Four Days in Darkness Article and photographs by Cemal Gülas Ilgarini cave, a natural cathedral of stalactites and stalagmites, harbors an ancient village settlement of about 10 households, tombs and a church all thought to belong to the Byzantine era. |
The entrance to Ilgarini Cave was rather cold and damp. Members of Atlas team experienced moments of excitement as they tried to climb the ventilation chimney 50-60m into the main gallery using ropes... Ilgarini is located in a pitted carstic plateau (Sorgun Yaylasi) near Toprakini Cave and Sorkun Düdeni whose altitude varies between 900-1,000m. The region's interesting geomorphology and architectural value as well as its rich flora and fauna make it a prime National Park candidate. |
 |
 |
To progress beyond the graves and church ruins in the main gallery, the team had to use technical equipment. After the 55m technical descent among the travertines they encountered hundreds of pools of varying size. In this section, the only sign of previous visitors to the cave were giant logs that were used either to facilitate climbing down from above or dropped to give an estimate of depth. On the soft muddy surface of the travertines marks can still be seen where visitors to the cave had slid. Perhaps these prints, and those left by the Atlas team, will be preserved for many long years. |
To reach the end of the large gallery technical equipment was needed 400m beyound the entrance.
Going deeper into the cave in total darkness on extremely slippery ground is much too dangers, and carbide lamps are essential to maneuvering the cave. Where the ceiling is low or where stalactites hang like giant fangs the safety helmet is the most important piece of equipment. It prevents injury if by sudden reflex you straighten up and bang yourself hard or crash into the surrounding rock. Helmets come in handy not just in this section, but falling is always a possibility, and it is better to be prepared. |
 |
At the end of the gallery sits the "Chandelier Room" with its wonderful display
of stalactites and stalagmites.
 |
After the natural arched entrance to Ilgarini Cave, you come to the room with the ventilation shaft. In the short gallery to the right, progressing is relatively easy over this level ground. Here there is a ruined cistern. Then the passage narrows and becomes more indented until the chandelier room is reached, named for its magnificent stalactites and stalagmites, the sight of which eases exhaustion. |
The point for technical descent... The greatest concern of a person climbing down a rope in darkness is where it will reach to. If there is a ridge or a suitable place to stop it can be a rest point on the wall. |
 |
In the entrance section lie the remains of buildings of a 10 household village thought to have been settled in the Byzantine era. Its graves and ruined church lie deeper in the main gallery. A path leads to them, clinging to the walls as it goes. |
 |
Signs on the gallery walls show the level to which it may formerly have been filled with water. We will leave this and other clues to the formation of the cave to be examined by speleologists. The Atlas team tried to capture the atmosphere for you by lighting and photographing the place. |
 |
The forest receives heavy rainfall even in summer, and camping is out of the question in the winter and spring months. In the region where even summer nights can be cold, a sheltering cave is not enough. Because of the impossible weather conditions the first thing that came to the drenched team's mind was to make a log fire from found wood to dry themselves and their clothes. |
 |
|
Carbide lamps glowing like fireflies in the bottomless darkness... As we reached the deepest point of Ilgarini cave, our carbide ran out and we decided to rest briefly in the darkness before recharging our lamps. At first, I couldn't get used to the sound of constantly dripping water, and then there was a new sound, a bubbling. We had been in the cave for four straight days, not knowing whether it was night or day. My thoughts turned to the journey from Istanbul under stubborn rainfall, the back seat so full of equipment that there was only room for my two teammates in the front. I couldn't help but recall a restless night in the tent. The next morning we climbed the mountain road overlooking Sekriban River and reached Pinarbasi via Ardaçay where we met the governor of the sub-province. I had decided to research and write about Ilgarini for Atlas on my first visit there last summer. Ilgarini was impressive with its great arching entrance and ancient ruins. In the right-hand gallery sits a cistern and a few ruined buildings of unknown function fractured by years of raiding by treasure hunters. Inconclusive attempts by the Forestry Commission and Ministry of Tourism officials to have the site included in the region's National Park gave the treasure hunters the chance to plunder a priceless cultural relic in the hope of finding a few pieces of shiny metal.
A limestone plateau formed The karstic process was The intensive penetration of |
|
|
Light streaming from the ventilation shaft can be seen from the mouth of the small gallery in the chandelier room looking towards the cave entrance. |
 |
The cave's ubiquitous small pools and dripping water present many wet surprises. Visitors may find themselves slipping into a pool at any time because of the slick ground and the lack of light. Easy drying clothes and equipment are a good idea... |
 |
|
Now we had returned and set up camp beyond the temple at the head of what the villagers called the "well". Inside, it was dry and warmer than outside. We had spent half the day ranging candles along the cave path. Illuminated, the burial chamber was magnificent, and we tried to imagine the atmosphere with hymns being sung and ceremonies being performed. The dead must have been inhabitants of the monastery or hermitage rather than villagers. Some believe these ruins to be of a late Roman monastery while others claim they are a Byzantine mountain village of 10 households. Personally I find it hard to believe that villagers would settle in such difficult terrain when there is plentiful land suitable for agriculture in the villages around Cide or in the Yamanlar region. As we climbed lower by carbide light, the atmosphere became more damp and water was streaming from the travertine at the depths of the cave. Water was also flowing through the cave roof carrying a soft red clay-like sediment and brushwood which over time had accumulated on the side walls much like the bed of a river. The bedrock of the cave began behind these piles. Later we reached the main gallery. Its floor was level and the cave ended a little further on in a small lake. The smoothness of walls and floor as though levelled-off with muddy water suggested that the lake had been much greater at one time.
Sitting on the cave floor and losing track of time my thoughts are interrupted by the voice of one of my companions complaining of hunger and cold. We light the carbide lamps and start to make our way back. When we climb out of the well back up to our camp site we discover that it is 2 o'clock in the morning. We emerge from the cave looking for surface air. To some people staying underground in a cave for four days may seem incomprehensible. Think of it this way. What kind of place could have kept us amused for four days? If I hadn't managed to think of it this way I wouldn't have been able to experience it. |
|
