Bulak (Mencilis) Cave: Karst Galleries Near Safranbolu

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1. What is Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?
2. How do you get to Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?
3. When is the best time to visit Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?
4. What is the history of Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?
5. What is Bulak (Mencilis) Cave famous for?
6. What can you see at Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?
7. Frequently asked questions about Bulak (Mencilis) Cave
8. What do the official records say about Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

What is Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

Bulak Mencilis Mağarası is a limestone cave on the northwestern edge of Safranbolu, named after the nearby village of Bulak and the Mencilis spring that flows out below it. It is one of the longest caves in the region: about 6.5 km of passages are known, of which roughly 2.5 km have been mapped.

Visitors see only a small part, a lit route of around 400 m through the cave’s middle level, but it is enough to get a sense of the scale. After a low entrance the passage opens to a height of 20–25 m, with stalactites and stalagmites along the way.

How do you get to Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

The cave is about 10 minutes by car from Safranbolu. Leave the Karabük–Safranbolu road at the northwestern corner of Safranbolu and follow the signs for Bulak; the last 3 km or so is a single-lane road. There is no regular public transport, so take a taxi, drive, or combine it with a tour of Tokatlı Canyon.

From the parking area a stone staircase of about 150 steps climbs the cliff to the entrance, which sits under an overhang beside a natural rock bridge. The cave is not suitable for wheelchairs or for anyone who struggles with steep steps.

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When is the best time to visit Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

Any time of year. The temperature inside stays around 15°C, so the cave is cool in summer and mild in winter; bring a light layer either way. Midweek mornings are quietest.

What is the history of Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

The cave formed as water dissolved the limestone of the hills northwest of Safranbolu. It has three levels: a lowest, water-filled level where an active underground river runs for about 30 m before disappearing into a sump; a dry middle level, the one open to visitors; and an upper level, about 200 m northeast of the show-cave entrance. Inside, the underground stream drops 10–15 m in places as small waterfalls before re-emerging as the Mencilis spring.

The area around it has a long human history. The 2002 provincial inventory describes the first archaeological rescue excavation ever carried out in Karabük, in April 1999, at Mezarlıkaltı south of Bulak village. Archaeologists from the Çankırı Museum found a tumulus with a tomb chamber and dromos built of large cut stones without mortar, joined with bronze or copper clamps, and a damaged stone carved with a lion in front of the entrance.

The cave was later fitted with lighting, walkways and the entrance stairs and opened as a show cave. It is now run as one of Safranbolu’s standard sights, and the Turkish museum card is accepted at the entrance.

What is Bulak (Mencilis) Cave famous for?

• Its length: about 6.5 km of known passages, often listed among the larger caves in Türkiye.
• The high middle gallery, 20–25 m tall, with stalactites and stalagmites.
• The entrance: a cliff-side doorway under an overhang, reached by a stair of about 150 steps.
• The Mencilis spring, where the cave river comes back to the surface.

What can you see at Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

The entrance cliff. The approach is part of the experience: the stair climbs a limestone face to a wooden door set under an overhang, with a natural rock bridge beside it.

The lit passage. For the first 20 m the ceiling is low; then the passage widens into a tall gallery. The route is an out-and-back path of around 400 m, with white electric lighting on the formations. Photography is allowed.

Formations. Stalactites hang from the roof and stalagmites rise from the floor along the route. Floors can be wet, so wear shoes with grip.

The valley outside. A large karst spring rises in the valley below the cave, about 100 m before the gorge, and the stream runs away down the valley before sinking underground again.

Frequently asked questions about Bulak (Mencilis) Cave

What do the official records say about Bulak (Mencilis) Cave?

The only archaeological rescue excavation carried out within the provincial borders took place on 12–16 April 1999 at Mezarlıkaltı, south of Bulak village. As a result of these excavations by the Çankırı Museum Directorate, a tomb chamber and dromos were uncovered in the tumulus. The structure, made up of two parts, a dromos and a burial chamber, was built without mortar of large cut stones, using the corbelling technique, and held together with bronze or copper clamps. The roof of the dromos and of the burial chamber is a round barrel vault. No paving material was used on the floor.

During the excavation and cleaning work, fragments of perfume and tear bottles broken into small pieces and two finger bones were found inside, and outside, just in front of the dromos, a somewhat damaged stone with a lion motif was found. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Karabük Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)