Attractions / 15.07.2023

Derinkuyu underground city. Cappadocia. Türkiye. Derinkuyu Underground City

The unique underground city of Derinkuyu is located 40 kilometers from the Goreme National Park, together with which, as well as other cave settlements of Cappadocia, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is one of the largest and most ancient underground cities on our planet. The time of its foundation is not known for certain, but according to various estimates it dates back to the 2nd-1st millennium BC. At one time we had the opportunity to visit it and, I must admit, the city makes a very strong impression.

The city of Derinkuyu (Turkish Derinkuyu - “deep well”) is multi-tiered and goes underground 65 meters, descending to the very groundwater, and on each tier there is a huge system of branched underground passages and labyrinths, which allowed the former residents to establish a way of life with minimal dependence on the external surfaces. Here, in a space of a couple of square kilometers, there were living quarters, meeting halls, schools and chambers for spiritual studies, churches, as well as various warehouses and storerooms with large supplies of food, and weapons arsenals. The underground city also had its own production and there were presses for squeezing out oil. And there were even rooms for stalls where sheep, cows and horses were kept.

A1. Approximate diagram of an underground city.

02. The entrance is nearby.

No one knows for sure the reason why this city was created. It is only assumed that this happened during the time of the Phrygians (immigrants from the southern Balkans), in the 8th-7th centuries BC. e, or even the Hittites, an Indo-European Bronze Age people who inhabited these places in 1900-1200 BC. e. There is a version that the city was founded by fire worshipers, and it is argued by the fact that in the famous holy book of the Zoroastrians - “Vendidad”, there are references to underground cities. In fact, it has been established that, starting around the 5th century AD, Christians began to use the underground cities of Cappadocia to hide from their persecutors in the person of Muslim rulers and various other ill-wishers.

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All passages and rooms are carved into volcanic tuff rock, and interestingly, despite the huge size of the city and its multi-tiered nature, as well as the softness of the rock itself, there are no rubble or collapses inside the city, which indicates sufficient experience and professionalism of the ancient builders. It is believed that Christians expanded the ancient city and brought it to the form we have now. However, for a long time after their departure, the underground chambers were used by local farmers as warehouses for food. And then they completely forgot about the city, and all the entrances to it were lost among the vegetation and buildings of the new era.

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The city was rediscovered only in 1963, when, during the repair of one of the houses behind a collapsed wall, a passage to the underground city opened. And archaeologists immediately began to study the unique object, and in 1965 the city was opened to tourists. Afterwards, many other underground cities were discovered; in Cappadocia there are dozens of them, but Derinkuyu remains the most significant and most studied among them to this day.

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And yet, despite this, only part of the underground settlement has been put in order, approximately 15%. Eight underground floors have been studied, the lowest is at a level of 65 meters. But some have suggested that there are more floors. What’s interesting is that there is good ventilation at all levels, this is achieved through 52 ventilation shafts, which reach the groundwater below and also serve as the city’s wells. At the top, all these entrances were carefully disguised so that potential enemies could not enter the city through them or poison the water.

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It’s really good to breathe underground, but this place is clearly not for people with claustrophobia. The passages in the labyrinths of the city are very dark and narrow, many tunnels are quite long and the ceiling is much lower than human height. Sometimes it even gets a little creepy. Researchers believe that up to 20,000 people could have found shelter in these dungeons. And various Internet resources generally take numbers out of thin air and write about 30, then 50 thousand... I don’t know, according to personal estimates, it would be quite crowded here for a couple of hundred, not to mention the fact that in many tunnels and It’s difficult for a couple of people to pass each other... But regardless of all this, the underground city is impressive!

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A complex branched system of labyrinths and floors made it possible not only to optimally configure the internal functioning of the city, but also to prevent its conquest and destruction. Firstly, the passages to the floors and some tunnels and rooms were closed by huge, weighing half a ton, round stone doors, similar to millstones. These doors could only be opened from the inside and with the effort of at least two people.

And secondly, even if the enemy were able to overcome this obstacle, he would immediately become entangled in the complex system of the underground city, which the inhabitants, in turn, knew perfectly well. Plus, there were many emergency exits to the surface, sometimes very far from the main settlement. Derinkuyu was also connected with other underground cities by passages, for example, a 9-kilometer tunnel was dug towards Kaymakli.

A3. Another diagram of the underground city.

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Despite the abundance of narrow passages and closets, the city also has relatively large rooms, some of which were necessary for keeping livestock, some for holding various meetings and religious events, and also had their own schools. One of the largest halls of Derinkuyu is located on the 8th underground floor; it is believed that meetings were held there and decisions were made on the most important issues.

