A DAD of three transformed a cave into his dream home after an earthquake destroyed his house.
At the age of 55, Ali Bozoglan decided to abandon his comfortable life and start living among snakes and rats following the demolition of his house in Hatay, Turkey, leaving him homeless two years ago.
The quake left Ali terrified to live in a normal home again.
The Defne District Governship offered Ali temporary housing but he declined, choosing a remote cave in the Yaylica hills instead.
Ali has now lived there for two years.
Ali said: “It’s not for everyone but it suits me.
“Since the earthquake I’ve been living here for two years and I’ve found peace in this cave.
“It hasn’t been destroyed for thousands of years.”
He added: “I am far away from everyone and in touch with nature.”
Photos of his cosy residence show the layout of the cave, complete with a grand entrance, bedroom and kitchen.
A rocky ledge at the back of the cave marks the bedroom, fitted with a sleeping bag, mattress and bed-side gas lamp.
The cave’s kitchen has all the appliances Ali might need including a sink, fridge and gas cooker.
Here he cooks his meals with whatever ingredients he can forage from outside.
Nearby streams are used to wash his dishes and do his laundry.
And that’s not all, with Ali’s plans to install a solar panel the cave could soon generate its own electricity to run all his appliances.
When asked if the cave gets cold Ali said that because there is no window, no matter how much it snows or rains it stays warm.
But cave life comes with its challenges, sometimes in the form of unfriendly neighbours.
Ali said: “There are snakes and rats that come into the cave.
“I have a few prayers to ward off the snakes.
“They leave when I pray, and three months ago, I had a snake in my bed.
“I grabbed the sheet and grabbed the snake.
“I told it, ‘Go and be blessed’ and it left.”
The husband and dad of three also said that it can be lonely living away from family but said “not everyone can live the cave life”.
It is not known where his wife and children are living.
Ali’s peculiar way of life has captured the interest of the locals, who have proposed that he convert his cave into an adventurous off-the-grid sanctuary for daring tourists.
