Underground cities can be found all across the world, but one particular underground city has everything in it.
Located in present-day Turkey, the historical Cappadocia region has become a popular tourism destination for its unusual rock formations, unique historical relics, and cultural importance.
Cappadocia’s landscape is considerably one of the best things created by man and by nature, but underneath all that greatness is something more than just dirt, land, or rock. One may not expect that underneath Cappadocia lies a one-of-a-kind network of underground cities.
Derinkuyu is the most famous of them all because of its size and depth – it extends 60 meters into the ground and could accommodate 20,000 inhabitants. This ancient city dates back to the 7th century BC.
The early inhabitants of the underground city built it to save themselves from invasions and war. Ingenuity presented them with an opportunity to build a livable area where they could go unnoticed and where they could protect their possessions.
This city consists of 600 doors that lead to amazing and massive rooms, chambers, and facilities. The city could be closed entirely from the inside with large stone doors, and even each floor could be closed off separately. It was also methodically designed like a maze so to make navigating the city difficult for unfamiliar intruders.
Derinkuyu is open for visits but only allows tourists to see around 10-15% of the entire underground city.
