Taurus mountains, Mountain range in southern Turkey
The Taurus Mountains are a mountain range in southern Turkey that extends over 560 kilometers along the Mediterranean coast and reaches elevations of up to 3,756 meters (12,323 feet). The terrain consists of limestone and forms deep valleys, rugged slopes and jagged ridges that separate the interior from the coastal strip.
During the Bronze Age the mountains were mined for tin and other metals that were important for trade routes between Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean. The Cilician Gates pass served as a strategic passage for thousands of years and was used by Persian, Greek and Roman armies.
The name Taurus comes from Tura, a word meaning mountain in several ancient languages that appears in Greek and Roman sources. Today hikers and shepherds follow old paths that once led pilgrims to shrines dedicated to storm gods.
Five major passes cross the range and connect the interior with the coast, with the Cilician Gates being the most used route for railway and road traffic. Hiking requires proper footwear and enough water, as many sections are steep and rocky.
The limestone has created extensive karst landscapes, and the Yedigoller valley holds the largest cave systems in Asia with underground passages stretching for kilometers. Some caves are still not fully explored and contain subterranean rivers and chambers with stalactite formations.
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