Karain Cave Cave

Address: Karain Cave (Karain Mağarası), Döşemealtı district, Antalya Province, Turkey

Karain Cave is a large limestone cave complex in Antalya Province in southwestern Turkey, known for long stratified archaeological deposits that document human occupation in the Paleolithic and later periods. The site has produced stone tools, faunal remains and human bones important to the study of prehistoric Anatolia.

The cave contains multiple chambers and shelter areas with evidence of repeated use by prehistoric humans over tens of thousands of years. Its archaeological sequence spans Lower and Middle Paleolithic layers through later prehistoric occupations.

Excavations in the 20th century revealed the cave’s importance for understanding regional prehistory; finds from the site are studied by archaeological teams and some artifacts have been conserved and published by researchers. The cave has also attracted geological and palaeontological study because of its deposits.

Karain Cave lies inland from the Antalya coastline in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, northwest of the city of Antalya. The site is reached by road from Antalya and is set above the coastal plain in a karst landscape.

• Long archaeological sequence: Stratified archaeological deposits contain Paleolithic to Neolithic artifacts and human and faunal remains, making the site important for prehistoric studies in southwestern Anatolia.
• Accessible from Antalya: Located within easy travel distance from Antalya, the cave is a common day-trip for visitors interested in prehistoric archaeology and geology.

Karain Cave lies inland from Antalya and is roughly a 25-30 km drive northwest of Antalya city centre. The site is reachable by car in about 30-40 minutes via the main roads out of Antalya toward the Döşemealtı/Isparta direction; regional minibuses (dolmuş) run toward Döşemealtı from Antalya’s bus areas and you can take a short taxi or local ride from there to the cave entrance, which requires a short walk from the road.

• Visit in the cooler morning hours to avoid Antalya's midday heat and to leave time for the short walk down to the cave entrance before other tour groups arrive.
• Take a guided visit or use the on‑site explanatory panels-Karain Cave is an important prehistoric site and the context provided by guides or the site information greatly improves the experience.