The 18-story city hidden beneath Turkey
Derinkuyu
Carved into soft volcanic rock in Cappadocia, Derinkuyu is an ancient underground city that once sheltered up to 20,000 people, complete with stables, wine presses, and ventilation shafts.
Beneath the town of Derinkuyu in Turkey's Cappadocia region lies one of the largest and deepest underground cities ever discovered, a multi-level complex carved into soft volcanic rock that descends roughly 85 meters, the equivalent of about 18 stories. At its peak the city could shelter as many as 20,000 people along with their livestock and food stores, offering a complete underground world with living quarters, kitchens, chapels, wine and oil presses, stables, and even schools. Massive circular stone doors, some weighing hundreds of kilograms, could be rolled into place from the inside to seal off passages against invaders, and a sophisticated network of more than 50 ventilation shafts kept air circulating throughout the many levels. Derinkuyu is believed to date back to at least the Byzantine era, and possibly much earlier to Phrygian times, when it served as a refuge for Christian communities fleeing periodic invasions and religious persecution. The city was rediscovered in 1963 when a local resident, renovating his home, knocked through a wall and found a mysterious room that led to an entire hidden network below the surface.
An underground metropolis
Derinkuyu extends across roughly eight distinct levels currently open to visitors, though archaeologists believe the full complex may run even deeper, with connecting passages to other nearby underground cities in the region, most notably Kaymakli, several kilometers away. The soft volcanic tuff that makes up the Cappadocia region was ideal for carving out chambers, corridors, and shafts using simple hand tools, a process that likely took place over many centuries of expansion.
Built for defense
Derinkuyu's design suggests it was built primarily as a refuge during times of war and religious persecution. Massive circular stone doors, some over a meter in diameter, could be rolled shut from inside each level, sealing off sections of the city and preventing intruders from advancing, even if they somehow got past the narrow, easily defended entrance tunnels above.
Sustaining thousands underground
To support a population that could reach 20,000 for extended periods, the city included stables for livestock, storage rooms for food and wine, communal kitchens, wells, and religious spaces including chapels carved directly into the rock. More than 50 vertical ventilation shafts, some extending the full depth of the complex, supplied fresh air and access to water even during long sieges lasting weeks or months.
Rediscovered by accident
Although used historically by early Christians escaping persecution and later by residents fleeing periodic raids, Derinkuyu was largely forgotten by the modern era. It was rediscovered in 1963 when a local man renovating his home broke through a wall and found a strange, sloping passage that led downward into an enormous hidden network. Since being opened to tourism, only a fraction of the estimated complex has been excavated and made accessible to the public.
Fun facts
- Derinkuyu descends about 85 meters, roughly equivalent to an 18-story building.
- It could shelter up to 20,000 people along with livestock and food supplies.
- Massive rolling stone doors could seal each level from the inside for defense.
- More than 50 ventilation shafts kept air flowing through the entire complex.
- It was rediscovered by accident in 1963 during a home renovation.
Gallery
Sources
Other interesting places
View all →
Featured lists
View all lists →
Compare cities, side by side
Choose any 2 cities →
Text on this page is original Terralocate editorial. Background facts compiled from the public sources listed above. Images via Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses (typically CC BY-SA or public domain).