Recently the underground cities at Kaymakli Underground City and Derinkuyu Underground City near Nevşehir have been opened up for tourists. These also were early Christian centers and must have housed several thousand people in the eighth and ninth centuries. They extend downward in the earth for at least eight floors in a maze of tunnels and rooms and were easily defended by blocking the entrance with large rocks.
The sheer mechanics of organization, supply, and administration of such communities are staggering. A short, interesting description of life in such a place can be found in Xenephon’s Anabasis. In relating the retreat of the Greek army of Ten Thousand from Babylon to the Black Sea he describes a village in which they were entertained briefly in the winter:
“The houses here were underground, with a mouth like that of a well, but spacious below; and while entrances were tunnelled down for the beasts of burden, the human inhabitants descended by a ladder… It was here also that the village chief instructed them about wrapping small bags round the feet of their horses and beasts of burden when they were going through the snow; for without these bags the animals would sink in up to their bellies.”
Derinkuyu and Kaymakli,
Derinkuyu was amazing. It's an 8th or 7th century B.C.E. multi-level underground city which seemingly just keeps going forever. I believe our tour guide told us only about 10% of it was open to visitors, but there's a lot to be seen in that 10%. Several passages and stairways, kitchens, rooms, meeting rooms, live-stock storage areas, etc. You get to…
A must see for everyone,we went in wih my twin girls aged two,they walked down on their own,dint get scared,no issues they loved it,amazing city all underground.no problem breathing,have to bend a little though but it's fine,a must see for evryone visiting the region,highly recommend….people with back problems just be a bit careful its has bit of bending to do…
It was sobering to learn that Christians lived in the Underground city mostly in the dark with animals present to be protected from the persecutors. There is a nice souvenier shop on site.
We drove to Derinkuyu from Goreme, almost 30km but it was worth the trip. The city is amazing and it's very deep. Make sure you get thick clothes as it gets colder as you go down. You don't need a guide because the coridors are well signaled.
Love every bit of this place. So fascinated by the historical bit of it , about how advanced the people in the past were. can't believe I felt so excited crawling through narrow dark tunnels.
What a glorious time travel. History in this area is amazing. If you do not have a car you can get the green tour and this is also included. By traveling to Derinkuyu, I have learned so much about history of this region that I couldn't learn from history books. The tunnels are low but even the tallest (6 feet…
I went here with a tour group and it was extremely crowded. It was interesting to see how people lived, but with so many people there it felt like a fire trap. If you don't like small spaces and crowds skip this place!
We visited this underground city with my wife on 14/12/2011 and it was totaly impressive experience for us. It is 55 meters deep. If you haven't been in a such closed area before please think twice. When we got inside a gentleman came with his daughter ( Appr 13 yrs old ) and he told us that his daughter can…
First of all | would like to inform you if you are claustrophobic. but if not a must-to-SEE place. it is a hidden city for christians. it has 8 levels. kitchen living area etc. there are soo many things to explain..
15 TL to enter underground city and 20 TL for tour guide. It was well worth it to have a better understanding of who lived there, why, and how long. Apperently, out of the 32 underground cities this is one of four open to public. This cave system goes down 8 flights but the guides will only take you to…