Kaymaklı Underground City is contained within the citadel of Kaymaklı in the Cappadocia Turkey. First opened to tourists in 1964, the village is about 19 km from Nevşehir, on the Nevşehir-Niğde road. The ancient name was Enegup. The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. The tunnels are still used today as storage areas, stables, and cellars. The underground city at Kaymaklı differs from Derinkuyu Underground City in terms of its structure and layout. The tunnels are lower, narrower, and more steeply inclined. Of the four floors open to tourists, each space is organized around ventilation shafts. This makes the design of each room or open space dependent on the availability of ventilation.
A stable is located on the first floor. The small size of the stable could indicate that other stables exist in the sections not yet opened. To the left of the stable is a passage with a millstone door. The door leads into a church. To the right of the stables are rooms, possibly living spaces.
Located on the second floor is a church with a nave and two apses. Located in front of the apses is a baptismal font, and on the sides along the walls are seating platforms. Names of people contained in graves here coincide with those located next to the church, which supports the idea that these graves belonged to religious people. The church level also contains some living spaces.
The third floor contains the most important areas of the underground compound: storage places, wine or oil presses, and kitchens. The level also contains a remarkable block of andesite with relief textures. Recently it was shown that this stone was used as a pot to melt copper. The stone was hewn from an andesite layer within the complex. In order for it to be used in metallurgy, fifty-seven holes were carved into the stone. The technique was to put copper ore into each of the holes (about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in diameter) and then to hammer the ore into place. The copper was probably mined between Aksaray and Nevsehir. This mine was also used by Asilikhoyuk, the oldest settlement within the Cappadocia Region.
The high number of storage rooms and areas for earthenware jars on the fourth floor indicates some economic stability. Kaymaklı is one of the largest underground settlements in Cappadocia the region. The large area reserved for storage in such a limited area appears to indicate the need to support a large population underground. Currently only a fraction of the complex is open to the public.
Kaymaklı underground city ( Turkish: Kaymakli yeraltı şehri ). Admission TL15; 8am-5pm, last admission 4.30pm) features a maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels deep into the earth (only four are open). As this is the most convenient and popular of the underground cities, you should get here early in July and August to beat the tour groups, or from about 12.30pm to 1.30 pm when they break for lunch.
Kaymakli Underground City, Cappadocia,
Why are the doorways small? Why are the ceilings so low? Why are the tunnels so narrow? Aside from the obvious and skimmed reading, I would probably know the answer to these questions and more if we had signed up with a tour guide, and we probably would have had a tour guide if we hadn't been assaulted with offers…
Actually, it should be, and probably is really cool. I found out the hard way that I don't handle this sort of thing very well, particularly when you're in a tunnel, a fair way down, with people in front and behind and no one's moving.
But fortunately for me a very kind malaysian tour group, with a lovely turkish guide…
the underground city leaves you in awe once you come out of it. the way the earlier people lived there is remarkable and the way they have restored the city is also commendable. however please do take a guide with you since it will help you understand better. the shops are expensive but huge bargaining is done.
Kaymakli Underground City is impressive to think that people could dig and live in these caves.
I was absolutely fascinated by the Kaymakli Underground City… Image a whole city underground… Simply unbelievable !
I've been in multiple tunnels in the world including Viet Nam and Kiev, Ukraine. This one is quite crowded with flocks of tourists. If you've never been in a tunnel before it's worth a trip. Expect to wait in narrow spaces some of the time, and this wasn't even peak season. In contrast to some tunnels, they don't manage how…
After hearing about the narrow passageways, I was a little hesitant in going to this underground city because I am a little claustrophobic. BUT, I was surprised at how open the underground city was!! There were definitely parts (tunnels especially) that were probably around 5ft high that made me a little nervous, but for the most part, the underground city…
The underground city was made by ancient Turkish to hide from their enemies. Inside they made ventilation so fresh air flows and you don't have to worry about breathing difficulty. Yes, tourists are crowded there. You will see their winery, church, kitchen, bedroom,etc. Difficult to imagine one can survive living deep down the earth 🙂
I was told by a few of my coworkers that I should check out an underground city in Cappadocia, so this is where my family and I decided to go. It was a huge disappointment. The drive from Goreme was boring (nothing to see along the way), and the wait in line was long.
Smaller than nearby Derinkuyu underground city, Kaymakli is still worth a visit. It is tighter and more claustrophobic, with some very narrow passages that will put a strain to your unfit muscles. Guides are helpful, but the itinerary is very well marked, so you can save the 15 euros or so that guides charge.