26.12.2023
5 Dakika
Türkiye’s landscapes have witnessed the continuous habitation of humanity in large numbers for thousands of years, establishing great civilizations that have left behind very interesting and mysterious artifacts. While some of these are magnificent structures that will immediately catch the eye, others require looking in the right places to be found. Particularly if the marvels in question are located underground... Türkiye is home to underground cities, especially concentrated in the Cappadocia Region in Nevşehir, as magnificent as the ancient settlements above ground. In this article, we will briefly introduce 5 of these cities worth exploring.
Derinkuyu Underground City, one of Cappadocia's most impressive sites, renowned for its rock-carved churches and fairy chimneys, stands a a colossal complex with 8 floors built to accommodate a very large community. Although believed to have existed since ancient times, it later served as a refuge for Christian communities living under oppression during the Roman Empire. The underground city boasts sections such as stables, cellars, a dining hall, and a church, alongside a missionary school. Witnessing this architectural wonder in Nevşehir is a must.
Kaymaklı Underground City dates back to 3000 BC and its first floor is believed to have been used by the Hittites. Extending 8 floors beneath the earth, only 4 floors of the city have been illuminated thus far. The city's most notable features include narrow corridors connecting rooms; functional spaces such as water reservoirs, kitchens, cellars, and churches, as well as ventilation shafts, water wells, and doors that can be secured from the inside with large bolt stones.
Situated in Nevşehir's Acıgöl district, Tatlarin Underground City currently allows access to only two floors. Despite this limitation, the city's spacious interiors, multiple churches and many cellars suggest that the settlement was quite large and could have been a military garrison or a monastery complex. Another intriguing feature of the city, which also has a L-plan toilet, is the 2-3 meter deep traps in the middle of the corridors. The murals in the city are also works of art that will spice up your visit to this special structure.
Nestled in the village of Mazı, previously known as Mazata in ancient times, the underground city attracts attention with its size and numerous stables. Excavations revealed four different entrances to the Mazı Underground City and a large bolt stone used for security at the main entrance that is planned as a short corridor. The church within the city features an apse adorned with reliefs and can be sealed with a bolt stone, just like the city itself. With these features, Mazı Underground City invites visitors to embark on a mysterious subterranean journey.
The Nevşehir Özkonak Underground City, designed with galleries connected to each other by tunnels in a large area on the slopes of Mount İdiş, was carved from volcanic granite tuff layers. Alongside bolt stones used for security, as in many underground cities, there are also holes believed to have been carved to repel intruders by pouring hot oil on them. Another interesting feature of the city is the long and narrow chimneys, approximately 5 cm wide, that served as both communication channels between floors and ventilation shafts.
