Tarsus, Mersin – Turkey
Coordinates: 36.957222, 34.796667
Ashab al-Kahf Cave (Turkish: Eshab-ı Kehf Mağarası) is a show cave situated to the north of Tarsus, an ilçe (district) in Mersin Province, Turkey.
The cave is about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to Tarsus and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to Mersin.
It is at the foothill of a small hill.
The cave is small, not comparable to other caves of the province.
However, it is a famed to be the cave of the famed Ashab al-Kahf (Seven Sleepers) in both Quran and Bible.
The exact location of the Ashab al-Kahf cave is not known, and there are many other places including some in Turkey claiming to be the cave of the Seven Sleepers.
Next to the cave, there is a mosque commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz (reigned 1861–1876), and built in 1873.
The mosque’s tall minaret with three şerefes (balconies) were added later.
The cave has several openings in the ceiling, but it is also equipped with electric light.
Most people simply walk down the staircase to the main chamber of the small cave. But there is a side passage with quite rough floor, if you are surefooted enough you may take a little detour.
The cave is frequented by an enormous amount of visitors, a result is that the limestone in the cave is polished by the touch of many hands and feet. It looks almost like marble.
