|
|
||||
|
|
||||
 |
Dupnisa |
|||
|
For cave maps and drawings please click on the picture... |
For photographs please click on the photo... |
|||
|
 |
|||
|
Type: |
Horizontal Cave | |||
|
Altitude: |
345 m | |||
|
Depth: |
m | |||
|
Length: |
3150 m | |||
|
Region: |
Marmara | |||
|
Province: |
Kirklareli | |||
|
District: |
Demirköy | |||
|
Village: |
Sarpdere | |||
|
|
||||
  |
||||
| Location: It lies 6 km southwest of the Sarpdere Village of the Demirköy District of Kirklareli. It can be reached by the Kirklareli-Dereköy-Sarpdere and Kirklareli-Usküp-Cukurpinar-Sarpdere roads from north; and the Vize(Pinarhisar)-Poyrali-Demirköy-Balaban-Sarpdere road from south. The 6 km road from the Sarpdere Village leading to the cave is partially dirt. It becomes damaged especially following the rain. It is a touristic cave. |
| Structural Properties and formation : The limestones of the Istranca Mountains developed at the upper level of the Mesozoic series. Around the Dupnisa Cave System; there are karstic formations developed in horizontal and vertical directions. Consisting of two fossil and one active galleries; the cave system has a total length of 3200 m. The spring resurging out of the Dupnisa system consisting of interconnected two levels and three caves comprises the Rezve Creek; which is the border between Turkey and Bulgaria. The new mouth of the Dupnisa Cave was reduced 20 m in respect to its former mouth due to a collapsed doline where the former mouth was replaced by a natural bridge. As progressed; the roof becomes higher and there are some large cavities. The water level is low inside the cave. From time to time; colored marbles covered with decorations can be seen. The fossil gallery right on top of the active gallery can be mostly followed. The watery gallery ends up about 1 km further. When climbed up; there is a hall of 125x30x75 m. The Kizlar Cave is a fossil branch; comprising the second level of the Dupnisa system together with the Kuru Cave. Very poor in dripstone decorations and consisting of three remarkable branches; the Kizlar Cave has been completely fossilized. The bottom is mixed with a thick fossil soil and coarse blocks; pebbles and sand; and it has two connections with the Dupnisa Cave. The Kizlar Cave starts with a 60 degrees incline; and as progressed; it diverts into branches where the floors are covered with rocky blocks; and these branches leading to three diverse routes are then combined together and joined to the Dupnisa Cave. At this junction; there is a 11 m descent from the Kizlar Cave to the Dupnisa Cave. The Kuru Cave is the other branch of the Dupnisa system together with the Kizlar Cave. It has two entrances. The first entrance; 100 m to the southeast of the Dupnisa Cave is like a 5 m steep shaft while the second entrance is 225 m to the southeast and 12 m down of the first entrance. It is 456 m long; and the initial incline ends up with a room having a floor of soil and sand. One of the branches diverting from this room ends up with a chimney coming out to the surface while the other one joins with the Dupnisa Cave. The cave is adorned with decorations of stalactites; stalagmites and wall dripstones. There are debris; blocks and a thick soil deposit in the entrance zone. Small halls were developed due to depressions on parts covering the Dupnisa Cave. Formed in the north-south direction; a narrow gallery diverting from the eastern part of the Büyük Damlatas Hall descends to the Dupnisa Cave. |
| Research History: The speleological report of the Dupnisa Cave System was first issued as a result of the explorations carried out by BUMAK between 1979-1980. In 1988; MTA re-explored the cave under the survey of Natural Caves of Northern and Northeastern Thrace and published the results. |
| Findings: The population of bats is denser in the Kuru and Kizlar Caves compared to the Dupnisa Cave. Also seen are cave flies and cave butterflies. Surveys carried out at several times resulted in a wide range of bat types (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum; Rhinolophus hipposideros; Rhinolophus euryale; Myotis myotis; Myotis blythii; Myotis bechsteinii; Myotis nattereri; Myotis emarginatus; Myotis mystacinus; Myotis daubentonii; Myotis capaccinii; Barbastella; Miniopterus schreibersii) [Benda-Horacek 1998]. In Trakyarasa 2001 under the Trakyarasa Project; 30.000 bats of eight different species had been recorded [Güloglu 2005:12-13]. During the survey conducted by M.O. Güloglu; several cave flora such as Amphipoda; Ostracoda; Isopoda mushrooms were found. |
