In Nevsehir province, the underground cities of Cappadocia are well worth visiting. The largest of these is Derinkuyu underground city, which was once home to up to 20,000 people. Its eight levels descend into the Anatolian plateau 50 km south of Göreme, where a large community dug out a settlement to ensure some level of protection from the invadors. There are eight floors of tunnels, but only four are open to visitors today, giving you an idea of what it’s like to live in a labyrinth.
The enormous round doors that were rolled over the passageways and sealed from the inside serve as a reminder of the purpose of relocating below in the first place, while the circular ventilation shafts that descend from the surface to the lower floors emphasize the scope of the project.
There are other cities like this one you can visit besides Derinkuyu. Only a fraction of the area’s around forty underground communities are accessible to the general public. For instance, Kaymakli, which is 10 kilometers north of Derinkuyu, is smaller and has less excavation, but it offers four accessible levels and a largely comparable experience.
Not Recommended For People With Claustrophobia. Additional underground cities in Cappadocia that are open for exploration include Acigol (Tatlarin), Ozkonak, Mazi, Ozluce, Sivasa, Cardak, and Seratli.
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Facts about Derinkuyu Underground City
- The City is a historic subterranean complex situated around 60 meters below the surface of the earth in Cappadocia, Turkey.
- The city is well known for its amazing architectural layout, which includes several stories, elaborate tunnels, and chambers that demonstrate the highly developed engineering abilities of its prehistoric creators.
- One of Derinkuyu’s most astounding features is its ability to house a sizable population. Up to 20,000 people are thought to be able to live there, complete with apartments, storage spaces, chapels, and common areas.
- Derinkuyu is a part of a broader network of Cappadocia’s underground settlements, several of which are connected by tunnels. With the use of this network, persons were able to move covertly between areas and be safe from onlookers.