Underground city of Derinkuyu (Turkey) - Earth before the Flood: disappeared continents and civilizations. Ancient underground city of Derinkuyu (15 photos) Lost underground city called Derinkuyu
A Turkish family was renovating their house in the town of Derinkuyu when one of the walls suddenly collapsed, revealing an incredible sight. They stood on the threshold of an underground city, which, as it turned out later, was at least 3000 years old. More than 50 years have passed since then, but Derinkuyu is in no hurry to part with his secrets.
An unusual city discovered by chance in Turkey turned out to be one of three underground settlements carved out of soft volcanic rocks in the mountains. Together they form the famous Cappadocia complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Derinkuyu is the grandest and most explored of this group of underground cities. It covers an area of about 6.5 square meters. km (although exact data has not been confirmed) and goes underground to a depth of more than 80 m. Archaeologists believe that the city may have about 20 floors, but so far only 8 of them have been excavated and explored. According to historians, the underground city was founded in the 2nd-1st millennium BC, and up to 20,000 inhabitants could live in it at the same time.
It seems incredible, but it was just as comfortable to live in the underground city as on the surface. Here everything was arranged for long-term living and farming. On the top two floors of the city there were churches, schools, barns, wine cellars, kitchens and living quarters with sleeping rooms. Livestock was also kept here. On the third and fourth floors there were armories, security rooms, workshops, and various production facilities. On the eighth, the very last of the excavated floors, there was a hall for general gathering and holding meetings. 
All entrances to the dungeon were closed from the inside with huge round stone barriers that could only be moved by two strong men. The structure of the city itself is more like a labyrinth, and some tunnels end in traps or lead to a dead end. Foreigners who got here most likely would not have found a way out to the surface - the scheme of underground passages and corridors is so complex. In addition, Derinkuyu was connected to the neighboring underground city by an 8-kilometer tunnel, which today is under rubble.
Hundreds of ventilation shafts were very skillfully arranged in the underground city, so even today it is easy to breathe on the lower floors of the city. These shafts also served to drain water, which flowed down to a depth of 85 meters and reached groundwater. Wells were dug to the level of these waters, serving as a source of drinking water for the inhabitants of the unusual city. The air temperature in Derinkuyu remained at + 13–15 degrees, without increasing even in the summer heat.
As researchers suggest, the city was used by different ethnic groups and peoples to live in different periods of history. For example, in the 4th century AD there were refuges here for Christians hiding from Arab conquerors. But no written sources were found that mentioned the construction of this mysterious dungeon. But there are many legends dedicated to the construction of this amazing city among many peoples who inhabited these places in different historical periods. Therefore, as to who was the first to build this dungeon, the opinions of scientists are divided. Some researchers believe that these were the Hittites, others believe that the first inhabitants of Derinkuyu were the even more ancient Hattians, and still others are inclined to think that the Persians or Medes were involved in its formation. 
What made such a large number of people abandon life on the surface and settle underground? Scientists have not yet found a clear answer to this question. The most likely version is that the city was a temporary shelter. Its inhabitants lived on the surface, and in the event of the arrival of conquerors, they hid underground, taking with them livestock and valuable property. Although a number of researchers believe that people lived here permanently. The same is said in some folk legends, according to which in the underground city people experienced the terrible winter that came to these parts. In this regard, some experts associate the construction of the city with the time of the last ice age.
Despite the fact that Derinkuyu is the most studied among the other dungeons of the complex, it raises a lot of questions among historians, instead of helping them restore the picture of the past. But excavations of this amazing city continue, and perhaps on the lower floors it will be possible to discover new artifacts that can shed light on the secrets of this dungeon. 
While traveling, you can see approximately 50 underground cities in Cappadocia. But it is the city of Derinkuyu that attracts the most attention. It goes 55 m into the ground, and in total occupies almost 4 square meters. km. Researchers suggest that there may be 20 floors here, but only 8 of them have been excavated.
