THE KARAIN CAVE

The Karain is located in 30 kilometers northwest of Antalya, inside the Yağca Village of Centrum, at the east side of Katran Mountains and one of the biggest natural caves of Turkey. It is understood that the cave, which has been scientifically excavated since 1946, was used as a residental place for 500.000 years from the present day.

Karain Cave is an important Paleolithic center in terms of the Turkish and the Near East history. With the excavations in Karain Cave, evidences were found referring to a very huge time period starting from the Lower Paleolithic Ages till Late Roman Age. The usage of the Cave in Ancient Periods is mostly as an oblation Cave (temple) and there are inscriptions from Hellenistic Period and niches on front and walls of the cave.

THE PLACE ILLUMINATES A HISTORY OF 500 THOUSAND YEARS

The Paleolithic caves known in earth are generally represents only one ages of the history but Karain shows a continuous bedding as of Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic Ages. The evidences obtained from these layers are important especially in terms of reflecting the connections between the Europe and the near East and the migration routes of the area. The Cave also highly contributes the Pleistosen Age Archaeology of Turkey, with its fossiles and absolute dating results.

Karain is nominated as a “combined site” to Unesco’s World Heritage List with the other caves around in consideration of their natural and cultural properties.