Underground City in Turkey

By | October 18, 2018


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Derinkuyu in Turkey

Derinkuyu is the largest excavated of several underground cities in the area of Cappadocia. These pictures show just how amazing and complex this underground city is.

This huge underground city, which was built to accommodate 20,000 people and their livestock, was a refuge for hundreds of years in the Cappadocia region for the inhabitants to escape from threats such as war. An ancient multi-level city - not only did it accommodate people and livestock, but it was also equipped with stores that supplied food and other necessary supplies that they would be in need of for an extended period of time.  

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Large Room with Barrel-shaped vaulted ceiling

In this underground city, there were rooms and areas that were used for air circulation, water tanks, stables, cellars, refectories, storage rooms, chapels, and wine and oil presses. Derinkuyu had everything it needed for a society back then to live, just like they lived above the city. The floors could be closed off separately, and also the entire city could be closed off from the inside with the large stone doors. On the second floor is a huge room with a barrel-shaped vaulted ceiling, which was probably used for a religious school with the rooms off to the left as study rooms. Beginning with the third and fourth levels are several vertical staircases, which all lead to a cruciform church on the fifth level.