A comprehensive cave inventory covering 2,327 sites throughout Türkiye is now publicly accessible online through the Archaeological Settlements of Türkiye (TAY) project at www.tayproject.org. It is the first research effort of its kind in the country.
The database draws on data gathered by domestic and foreign scientists and travelers going back to the 1800s, supplemented by field trips led by TAY project coordinator Oguz Tanindi. Full details and maps are available for 467 caves, partial location and research data for 919 others, and basic location information for the remaining 941.
More than 200 caves where archaeological finds or excavations have been recorded are also included. Users can search by criteria such as cave name, type (horizontal, vertical, natural, or rocky shelter), region, province, altitude, depth, and length.
Caves in the southern Taurus Mountains, the Marmara and Black Sea regions, areas south of Istanbul, the Sinop and Samsun vicinities, the Bodrum region, and various mountain zones are prominently represented. Anyone holding new information not already in the database is invited to submit it directly to the TAY project team.
The inventory is seen as a significant advance for both cave research and the development of cave tourism in Türkiye.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in December 2006, in its own words.