Beauty of Körükini Cave in Konya

The Körükini Cave has a special place among the Derebucak Caves, each of which has different and beautiful features. The cave is located 1 km southwest of Çamlık Neighborhood and can be reached by a side road that branches off from the Derebucak-Çamlık route. Körükini Cave, along with Suluin Cave, is a hydrological semi-active underground dual cave system with unique features, measuring a total of 1,936 meters in length. Uzunsu Stream, which forms this dual cave system, passes through the Körükini Cave primarily and then advances 1,330 meters before descending into Değirmenini Valley. After flowing on the surface for 300 meters in the valley, it enters Suluin Cave. Değirmenini Valley generally separates this dual cave system, which develops in an east-west direction, and waterfalls, lakes, and siphons form intermittently while the Uzunsu Stream passes through the cave. Due to the increased rainfall during winter and spring, the water level in the cave is very high, but it decreases significantly during the dry period in summer and autumn. Nevertheless, the constantly changing flow in the cave makes it unsuitable for living organisms. If you spend some time at the entrance where the stream enters the cave, you can feel the peace that the sound of water gives you to the bone in the silence inside.

Also known as Soğuksu Cave, the entrance of the cave is an impressive sight, with a height of 30 meters and a width of 12 meters. When you reach the entrance and bend between the rocks, you will encounter a second entrance that is about 8 meters high. Discovered by Timuçin Aygen in 1966 and investigated by MTA in 1992, the cave has been determined to be 1330 meters long and 54 meters deep, with a width varying between 8-15 meters and a ceiling height of 4-20 meters. Therefore, there are not many difficulties such as crawling in the cave, and there are many eroded rock pieces due to the physical erosion of the water. Due to the flow of the Uzunsu Stream, small and large lakes that vary in depth between 0.5-5 meters and more than 10 gravel and sand islands among them, become more pronounced during dry periods when the water level decreases. In the high areas of the cave where the floodwaters of Soğuksu Stream cannot reach, dripstone accumulations can be seen, and a magnificent area consisting of many pools, stalactites, and stalagmites can be found towards the exit. There are also white travertine pools, which are reminiscent of Pamukkale and have depths ranging from 1-1.5 meters, in the areas close to the entrance and exit of the cave.

It is necessary to have a special experience to cross the waters that make waterfalls between large rock blocks in the cave where the underground flow is intense. Although it is possible to tour the cave by boat, the best time to enter is in the summer and autumn months. In the spring months, water flow in the cave can be quite high, making it difficult to access some parts of the cave.