How was Derinkuyu built?
Historians believe that the beginning of construction Derinkuyu started by the Hittites, approximately 2000 BC. The first Christians slightly rebuilt what they started and brought it to perfection. It was a safe refuge from the annoying Romans, nomadic tribes who constantly wanted to capture Cappadocia - a major trade route at that time.
Initially, everything was provided here for a comfortable life. Air was supplied underground from 52 mines for ventilation. At the level of 85 m, shafts were also dug, which were wells underground (groundwater was taken for needs). It was cool here in the summer. The air temperature ranged from +13 to +15°C. Every hall, room, and tunnel was well lit.
City layout
Even before today rock city not completely excavated. From what is already in sight you can see how the city itself was planned and what was in it. The first two floors were occupied by churches and places of prayer and baptism. Also on this level were missionary schools, storerooms, kitchens, barns for storing supplies, living quarters, bedrooms, wine cellars and cattle sheds. You can clearly see that the first floors were vital for the population. No less significant were the 3rd-4th floor, where there were also churches, security rooms, weapons depots, workshops and production rooms. The eighth floor was intended for conferences, where important issues of the entire community were resolved.
Defense of Derinkuyu
Cities can be seen from the inside. There are more than 600 secret passages that lead to the surface. Moreover, these zones are difficult to see on the ground, since they are well camouflaged. in case of danger, the inhabitants hid in the underground kingdom, where it was impossible to get through. The exits were blocked by large boulders that could only be opened from the inside. Even if the invaders got to the first floor, they would get lost in the web of the labyrinth. Some underground tunnels stretched for almost 10 km. Thus, even if the first floors were captured, it would be impossible to get to the lower floors, since all exits were immediately blocked. Therefore, while here, the residents were completely safe.
Derinkuyu, Türkiye
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Türkiye is a paradise for tourists. But the sophisticated traveler is attracted not only by excellent beaches, warm seas and all-inclusive hotels. A real magnet for adventure seekers is the world-famous region of Cappadocia. There, in the desert, 29 kilometers from Nevsehir and not far from the regional center of Derinkuyu, lies a huge underground city - one of the largest in the world.
deep well
Traveling through the underground labyrinths of the ancient city is an incredibly exciting adventure. Just imagine: you are on the dry and barren land of Cappadocia, the sun is shining brightly, and neither light clothing nor the shade of stunted and sparse trees can save you from the unbearable heat. But then you approach one of the giant boulders, randomly scattered throughout the valley, and suddenly you discover a hole in it - this is the entrance to the dungeon.
However, this was the case until recently. And enterprising Turks, who know a lot about the tourism industry, built an entrance to the underground city in a special one-story building for the convenience of visitors. On the one hand, they made life easier for tourists, but, alas, the charm of this place was still somewhat lost. But the dungeon itself looks the same as it did many centuries ago, except that accompanying plaques with descriptions hang on the walls and structures.
So, a few steps down the steps carved into the limestone and you will be enveloped in pleasant coolness. Long darkened tunnels, halls, passages and stairs stretch in different directions. The underground city of Derinkuyu, which translates as “deep well,” is a grandiose complex of twelve floors, going 85 meters underground. Eight floors are open to the public, the lowest level is located at a depth of 54 meters from the main entrance.
Although many researchers are inclined to think that the size of the city is much larger and there are another 20 undiscovered and unexplored floors below. The dimensions of this settlement have not yet been fully clarified, since many of the drifts and manholes are too narrow, and even a child can hardly crawl into some of them (archaeologists believe that only a quarter of the total volume of the premises has been excavated so far).
You can live
Numerous rooms, halls, ventilation shafts and wells are perfectly preserved in Derinkuyu. Between the levels of the city, small holes are cut into the floor for communication between adjacent floors. The builders of the underground city thought through everything inside and out: there are living quarters, kitchens with stoves, dining rooms, wineries, wine cellars, barns, cattle stalls, churches, chapels, toilets and even schools. On the third and fourth floors there are weapons warehouses.
