Istanbul's Cavedwellers of 400,000 Years Ago Replaced by Druggies

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk Newspaper, 7 June 2018)

very ancient Istanbul about the Yarımburgaz Caves


If you look closely, you can see Fred Flintstone's empty beer
can.

The Yarımburgaz Caves in Başakşehir, Istanbul, which were
inhabited as long ago as 400,00 years before the present (!),
have been abandoned to drug addicts.  There are four caves
in the complex, where archaeological excavations were first done
in the 1960s and important archaeological findings were achieved
at that time.

For years the caves were used in films and TV shows but now
only drug addicts visit the caves on a regular basis.  Local
residents are afraid to traverse the area, lamenting that "They're
taking drugs there. We're afraid to leave our kids alone on the
street." 

Yiğit Özar, the head of the Istanbul chapter of the Archaeologists
Association, noted that "the archaeological findings go back to
400,000 years ago and, according to some sources, findings that
date to 800,000 years ago (!), have been found, as well.  There
should be security here so the public can come and see the
caves."



The Yarımburgaz Caves are just north of Lake
Küçükçekmece in Istanbul