Medil (Köklü) Cave (Azdavay-Kastamonu) and its Importance for Tourism

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Caves are important touristic attractions of Turkey related to their geological, geomorphological, hydrological structures with floristic and faunistic, historical and cultural features. However, it is important to determine their potentials when they are protected and to provide their sustainability. In this context, Kastamonu which is one of the cities in Turkey with the number of caves has a richness related to the number of caves. In the hinterland of the city, there are many caves related to the geological structure of the landscape, tectonic and climatic features. The important caves in the city are the Ilgarini and the Mantar caves in Pınarbaşı town, the Sarpunalınca and the Sisli-Gizemli caves in Devrekani town, the Kuyluç caves in Şenpazar town, the Kılıçlı cave in Cide and the Medil cave and the Kırkbasamak cave in Azdavay town which becomes the theme of the research. These caves in Kastamonu have a great tourism potential and are waiting to be investigated and evaluated. The Medil Cave is situated in Ayvat district of Karakuşlu town in Azdavay town of Kastamonu in the west part of Blacksea region. The distance of the cave to Devrekani is about 7,2 km and is located in the east part of the Çatak Canyon occurred on the Devrekani stream. The entrance of the cave is 1046 meters high from the sea level. The Medil Cave has historical ruins inside and it is occurred in clay stones belonging Mesozoic age (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous). These ruins are thought belonging to the early Roman period and it proves that the cave has been used for protection for the people for a long time. The height of the cave is about 6 meters from the entrance to the basement. The entrance of the cave is very dangerous as the entrance is very narrow and it has 30° inclination. There are four saloons with different heights starting from the entrance and the galleries between them connect them to each other. The length of the cave is 205 m and besides the historical ruins, there are stalactites, stalagmites and drop-shaped ornaments in the Medil Cave. It provides a natural microclimate feature and it is active as hydrological. The Medil cave has a tourism potential with its cultural and historical features besides its drop-shaped ornaments. As it is very close to the Çatak Canyon, the tourism potential becomes important. No protection measures have been taken for the evaluation of the cave. It is necessary to build climbing route for the visitors and the cave should be illuminated. However, it is essential to build an environment around the cave with the accordance of the landscape and the structure of the cave should be protected.

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Azdavay , Medil , Cave , Limestone , Dripstone , Tourism

eastern geographical review

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eastern geographical review