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,
A very nice place, you have to take the balloon and fly over the mountains. It was an amazing experience. The Musseum Hotel is great, the rooms into the stones are wonderful.
Middle of January ith now all round but blue skies.
We did the Green Tour immediately after our Butterfly Balloon trip and hearty brakfast at Aydinli Cave Hotl. Picked up by local guide, enthusiastic and talented oung man named Ali.
Spent the day very active and enjoyed the Ilhara Valley walk and the don't miss sensational tour of the underground…
Wonderful Caverns, small caverns and feeling how the old people lived underground. Wow, this was an amazing place, loved it!!!
P.S. Do not stay underground more than 30 min. orelse you might end up having eye problems at the surface. Have a nice trip!!
Don't miss this outstanding underground city. Then pay a visit to Gokhan Antiq Shop. The owner Metin Ince is great. You will find so many things to bring home when you visit his shop.
We visited the Derinkuyu underground city when booking the green tour. The guide explained us the usage of each area visited. It is amazing how people could explore the underground building inside a place to live for the dangerous times. It is indeed an interesting place to visit, and you do not have every day the chance to see something…
Green tour is a must. It would be easy to do with your own transportation but at 60-70TL per person including entries and lunch, the tour is a very reasonable option. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We didn’t do the red tour but walked through valleys from Goreme to Cavusin and on to Pasabagi Valley, then back to Goreme, about…
Our hotel offered day tours involving some hiking plus a visit to this underground city, however we are not big on organised tours preferring to do our own thing. We caught a small dolmus to Nevsehir (not the Otogar)- instead on the main street. The conductor on the bus told us where to get off in the township. Cost for…
I haven't been to any of the other underground cities, but think Derinkuyu is definitely worth a visit. I went in the middle of winter (so much snow!) as part of the Green Tour.
Entry is 15 TRY and I would highly recommend going with a (small) tour group for a couple of reasons:
1. It is possible to get…
We enjoyed our trip to Derinkuyu the underground city, where we had the chance to see how people lived under the ground for years, how they made vine and how they protected "the city" from enemies. Greta and spooky! We took an organized tour to this place, booked in the hostel we stayed – Yasin's Backpacker Cave Hostel, good price…
Probably the most fascinating site in Cappadocia. Effectively it's a human ant farm from pre history, burrowing deep below the ground. Only the top eight floors are open to the public but it goes much deeper and is connected to other underground cities in the area.
The Christians have tried to take credit for much of it, and yes, they…