Cennet and Cehennem#Cennet
{{short description|Two sinkholes in Mersin Province; Turkey}}{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}File:023 Cennetobrugu.07.2006 resize.JPG
Cennet and Cehennem (heaven and hell in Turkish) are the names of two large sinkholes in the Taurus Mountains, in Mersin Province, Turkey. The sinkholes are among the tourist attractions of the province.
Geography
Cennet and Cehennem are situated next to each other. Cennet is situated at {{coord|36|27|09|N|34|6|20|E}} and Cehennem is at {{coord|36|27|16|N|34|6|21|E}}. Both of them are in the rural area of the Silifke district which in turn is a part of Mersin Province. They are accessible by a {{convert|2|km}} long all season open road from the main highway (D 400). The highway distances are {{convert|22|km}} to Silifke and {{convert|67|km}} to Mersin. They are close to the coastal town of Narlıkuyu.
Cennet
The opening of Cennet is 250 x 110 m2 (820 x 360 ft2) and its average depth is {{convert|70|m}}. It is possible to reach the bottom of Cennet by a primitive staircase composed of 300 steps. In 2020, an elevator was also established. At the bottom toward the south, there is a smaller and 150 step deeper cave. In this cave are the ruins of a monastery built in the 5th century by a certain Paulus and dedicated to Virgin Mary. In this monastery one can hear the sound of a small underground stream which flows from the monastery to the gulf of Narlıkuyu.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mersin.web.tr/silifke1.htm |title=Cennet Cehennem Mağarası (Heaven and Hell Cave) |access-date=2010-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104014239/http://www.mersin.web.tr/silifke1.htm |archive-date=2015-01-04 |url-status=dead }}
Cehennem
Cehennem is a deeper sinkhole with a depth of {{convert|128|m}}. But its top opening is smaller with dimensions 70 x 50 m2 ( 210 x 150 ft2 ). As the upper edge of the opening is concave there is no access to the bottom of Cehennem.
Mythology
In mythology, Zeus kept Typhon temporarily in Cehennem before imprisoning him under Mount Etna.
See also
References
{{Commons category|Cennet ve Cehennem}}
{{wikivoyage|Narlıkuyu|Cennet and Cehennem}}
{{Caves of Turkey}}
{{Mersin Province}}
Category:Archaeological sites in Mersin Province, Turkey
Category:Geography of Mersin Province