afraid.” Indeed, this mysterious labyrinth has a dreamlike effect that not only expunges fear, but at the same time takes away the feeling of reality as it distances you from the earth. Ballıca Cave seems to be an enchanted staircase buried underground, one that goes on forever. But let’s start with the first step, that is, with how one can reach this geological wonder.

YOU MUST LEAVE THE ROAD
The cave is in Tokat’s county of Pazar, which starting in the 12th century provided lodgings for the caravans travelling from Anatolia to the Black Sea. As evening fell on the earth, the weary camels would slump down to rest in the courtyard of the Mahperi Hatun Caravanserai. This town was the last stop before climbing the Ziganas, while the witnesses to the journey were the mountains and a river, the Yeşilırmak. This river runs quietly beside you as you drive along the Tokat-Turhal highway, yielding no slightest clue as to what lies in the past or underground. It knows how to open a path for itself by patiently wearing away the rocks, but most certainly