Two secret hotel tunnels built through Antalya cliffs raise concern

ANTALYA

A university professor has raised concerns over two five-star hotels in the country's tourism hub of Antalya that feature hidden tunnels carved through the city's iconic cliffs for direct sea access, emphasizing the need to assess potential risks to public safety from ground movements.

The issue was brought to light during a session surrounding urban water management and sustainability at a workshop in the city, held by the city council.

“There are elevators providing beach access. In addition, we know that tunnels exist,” Professor Dr. Nihat Dipova from Akdeniz University’s Civil Engineering Department explained during his presentation on the protection of the cliffs at the event.

These tunnels have been in use for a long time and have been featured in promotional materials by travel agencies and in social media posts by tourists, according to Dipova.

He pointed out that the cliffs are already at risk due to dense construction along the coastline and are prone to landslides and collapses.

Thus, the professor emphasized the need to evaluate whether these elevators and tunnels could be compromised by such ground movements, potentially putting public safety at risk.

While the landmark cliffs are naturally prone to fracturing over time, the main issue lies with human use, according to Dipova. Most of the cliffs are officially designated as highly sensitive protected areas, which prohibit development, although some sections have lost this status or were never included in the designation.

“The problem is human usage. For what purposes can or should people use it? How should we regulate it? Do such tunnels and elevators have any harm to the natural structure, especially to this symbolic value of Antalya? These need to be discussed and evaluated in detail.”

He added that while there is no confirmed information about whether the tunnels were built legally, the key concern is the potential damage to the natural environment.

"We don’t know if these tunnels are unauthorized. What we do know is that this issue, including the visual impact and disruption of natural processes, must be thoroughly discussed.”

Online reviews on travel agency websites provide visual evidence of the tunnels.

A female tourist from Indonesia posted a photo of the tunnel on social media, calling it a “wonderful secret tunnel.”

In another example, an English YouTuber included footage of one of the tunnels in a travel video.

The issue is expected to remain on the agenda of the city council’s working groups in the coming weeks, with further discussions anticipated on the legal, environmental and social implications.