Derinkuyu Underground City is an ancient multi-level underground city of the Median Empire in the Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province, Turkey.
Extending to a depth of approximately 60 m, it was large enough to shelter approximately 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores.
It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found across Cappadocia.
One of the heavy stone doors. They have a height of 1–1,5 m, 30–50 cm in width and weigh 200–500 kg. The hole in the centre can be used to open or close the millstone, or to see who is outside.
It was opened to visitors in 1969 and to date, about half of the underground city is accessible to tourists. The underground city at Derinkuyu could be closed from the inside with large stone doors. Each floor could be closed off separately.
The city could accommodate up to 20,000 people and had all the usual amenities found in other underground complexes across Cappadocia, such as wine and oil presses, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, and chapels. Unique to the Derinkuyu complex and located on the second floor is a spacious room with a barrel vaulted ceiling. It has been reported that this room was used as a religious school and the rooms to the left were studies.
Between the third and fourth levels is a vertical staircase. This passage way leads to a cruciform church on the lowest (fifth) level.
The large 55 m ventilation shaft appears to have been used as a well. The shaft also provided water to both the villagers above and, if the outside world was not accessible, to those in hiding.
History
First built in the soft volcanic rock of the Cappadocia region, possibly by the Phrygians in the 8th–7th centuries B.C according to the Turkish Department of Culture, the underground city at Derinkuyu may have been enlarged in the Byzantine era. During the Persian Achaemenid empire the city was used as a refugee settlement. There are references to underground refugee settlements built by the Persian king Yima in the second chapter of the Zoroastrian book Vendidad. Therefore many scholars believe that the city may have been built by the Persians. The city was connected with other underground cities through miles of tunnels.
Some artifacts discovered in these underground settlements belong to the Middle Byzantine Period, between the 5th and the 10th centuries A.D. It is speculated that the number of underground settlements, generally used for taking refuge and for religious purposes, increased during this era.
Derinkuyu Underground City, Cappadocia,
This underground city was very interesting, except if you suffer from claustrophobia, and is quite deep. I would however recommend that it be done with a guide as they provide valuable incites into the various chambers and nooks and crannies. The air quality inside was surprisingly good.
This site requires a lot of climbing so be prepared and understand that…
The underground cities are quite extraordinary in that they go down about seven levels under the earth. This is really worth a look.
Cappadocia is great. A really unusual place to visit with of natural phenomena, as the fairy chimneys and beautiful valleys, and strange underground cities and cave dwellings which give real insight into the way of life in this part of.
We visited Derinkuyu Underground City, which was full of narrow stone tunnels and steps that go down. It has a long history, apparently going back 4,000 years, includes some period where it was used by Christians.
If you're claustrophobic, have breathing difficulties, or have related allergies then you won't be able to make it here.
Wonderful Caverns, small caverns and feeling how the old people lived underground. Wow, this was an amazing place, loved it!!!
P.S. Do not stay underground more than 30 min. orelse you might end up having eye problems at the surface. Have a nice trip!!
The guide explained us the usage of each area visited. It is amazing how people could explore the underground building inside a place to live for the dangerous times. It is indeed an interesting place to visit, and you do not have every day the chance to see something…
It was pretty hot in the afternoon, with the temperature as high as 37C. Long ride from Love Valley before reaching Derinkuyu.
My visit here was one of the most impressive I've every had. There were underground cities, dawn balloon rides, hotels built into caves, and scenery that makes your eyes pop. And everybody I met in this area was super friendly. You couldn't ask for more from a vacation spot.
It's an amazing place. Great to visit. Easy to find. Nice pictures. Hard to believe people lived there. We definitely recommend this.
extraordinary and evocative – a must do in Cappadocia. You get a real feel for life in this unique part of the world thousands of years ago.