Kaymaklı Underground City is contained within the citadel of Kaymaklı in the Cappadocia Turkey. First opened to tourists in 1964, the village is about 19 km from Nevşehir, on the Nevşehir-Niğde road. The ancient name was Enegup. The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. The tunnels are still used today as storage areas, stables, and cellars. The underground city at Kaymaklı differs from Derinkuyu Underground City in terms of its structure and layout. The tunnels are lower, narrower, and more steeply inclined. Of the four floors open to tourists, each space is organized around ventilation shafts. This makes the design of each room or open space dependent on the availability of ventilation.
A stable is located on the first floor. The small size of the stable could indicate that other stables exist in the sections not yet opened. To the left of the stable is a passage with a millstone door. The door leads into a church. To the right of the stables are rooms, possibly living spaces.
Located on the second floor is a church with a nave and two apses. Located in front of the apses is a baptismal font, and on the sides along the walls are seating platforms. Names of people contained in graves here coincide with those located next to the church, which supports the idea that these graves belonged to religious people. The church level also contains some living spaces.
The third floor contains the most important areas of the underground compound: storage places, wine or oil presses, and kitchens. The level also contains a remarkable block of andesite with relief textures. Recently it was shown that this stone was used as a pot to melt copper. The stone was hewn from an andesite layer within the complex. In order for it to be used in metallurgy, fifty-seven holes were carved into the stone. The technique was to put copper ore into each of the holes (about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in diameter) and then to hammer the ore into place. The copper was probably mined between Aksaray and Nevsehir. This mine was also used by Asilikhoyuk, the oldest settlement within the Cappadocia Region.
The high number of storage rooms and areas for earthenware jars on the fourth floor indicates some economic stability. Kaymaklı is one of the largest underground settlements in Cappadocia the region. The large area reserved for storage in such a limited area appears to indicate the need to support a large population underground. Currently only a fraction of the complex is open to the public.
Kaymaklı underground city ( Turkish: Kaymakli yeraltı şehri ). Admission TL15; 8am-5pm, last admission 4.30pm) features a maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels deep into the earth (only four are open). As this is the most convenient and popular of the underground cities, you should get here early in July and August to beat the tour groups, or from about 12.30pm to 1.30 pm when they break for lunch.
Kaymakli Underground City, Cappadocia,
Kaymakli Underground City is an amazing town in Cappadocia Region.
Mostly known for its underground city, which goes down 9 floor in its original plan.
Up to 7th floor is open for visit.
To dig this out and to be able to move the entire town, produce and livestock in, in times of trouble, is staggering. It is surprisingly spacious and laid out very carefully for all its various uses. Fresh air circulates due to their well placed ventilation shafts and water wells.
the underground city of Kaymakli is a must see if you are traveling around Cappadocia: our recommendation is to be there just after noon to avoid loads of tourists and hire an official guide to enjoy the most of the visit. Walking down the 7 accessible floors is a trip back into history: rooms, common kitchens, wine cellars and jails…
This is a labrynth of caves joined by common tunnels and is up to 8 storeys deep, built by Christians fleeing the invading Ottomans. It essentially is like an apartment block of caves with its common airshafts and walkways etc.
The caves were dug by hand using basic tools into hardened volcanic ash (there was a volcanic explosion of ash…
This is a huge undersgound city. We visit all 5 levels descending around 40 meters. Some tunnels are very narrow and you will have to walk curvely. It is amazing how people used to live here avoiding the enemies. It is worth a visit.
Amazing to speculate how they ived. What did they do for food? How did they get water? How did they dispose of excreta? Why isn't there more soot on the ceiling from oil lamps and fires? How did they breathe & How did oxygen get to the lowest caves?
Not for those who are claustrophobic, but for everyone else, don't miss this! My tour guide encouraged me to do this, even though I was flagging from a morning hike, and I am so glad I went in. It is true history. You feel a connection to those who created this city, and have to marvel at what it took…
15 TL the entrance, the only bad thing, maybe a bit overpriced but it's worthwhile the visit. pay attention if u are claustrophobic cos some rooms may scary you. we have been lucky cos we have visited it far from the huge groups of torists, a massive one enetered just after our exit, in this way we have lived it…
It's was my 6th visit to Cappadocia and to Kaymakli underground its an amazing place you can enjoy the site and buy a lot of cheap souvenir's
Kaymakli Underground City is an amazing piece of history and a must see if you are in the Cappadocia region. The depth, size and history of this underground city is remarkable. Very glad we saw this underground city versus some of the others.