The ‘Ice Cave’ on Mount Ararat welcomes its visitors
It is a natural monument cave located approximately 3 kilometers northeast of Hallaç Village on the southern slope of Little Mount Ararat, on the same lava tunnel system as the meteor crater. The cave is elongated, elliptical in shape, about 100 meters long, 50 meters wide, and 8 meters deep. The cave’s entrance is slightly above the main pit. Inside, it is possible to see basalt lavas, rocks, and ice layers formed by the freezing of pure and clean water on these rocks. The clean ice layers, stalactites, and stalagmites that appear in various colors on the rocks give the ice cave a variable climate depending on the seasons. In winter, the ice cave, not too cold, turns dripping water from above into ice due to the effect of air circulation. It is surprising to see ice stalactites and stalagmites contrasting with the outside cold in such a large pit in the warmest region of Doğubayazıt District. The sunlight filtering through the cave’s entrance creates light games on the ice inside the cave. The ‘Ice Cave’ on Mount Ararat welcomes its visitors
As can be understood from the numerous swamps in the Doğubayazıt Plain, the underground water table is very high. In this case, it is thought that the air circulation originates from places near the cave. Starting from Aşağı Sinek Village and reaching the cave through the lava, this cold air cools the interior of the cave and causes the water dripping from the cave ceiling to freeze. The fact that birds make nests inside the cave, no one has been affected inside the cave so far, and continuous icy water is taken indicates that the air composition is non-toxic.
The cave, known as the ‘buzluk’ (icebox) by the local people, meets the water needs of the settlements around it. When illuminated, the ice fragments that shine like crystals and change color from one to another leave people in awe. One of the most significant features of the cave is that it is cold in summer and warm in winter. There is a constant flow of hot and cold air at its entrance.
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