With dozens of underground settlements and thousands of cave dwellings you could hardly accuse Cappadocians of being claustrophobic. I’d been fascinated by the idea of communities spending months underground so on our first full day in Turkey we visited Derinkuyu, the largest and deepest of Turkey’s subterranean cities around 40k from Gorome.
From ground level this looked like any ordinary town but concealed beneath is a city spanning eleven floors, reaching a depth of 85 metres and able to accommodate many thousands of people. It’s thought these cities were created by Hitites in the 7th-8th centuries BC as a refuge in times of war and later as a hiding place for Christians fleeing persecution. Some of the cities are actually linked together by miles of underground tunnels.
I was nervous at the thought of squirreling my way through a labyrinth of tunnels but the passageways were comfortable to walk through, well-lit and nicely cool. It was the idea of being so far underground that gave me the creeps but I really wanted to see this so took a deep breath and descended from the glaring sunlight into the gloom.
A honeycomb of tunnels, passages and sloping corridors link family rooms, stepped pits and communal spaces where people could meet, eat and worship. The cities were complete with areas for cooking, food storage, animal pens and even wine and oil presses. Inhabitants could live for weeks and months underground until it was safe to emerge.
A cruciform church sits on the bottom floor of Derinkuyu and is reached by one of many deep ‘vertical staircases’ which are just basic footholds cut into the rock. These are the only means of accessing any floors from the third downwards and so the lower levels are closed – only 10% of the city is accessible to the public.
The passage pictured below led to a temporary tomb which was used until it was safe enough to bury the dead properly. I made my way down this sloping tunnel but did get a bit jittery; I’m only five feet two and had to bend nearly double to get through – we had to keep going to the tomb area before being able to stand, turn round and come back. Probably the limit of my underground explorations at that point and my heart-rate definitely went up a gear! One big guy gave up a metre into the tunnel and backed his way out again.
Entrance to the tomb
Sealed in stone
Each of the floors in the city could be shut off from one another and from the outside world to keep intruders out. Huge circular stones, think Connect 4 with millstones, were rolled across corridors to seal entrances off from attackers. Of course these could only be operated from the inside. Dead-end corridors and labyrinths were also used to trap intruders and kill them.
Large ventilation shafts throughout the city allow fresh air to flow freely and were also used to communicate between levels. Deep wells sourced water from an underground river, from which the town Derinkuyu (deep well) takes its name; the city had everything it needed to survive a siege. I never did find the toilet though…
Derinkuyu was re-discovered in the 1960s when someone dismantled a wall and was surprised to discover a room behind it, which led to another room, and in turn to a whole subterranean city…
Derinkuyu Map
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- A Mini Tour of Turkey (the-travelbunny.com)
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I also went to the underground city here, but I found it hard to take pictures because it was so dark and the flash seemed to ruin it. I didn’t have a great camera then either. But your photos are great and I love that chart of the city.
I turned my flash off and had to keep the camera really still but they didn’t come out too badly. The chart really
puts Derinkuyu into perspective – we only touched the surface!
How I envy you your travels. I have been around a little, but that was before they invented the camera.
Thanks for sharing and thank for visiting my blog
I didn’t travel very far until my late thirties – I couldn’t do without it now, it’s definitely addictive…
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Brought back fond memories! I used this for a travel theme on secret places a while back
Perfect subject for that theme – just been over for a peek
I loved this place – not sure if I could do it again those as the spaces did make me feel very confined. Posting this to a Turkish Travel Group – you are very welcome to join if you are on G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/107451785469384845203
I think you’re right – once is enough! Thank you for adding this to the Travel Group – will head over to G+ and seek you out
I had no idea, and it looks a bit like my worst nightmare, Suze. (apart from formatting, of course! Thanks for the moral support)
Ha ha – how’s that going? I wouldn’t know where to start if I had a problem…
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Gosh, I cannot imagine living so far underground for months on end but it sounds like it was very well organized with ventilation shafts, wells etc. It must have been a fascinating place to visit.
They must have been relieved to have seen the light of day again
Wow, what a place! Not sure I’d have liked those tunnels too much, the catacombs in Paris were small enough for me, I like to be able to stand up at least!
It was only the one tunnel that was so small – all the others were much bigger otherwise I don’t think I’d have lasted long at all!!
Amazing looking place! x
Curiously creepy! x
Awesome! Added to my to-do list when visiting Cappadocia
Great! Look forward to reading about it – when are you going?
Looks fascinating, I really must get to Capadochia sometime
That’s one place you won’t be taking your wife! Cappadocia is well worth spending a few days and was the highlight of our mini-tour
She’s hate the underground part, but I think she’d enjoy the fairy castles
Definitely – there’s so much else to see and do there…
You’re braver than I, don’t think I could have done the whole tour but amazing to think that people lived liked this
It wasn’t so bad at the time and we only went down to the second floor!
Wow fascinating. NOt sure I’d like to go in knowing Turkey can get earthquaes
Now there’s a thought!!
I don’t think I could have gone so far down… It must be scary…
All the time the passages and rooms were spacious it was fine – I think it’s more in the mind as when the tunnel got narrow it felt deeper!
WOW…that is amazing. By looking at the map, it looks like it goes down pretty deep? I would have never imagined underground cities having that many ‘levels’. I’m such a scaredy-cat, I don’t know if I would be able to do the tomb part. LOL! Incredible – thanks for sharing.
I think we only went down to the second level but it was hard to gauge and certainly seemed a long way down!
Been there and was equally fascinated. Thanks for the “revisit”!
You’re welcome Terri