There are also workshops here: a pottery shop, a weapons shop, a bakery with stones used to pound flour, and with presses for squeezing out oil. On the eighth, lowest floor there is a meeting place. Scientists claim that the underground city even had its own cemetery.
In Derinkuyu, everything necessary for life support has been thought out to perfection. The city was saturated with air by more than 50 ventilation shafts, skillfully disguised in the rocks, so even at the lower levels it is easy to breathe. Water was obtained from the same mines: they went so deep into the ground that they reached groundwater, so the wells never dried up. Until 1962, the population of the regional center of Derinkuyu met their water needs from these wells. To prevent poisoning during enemy invasions, the outlets of some wells were carefully closed.
A characteristic feature of the underground city is stone wheel-doors with a hole in the middle, similar to a millstone. They are usually 1-1.5 meters in diameter and weigh about 300 kilograms. With the help of a special rod, such a door closed the tunnel and was secured. As a result, it was almost impossible to open it. And through the hole there was surveillance of the enemies.
Illumination of underground cities was provided by lamps using linseed oil. The temperature of all internal rock chambers was 14-15°C due to the insulating property of tuffs. Therefore, the heat from the burning lamp was enough to heat the interior.
Ancient architects
The underground city of Derinkuyu was found in 1963, partially explored and opened to access in 1965. Since then, the flow of tourists has not stopped. Everyone who visits this strange structure asks a logical question: who needed it? The dry and barren hills of central Cappadocia provided an ideal refuge for the early Christians who established their first settlements here. Adherents of the new religion fled from religious persecution and Arab invasions.
And the underground cities were sheltered from prying eyes, well-organized, safe and independent residential complexes that could accommodate from 20 to 50 thousand people. Of the 40 underground cities and towns discovered in the area, Derinkuyu is considered the largest underground “metropolis”. But there is also Kaymakli - the second largest underground city. By the way, Derinkuyu is connected by an eight-kilometer tunnel with Kaymakli. Today this tunnel is impassable due to landslides.
Almost all Turkish underground cities are similar to each other, like twin brothers, the only difference is in size. They were chosen by the first Christians in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. e. And when the Arab troops began to push the Byzantines towards their powerful capital Constantinople, they were forced to leave these places, and with them the underground cities they inhabited. However, it was not the early Christians who built these structures.
In the first centuries of our era, dungeons already existed. Numerous Hittite inscriptions discovered at the entrances and in the vicinity of underground cities, as well as objects found dating back to the Hittite era, indicate that the Hittites, iron masters, lived in these settlements. They were the ones who hollowed out cavities in the rocks using sharp metal chisels.
The ancient Hittites lived in what is now Turkey from 1800 to 1300 BC. e. (according to other sources, the First Hittite Kingdom existed from 1700 to 1200 BC). Their capital, Hattusa, was located approximately 300 kilometers from Derinkuyu.
The Hittites, a warlike people, constantly fought with their neighbors for their place in the sun. Therefore, underground fortress cities, in which they could quickly hide from the enemy, seemed to them an ideal refuge. Yes, that's how it was! The Hittites achieved great skill in the construction of such structures. They paid special attention to the defense of their underground “megacities.”
The inhabitants of Derinkuyu took care to protect the city as much as possible from the penetration of invaders. In case of danger, the passages to the dungeons were filled with huge boulders, which could be moved from the inside by two people. Even if the invaders were able to get to the first floors of the city, his plan provided that the passages to the underground galleries were tightly blocked from the inside by huge stone wheel-doors. And if the enemies were able to overcome them, then, not knowing the secret passages and the layout of the labyrinths, it would be very difficult for them to get back to the surface.
