Derinkuyu Underground City
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is Derinkuyu and how deep is it?
This is the largest of the excavated underground cities of Turkey: five levels, going deep for about 85 meters. In case of danger, up to 20,000 people, along with livestock and food supplies, could hide here.
Where is it and how to get there?
Derinkuyu lies in the province of Nevsehir, in the heart of Cappadocia in central Turkey, under the modern town of the same name. It was opened for visitors in 1969, although about half is accessible.
Who dug it up and when?
The first caves in the soft volcanic tuff were dug by the Phrygians in the 8th-7th century BC. Later, they were expanded to a multi-story labyrinth with chapels and Greek inscriptions, and the city acquired its final appearance during the Byzantine era.
What is interesting to see inside?
Giant stone discs-doors, with which each floor was tightly closed from the inside, wine and oil presses, stables, warehouses, a room with a vaulted ceiling (it looks like a former school) and a church on the fifth level. A separate 55-meter ventilation mine well supplied water at the same time.
Any surprising facts?
Derinkuyu is connected to the neighboring town of Kaimakli by underground tunnels 8-9 km long. And it was rediscovered only in 1963, when a local resident accidentally found a mysterious room behind the wall of his house.
