No:36, 27300 Şahinbey/Gaziantep, Tel: +90-532-510-0448.
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

Sulu Mağara (Sulu Cave, Aqueous Cave, Water Cave) is located in the middle of the city Gaziantep. To avoid mix-ups with other Water Caves, a name which is quite common, we call it here Gaziantep Sulu Mağara. However, this is not a cave at all, actually it is a quarry with an underground mining area, which was mined some 200 years ago. The abandoned quarry has properties like a cave, humid and cool. This, and a huge space, is needed for hemp rope-making. As a result the cave also has the name İplik Mağarası (Rope Cave) or in full Gaziantep İlk İplik Mağarası (Gaziantep’s First Yarn Cave).

The centuries-old tradition of hemp rope-making is kept alive by the production on handmade looms in Sulu Mağara. The craftsmen use waste yarn sourced from factories to produce rope on hand-operated looms in the damp environment of the caves. They work with wooden spinning wheels, run between the looms to wind the yarn and transform it into hemp. The rope-makers walk nearly 50 kilometres a day to produce 150 kilograms of rope. The hemp produced is used for making nets, hammocks, fishing nets and for tying various materials.

This is not a tourist site, it is a workshop, where traditional techniques are used. If you ask nicely, they will be happy to show you their work, just do your best not to interfere.