The underground passages were specially built in such a way as to confuse uninvited guests. Only the people living there could navigate them freely, so without a person who knows all the paths, you can easily get lost or go astray there. In addition, the city is designed in such a way that the further you go down, the lower the ceiling heights become, not exceeding 160 centimeters in some areas, and the tunnels become narrower.
Having descended low enough, some tourists experience a slight panic. But, believe me, this is nothing compared to the feeling of delight and surprise that this amazing place evokes.
In Byzantine times the city began to be called Malacopia. During the Arab-Byzantine wars, it was repeatedly attacked. So, in 806, the Arabs invaded Cappadocia and destroyed many fortresses in the Malakopia region. Due to the numerical superiority of the enemy, Emperor Nicephorus I had to conclude a peace treaty with him. Already in 863, Arab raids resumed, but this time the Byzantine army completely defeated the enemy.
Attractions
underground city
Cappadocia is famous for its cave settlements, among which there are full-fledged underground cities. The Greek historian Xenophon described similar structures back in the 5th century BC. e. Now six such cities have been discovered that attract large numbers of tourists.
The underground city of Derinkuyu is the largest cave settlement in Cappadocia that can be visited. Carved out of soft volcanic tuff, the city was built in the 2nd-1st millennium BC. e, discovered in 1963 and two years later opened to tourists. Here, for centuries, people took refuge from raids by nomads, religious persecution and other dangers. Reaching a depth of about 60 m (8 tiers), in ancient times the city could shelter up to 20 thousand people along with food and livestock. The area of the complex is not precisely established: it is 1.5-2.5 km² or 4 × 4 km. Scientists believe that only 10-15% of the entire city territory has now been explored.
Church of Saints Theodore
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Administrative division of Nevsehir
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Excerpt characterizing Derinkuyu
- What are you doing! – she said desperately. – II s"en va et vous me laissez seule. [He dies, and you leave me alone.]The eldest princess dropped her briefcase. Anna Mikhailovna quickly bent down and, picking up the controversial item, ran into the bedroom. The eldest princess and Prince Vasily, having come to their senses, followed her. A few minutes later, the eldest princess was the first to emerge from there, with a pale and dry face and a bitten lower lip. At the sight of Pierre, her face expressed uncontrollable anger.
“Yes, rejoice now,” she said, “you have been waiting for this.”
And, bursting into tears, she covered her face with a handkerchief and ran out of the room.
Prince Vasily came out for the princess. He staggered to the sofa where Pierre was sitting and fell on it, covering his eyes with his hand. Pierre noticed that he was pale and that his lower jaw was jumping and shaking, as if in a feverish trembling.
- Ah, my friend! - he said, taking Pierre by the elbow; and in his voice there was a sincerity and weakness that Pierre had never noticed in him before. – How much do we sin, how much do we deceive, and all for what? I’m in my sixties, my friend... After all, for me... Everything will end in death, that’s it. Death is terrible. - He cried.
Anna Mikhailovna was the last to leave. She approached Pierre with quiet, slow steps.
“Pierre!...” she said.
Pierre looked at her questioningly. She kissed the young man's forehead, moistening it with her tears. She paused.
– II n "est plus... [He was gone...]
Pierre looked at her through his glasses.
- Allons, je vous reconduirai. Tachez de pleurer. Rien ne soulage, comme les larmes. [Come on, I'll take you with you. Try to cry: nothing makes you feel better than tears.]
She led him into the dark living room and Pierre was glad that no one there saw his face. Anna Mikhailovna left him, and when she returned, he, with his hand under his head, was fast asleep.
The next morning Anna Mikhailovna said to Pierre:
- Oui, mon cher, c"est une grande perte pour nous tous. Je ne parle pas de vous. Mais Dieu vous soutndra, vous etes jeune et vous voila a la tete d"une immense fortune, je l"espere. Le testament n"a pas ete encore ouvert. Je vous connais assez pour savoir que cela ne vous tourienera pas la tete, mais cela vous impose des devoirs, et il faut etre homme. [Yes, my friend, this is a great loss for all of us, not to mention you. But God will support you, you are young, and now you are, I hope, the owner of enormous wealth. The will has not yet been opened. I know you well enough and I am sure that this will not turn your head; but this imposes responsibilities on you; and you have to be a man.]
