Chasm of Heaven And Hell

Paradise Sinkhole

The Paradise Sinkhole, with an opening around 200 meters wide in some places, reaches its deepest point at approximately 70 meters. It is accessible via 455 steps, some of which have been renovated.

Church of the Virgin Mary

A chapel, believed to have been built in the 5th or 6th century AD, is located in the sinkhole. An inscription above the entrance states that it was built by a devout individual named Paulus in honor of the Virgin Mary. The interior of the dome is decorated with frescoes depicting Jesus and the apostles. A small stream flows underground for a long distance before joining the sea at Narlıkuyu. Hell Sinkhole

Located approximately 100 meters from the Heaven Sinkhole, its mouth has a diameter of 30 meters, and its deepest point is around 120 meters. It is impossible to descend into this extremely steep sinkhole. It is said that a famous story from the polytheistic Greek culture of antiquity took place here. This story, which has different versions, can be summarized as follows: According to mythology, Typhon, a giant, hundred-headed, fire-breathing dragon, occasionally fought with Zeus, the king of the gods. In one of these battles, he defeated Zeus and imprisoned him in Korykos, in this cave which was later named Hell. Hermes, another important figure in the world of the gods, along with Pan, rescued Zeus from this cave, and this time Zeus pursued Typhon. When he saw Typhon, he hurled Mount Etna at the giant dragon, imprisoning him in the depths of the earth. The story of Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, the most feared volcano of antiquity and still an active volcano today, is also connected to this mythology. Perhaps based on this story, or perhaps because of its terrifying depth, this sinkhole was named Hell.