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Menteşe, Yerküpe Yaylası (high plateau) and
Mağarası (Cave)

Since you have travelled to Kavaklıdere you should go to the hamlet of Menteşe and the Yerküpe high plateau, just two kilometres from the hamlet. The Menteşe region, which is surrounded by pine trees, is also a Yörük settlement. The hamlet is located in the hills of the rough valley through which the Kocoçay flows. Some of the unique old houses are still standing.

On the other side of the valley is the Yerküpe High Plateau.

Menteşe and the Yerküpe plateau, some 800 metres above sea level, will attract with their refreshing coolness on hot summer days.

Cooper making and metal polishing is also a profession handed down by the ancestors of the people of Menteşe. Walnuts, chestnuts, apples and a molasses called pekmez made of different ingredients such as the grapes and mulberries of Menteşe are famous.

In Menteşe the Milas type carpets are made and in its markets you can get a rug for a reasonable price.

The Yerküpe high plateau is a natural wonder with its centuries old trees, natural water sources and its cave. It is a much loved picnic area. Every year at the end of June oil wrestling competitions are held here. The oil wrestling is conducted in a mood of festivity with concerts, traditional singing and dancing events staged a day before the wrestling, and thus it attracts foreign and domestic audience.

Also there is the Yerküpe Cave that is very close to the site used for the wrestling. The cave has been opened up to visitors with the financial assistance of the municipality. The governor’s office is still working on the lighting system. You should go into cave in the company of a guide. It has a 100 metre long single gallery and there is a 17 metre difference between the levels of the entrance and exit.

The cave has been placed under a natural protection order. The beauty of the Banak Stream running nearby in the green area and summer holiday feel of the place adds to the attraction of the cave.