Pierre was silent.
– Peut etre plus tard je vous dirai, mon cher, que si je n"avais pas ete la, Dieu sait ce qui serait arrive. Vous savez, mon oncle avant hier encore me promettait de ne pas oublier Boris. Mais il n"a pas eu le temps. J "espere, mon cher ami, que vous remplirez le desir de votre pere. [Afterwards, perhaps I will tell you that if I had not been there, God knows what would have happened. You know that the uncle of the third day He promised me not to forget Boris, but he didn’t have time. I hope, my friend, you will fulfill your father’s wish.]
Pierre, not understanding anything and silently, blushing shyly, looked at Princess Anna Mikhailovna. After talking with Pierre, Anna Mikhailovna went to the Rostovs and went to bed. Waking up in the morning, she told the Rostovs and all her friends the details of the death of Count Bezukhy. She said that the count died the way she wanted to die, that his end was not only touching, but also edifying; The last meeting between father and son was so touching that she could not remember him without tears, and that she does not know who behaved better in these terrible moments: the father, who remembered everything and everyone in such a way in the last minutes and such Touching words were spoken to his son, or Pierre, whom it was a pity to see how he was killed and how, despite this, he tried to hide his sadness so as not to upset his dying father. “C"est penible, mais cela fait du bien; ca eleve l"ame de voir des hommes, comme le vieux comte et son digne fils,” [It’s hard, but it’s saving; the soul rises when you see people like the old count and his worthy son,” she said. She also spoke about the actions of the princess and Prince Vasily, not approving of them, but in great secrecy and in a whisper.
In Bald Mountains, the estate of Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, the arrival of the young Prince Andrei and the princess was expected every day; but the wait did not disrupt the orderly order in which life went on in the old prince’s house. General-in-Chief Prince Nikolai Andreevich, nicknamed in society le roi de Prusse, [the King of Prussia,] from the time he was exiled to the village under Paul, lived continuously in his Bald Mountains with his daughter, Princess Marya, and with her companion, m lle Bourienne. [Mademoiselle Bourien.] And during the new reign, although he was allowed entry into the capitals, he also continued to live in the countryside, saying that if anyone needed him, then he would travel one and a half hundred miles from Moscow to Bald Mountains, but what would he no one or anything is needed. He said that there are only two sources of human vices: idleness and superstition, and that there are only two virtues: activity and intelligence. He himself was involved in raising his daughter and, in order to develop both main virtues in her, until she was twenty, he gave her lessons in algebra and geometry and distributed her whole life in continuous studies. He himself was constantly busy either writing his memoirs, or calculating higher mathematics, or turning snuff boxes on a machine, or working in the garden and observing the buildings that did not stop on his estate. Since the main condition for activity is order, order in his way of life was brought to the utmost degree of precision. His trips to the table took place under the same unchanging conditions, and not only at the same hour, but also at the same minute. With the people around him, from his daughter to his servants, the prince was harsh and invariably demanding, and therefore, without being cruel, he aroused fear and respect for himself, which the most cruel person could not easily achieve. Despite the fact that he was retired and now had no importance in state affairs, every head of the province where the prince’s estate was, considered it his duty to come to him and, just like an architect, gardener or Princess Marya, waited for the appointed hour of the prince's appearance in the high waiter's room. And everyone in this waitress experienced the same feeling of respect and even fear, while the enormously high door of the office opened and the short figure of an old man in a powdered wig appeared, with small dry hands and gray drooping eyebrows, which sometimes, as he frowned, obscured the shine of smart people. and definitely young, sparkling eyes.
