The newest addition to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List, the Ballıca Cave in the Black Sea province of Tokat, is flocked with people who are seeking natural remedies.
Located more than 1,000 meters above sea level, the cave is famous for its temperature - 18 degrees Celsius and does not change in winter or summer. People who are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea come to the cave early in the morning and spend up to four hours here, believing that the moisture and the oxygen levels of the cave will be good for them.
Mehmet Akif Ünverdi, who came to visit the cave with his wife claimed that when you breathe inside the cave your body start to burn a lot of calories since the oxygen levels inside are very high. "I do not think there is any other place like Ballıca Cave," Ünverdi said to İhlas News Agency (İHA). "I have been suffering from sleep apnea but since coming to this cave, I have fewer complaints. My wife use to snore a lot and now, she does not even snore a little bit."
Apart from its healing effects, the Ballıca Cave is also a tourist hot spot thanks to its natural beauty. The cave is made up of karstic crystal lime stones that cover the metamorphic schists. Crystalline limestones are white, beige and faded grey in color, which gives it a mystical atmosphere. The cave was formed during three different periods and has five levels. The first gallery has two floors while floors three and four were formed during the second development stage of the cave. On the other hand, the third development stage is currently ongoing and the fifth floor is in the process of being formed.
