Tourist surge at Ballica Cave
Ballica Cave, located in the Pazar district of Tokat and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2019, has become a popular destination for visitors. Over the course of 10 months, the cave has welcomed more than 60 thousand people.
Situated on a hill with an altitude of 1085 in the village of Ballıca, approximately 26 kilometers from the city center, Ballica Cave boasts stunning formations of stalactites and stalagmites that have been forming over millions of years. While most of the cave remains unexplored, visitors are able to explore 8 galleries that are open to the public. The cave is known for its average temperature of 18 degrees and humidity of 54 percent.
However, Ballica Cave was temporarily closed to visitors on September 13, 2021, for environmental planning purposes. The closure was part of the “Rural Tourism Route Project from Akdağ Summit to Kazova,” a collaboration between the Tokat Governorship and the Central Black Sea Development Agency. Following the completion of the necessary works, the cave was reopened to visitors in August of the previous year and has been receiving a steady stream of visitors ever since, surpassing 60 thousand in the last 10 months.
Mehmet Ülkü, the field guide of Ballica Cave, highlighted the cave’s rich diversity of formations. As a karst cave, Ballica Cave is one of the most common types of caves in the country. Visitors are able to explore 680 meters horizontally from the cave entrance and reach a depth of 75 meters vertically.
One of the cave’s standout features is its onion stalactites, which are rarely seen in karstic structures. These onion stalactites can be found primarily in the new hall within the last gallery of Ballica Cave, making it a truly remarkable sight.
Ballica Cave continues to attract visitors with its natural beauty and unique formations. As it remains on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, its recognition and popularity are expected to grow in the coming years.