On the day of the newlyweds’ arrival, in the morning, as usual, Princess Marya entered the waitress’s room at the appointed hour for morning greetings and crossed herself with fear and read an internal prayer. Every day she went in and every day she prayed that this daily appointment would go well.
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey: Derinkuyu Underground City
Derinkuyu (Turkish Derinkuyu - “deep well”) is an ancient multi-tiered underground city, the largest cave settlement in Cappadocia accessible to tourists. It is located near the village of Derinkuyu in the region of the same name, 29 km from Nevsehir in the territory of modern Turkey. Together with the neighboring city of Kaymakli, this is one of the best examples of underground residential structures.
The city was built in the II-I millennium BC. e, discovered in 1963 and two years later opened to tourists. Here people hid for centuries from raids by nomads, religious persecution and other dangers.
Reaching a depth of about 60 m (8 tiers), in ancient times the city could shelter up to 20 thousand people along with food and livestock. The area of the city is not precisely established: it is 1.5-2.5 km² or 4 × 4 km. Scientists believe that only 10-15% of the entire city territory has now been explored.
The underground city of Derinkuyu was carved out of soft tuff, a volcanic rock typical of Cappadocia. There is still debate about its origin: according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the city was founded in the 7th-8th centuries BC. e. Phrygian tribes who moved here. According to another version, Derinkuyu was built even earlier, in 1900-1200 BC. e., when these lands were inhabited by the Hittites.
Some associate the origin of the cave city with Zoroastrianism. In the second chapter of the holy book "Vendidad" there are references to underground shelters similar to Derinkuyu and neighboring underground cities. According to legend, they were built by the Iranian king Jamshid at the direction of the supreme god Ahuramazda.
AhuraMazda (right) gives Ardashir a symbol of royal power - a ring. III century n. e.
Based on this, many scientists believe that the city of Derinkuyu was built by the Medes or Persians
During the period of Persian rule (VI-IV centuries BC), the city first became a haven for refugees. During the Byzantine Empire, the city began to be called Malakopia, and around the 5th century AD. e. Christians settled here and expanded the dungeon. Their residence in the city is evidenced by the presence of underground schools, churches and wine cellars. Here they hid from the raids of nomads and persecution from the Muslim states of the Umayyads and Abbasids. Active life in Derinkuyu continued until the 8th century, although some local finds date back to the 10th century.
For a long time the city was in oblivion. Over time, local farmers began to use its well-ventilated, cool halls as warehouses. In 1963, the city was discovered by archaeologists when a local resident accidentally discovered a mysterious room behind the wall of his house. By 1965, the city’s caves were cleared and opened to tourists.
Theological school hall
The geological feature of Cappadocia is soft volcanic tuff - an ideal rock for the construction of underground cities, as it is easy to process and hardens when exposed to air. Therefore, it was easy to dig a home here, and people settled underground with entire families
There were all the necessary amenities found in other underground complexes of Cappadocia: living quarters, ventilation shafts and wells, barns and stables, kitchens and dining rooms, bakeries, oil and grape presses, barns and wine cellars, churches and chapels, as well as workshops where everything needed was made. There is evidence that there was even a cemetery in the underground city.
The Derinkuyu dungeon is a complex branched system of rooms, halls, tunnels and wells, diverging down (covered with bars), up and to the sides.
The city was built in such a way that it was impossible to capture it. All precautions were taken: in case of danger, the entrances were closed with huge boulders, and even if the enemy had overcome them, he would hardly have been able to get back to the surface without knowing the secret passages and the layout of the labyrinths.
Probably, the city was built in this way precisely with the expectation that only its inhabitants would be well versed in its structure, while enemies, on the contrary, would be instantly lost.
There is no consensus on whether people lived underground permanently or periodically. According to one version, the inhabitants of Derinkuyu came to the surface only to cultivate the fields, according to another, they lived in a surface village and hid underground only during raids.
