Located in Konya province, Hadim Yerkoprusu is an oasis, an open-air museum consisting of moss-covered travertine, limestone pools, waterfalls and caves. But no magic wand created this natural wonder. Instead its architects are the mighty Goksu River and the smaller Karasu and the avalanches of the Taurus Mountains.
Let us take a brief look at the thousand-year-old story of this monument to nature.
First, avalanches of rocks crashing down the slopes of the Goksu valley near the township of Hadim in Konya province form a natural dam on the river. This rushing stream, which arises in the Central Taurus and empties into the Mediterranean, gets round the barrier by going underground while the Karasu, a smaller stream, follows the same course on the earth’s surface. With time the limestone dissolved in the crevices of the rocks brought down in avalanches forms a cover over it and a thick travertine crust forms. And then the two merge... Thundering down from a height of 20 meters, the Karasu joins the Goksu at the place where the bridge ends.
A CAVE 500 METERS LONG
We can’t take our eyes off the water dripping here and there amidst the giant travertine stalactites with their skin of green moss. Rushing down like a river in flood, these waters join the Goksu, emerging from the mouth of Yerkopru cave, to form a wild river. The waterfalls and the cave are like none we have seen before. This 500-meter-long cave was formed when mechanical erosion carved a tunnel beneath the rocks that earlier dammed up the Goksu. The water is turquoise-blue, and the sound of it dripping from the stalactites on the roof imparts an air of mystery to the cave.
A NATURAL POOL
The cave entrance, where the Goksu comes thundering down, is 20 m high. The waterfalls formed by the Karasu pouring down at the entrance and exit of the cave are like music to the ears. And just past the cave mouth the water dripping from the roof joins in as well in a phenomenon known as a ‘siphon’. Since the Goksu also flows below this siphon, it is impossible to cross the cave from end to end, and we can only tour the entrance and exit and the top. It is said that you can’t make an omelette without breaking an egg. Similarly, if you come here you must reconcile yourself to getting wet. Be prepared. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. But if you insist on getting drenched, we have a suggestion. At the spot where the Karasu forms a big waterfall there is a tiny lake which is ideal for swimming. But be careful because there are currents in places.
Let’s take a little tour of the environs. Hadim is a township, 128 km from Konya at an altitude of 1495 m. With a prevailing high-altitude Mediterranean climate, the region is located in one of the valleys of the Taseli plateau in the eastern part of the Western Taurus. There are numerous remains of Roman and Byzantine settlements here, and many building stones from the Roman ruins at Bosala were used in the construction of the village of Dulgerler on the slopes of Yerkopru valley. A typical Taurus mountain village, it is both authentic and enchanting with its characteristic red earth, rural architecture, agriculture practiced using simple implements and a variety of human landscapes to boot. It is impossible not to be moved by such a natural environment.
WELL WORTH THE EFFORT
May and June are the best months for visiting Yerkopru when the Taurus snows melt, the exuberant Goksu rushes down and the Karasu, not to be outdone, joins it to pour over the travertine. Smaller streams splitting off from the Karasu on the valley slopes merge below the cave entrance to form miniature waterfalls. Their waters, so refreshing on a hot summer day, also bedeck the surrounding earth with flowers. In short, nature lovers and camping buffs have many reasons to come here: the Taurus range in all its glory, the exuberant Goksu rushing down the narrow red valleys, the play of light inside the travertine cave, the rainbows over the waterfalls, the water’s alluring colour, the authentic lifestyle of the surrounding villages, the sweet-smelling air that purifies the lungs... What more could one ask?