In the latter case, they quickly eliminated signs of life on the surface and went underground to hide there for several weeks.
The underground city is located on eight levels, reaching a depth of 55-60 m. The dimensions have not yet been fully clarified: the area of the city varies between 1.5-2.5 km² (according to other sources, 4 × 4 km).
The lower floor is located at a depth of 54 m from the level of the main entrance. Scientists say that at the moment only 10-15% of the entire city territory is open.
It is assumed that the city has not only 8, but as many as 12 tiers, although some hypothesize about the presence of another 20 undiscovered floors
The entrance to the dungeon is located in a one-story house in the village of Derinkuyu, located on a plateau 1355 m above sea level.
One of the many disc doors in the underground city.
On the first level there were stables, a grape press and a massive vault. The living quarters, kitchen and church were located deeper. On the second tier there is a room unique for underground cities; a distinctive feature of Derinkuyu is a large hall with a vaulted ceiling. Apparently, a theological school was located in it and in the adjacent rooms. Weapons warehouses were located on the third and fourth tiers
Further down there is a narrow tunnel (ceiling height 160-170 cm), on the sides of which there are empty chambers. As you go down, the ceilings become lower and the passages become narrower. On the lower eighth floor there is a spacious hall, possibly intended for meetings.
Place where the wine press was located
Bar Derinkuyu
From the inside, the city was closed with large stone doors; they could block access to individual rooms or even entire floors. Each door is a large stone disk 1-1.5 m high, 30-35 cm thick and weighing 200-500 kg. The doors were opened using the holes located inside them, and only from the inside and with the efforts of at least two people. These holes could also serve as door peepholes.
Vertical ventilation shafts (52 in total) below reach groundwater and previously served simultaneously as wells. The city is famous for its very complex ventilation and water supply system, which is amazing for such an early historical period
Until 1962, the population of the village of Derinkuyu met their need for water from these wells. To avoid water poisoning during enemy invasions, the outlets of some wells were carefully closed and camouflaged. In addition, there were special ventilation shafts skillfully hidden in the rocks
Secret passages were often disguised as wells, of which about 600 have been discovered so far. Some of them are located directly in above-ground huts.
One of the narrow passages with a disc door on the left
In the province of Nevsehir there are other underground cities connected by many kilometers of tunnels. One of them, Kaymakli, is connected to Derinkuyu by a tunnel 8-9 km long. In the area between the cities of Kayseri and Nevsehir, more than 200 cave cities have been discovered, each of them going at least two floors underground. Moreover, 40 of them reach a depth of three tiers. The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli are some of the best examples of underground residential structures.
Now the underground cities of Cappadocia attract many tourists, but inside they are mostly empty
Only a small part is accessible for inspection - about 10% of the city. But even this is quite enough for unforgettable vivid impressions! For safety reasons, all unnecessary and little-explored tunnels and passages are closed. There are signs along the route. It is simply impossible to get lost and lost. Naturally, the inconveniences remained. These are narrow, low corridors (the height of the vault is only 160-170 cm). You have to walk along the route on bent legs. The route is also complicated by the stairs leading from the lowest of the explored floors.
The air temperature in the underground city of Derinkuyu is kept at + 13 +15 C. All halls and tunnels are quite well lit.
We also managed to see on the lower, 8th floor of Derinkuyu a large room (church?) in the form of a cross, which partly resembles the shape of Mareshi’s “Columbarium Cave” in Israel. Taking into account the fact that in the rock city of Cavusin we discovered many symbols of the sun carved in underground rooms (the cross is also a symbol of the sun), this may indicate that the builders of these underground structures were followers of the solar gods.
Sources:
Dorn Wolfgang Zentralanatolien. - Cologne: DuMont Verlag, 1997
Kostof Spiro Caves of God: Cappadocia and its Churches. - Oxford University Press, 1989
Underground cities of Turkey. Mysteries of ancient civilizations