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As I said above, the underground city is open to tourists. The corridors are illuminated with electric lamps, the main directions are marked with arrows, there seems to be no danger of getting lost, and special signs tell about the most important sights. The entrance ticket, if I remember correctly, costs about 10 liras. We got to Derinkuyu by minibus from Nevshivir, they go quite often. And we were quite pleased with our visit to the underground city. In the future, I hope that I will be able to see some other underground cities of Cappadocia. And in general, there is something to do there.

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19. On the way out, we bought ourselves some terribly sticky oriental sweetness and ate it with pleasure. There was a long road ahead to Istanbul.

20. Map of the area. From Nevsehir to Derinkuyu 40 kilometers. From Istanbul it is approximately 800, from Antalya - 540.

In the region of the same name in the territory of modern Turkey, 29 km from the largest underground city - Nevsehir. Together with the neighboring city of Kaymakli, this is one of the best examples of underground residential structures.

During the period of Persian rule (-IV century BC), the city first became a haven for refugees. During the Byzantine Empire, the city began to be called Malakopia(Greek Μαλακοπαία ), and around the 5th century AD. e. Christians settled here and expanded the dungeon. Their residence in the city is evidenced by the presence of underground schools, churches and wine cellars. Here they hid from the raids of nomads and persecution from the Muslim states of the Umayyads and Abbasids. Active life continued in Derinkuyu until the 8th century, although some finds here date back to the 10th century.

For a long time the city was in oblivion. Over time, local farmers began to use its well-ventilated, cool halls as warehouses. In 1963, the city was discovered by archaeologists when one local resident accidentally discovered a mysterious room behind the wall of his house. By 1965, the city's caves were cleared and opened to tourists.

Living conditions

The geological feature of Cappadocia is soft volcanic tuff - an ideal rock for the construction of underground cities, as it is easy to process and hardens when exposed to air. Therefore, it was easy to dig a home here, and people settled underground with whole families: at one time, the underground city of Derinkuyu could accommodate 20 thousand people with livestock and food supplies. There were all the necessary amenities found in other underground complexes of Cappadocia: living quarters, ventilation shafts and wells, barns and stables, kitchens and dining rooms, bakeries, oil and grape presses, barns and wine cellars, churches and chapels, as well as workshops where everything needed was made. There is evidence that there was even a cemetery in the underground city.

The Derinkuyu dungeon is a complex branched system of rooms, halls, tunnels and wells, diverging down (covered with bars), up and to the sides. The city was built in such a way that it was impossible to capture it. All precautions were taken: in case of danger, the entrances were closed with huge boulders, and even if the enemy had overcome them, he would hardly have been able to get back to the surface without knowing the secret passages and the layout of the labyrinths. Probably, the city was built in this way precisely with the expectation that only its inhabitants would be well versed in its structure, while enemies, on the contrary, would be instantly lost.

There is no consensus on whether people lived underground permanently or periodically. According to one version, the inhabitants of Derinkuyu came to the surface only to cultivate the fields, according to another, they lived in a surface village and hid underground only during raids. In the latter case, they quickly eliminated signs of life on the surface and went underground to hide there for several weeks.

Description

The underground city is located on eight levels, reaching a depth of 55-60 m. The dimensions have not yet been fully clarified: the area of the city varies between 1.5-2.5 km² (according to other sources, 4 × 4 km). The lower floor is located at a depth of 54 m from the level of the main entrance. Scientists say that at the moment only 10-15% of the entire city territory is open. It is assumed that the city has not only 8, but as many as 12 tiers, although some hypothesize about the presence of another 20 undiscovered floors.

The entrance to the dungeon is located in a one-story house in the village of Derinkuyu, located on a plateau 1355 m above sea level. All halls and tunnels are sufficiently well lit and ventilated. The temperature inside ranges from 13 to 15 °C. For communication between floors, there are small holes in the floor in many places.

Vertical ventilation shafts (52 in total) below reach groundwater and previously served simultaneously as wells. The city is famous for its very complex ventilation and water supply system, which is amazing for such an early historical period. Until 1962, the population of the village of Derinkuyu met their need for water from these wells. To avoid water poisoning during enemy invasions, the outlets of some wells were carefully closed and camouflaged. In addition, there were special ventilation shafts, skillfully hidden in the rocks. Secret passages were often disguised as wells, of which about 600 have been discovered so far. Some of them are located directly in above-ground huts.

Other underground cities

In the province of Nevsehir there are other underground cities connected by many kilometers of tunnels. One of them, Kaymakli, is connected to Derinkuyu by a tunnel 8-9 km long. In the area between the cities of Kayseri and Nevsehir, more than 200 cave cities have been discovered, each of them going at least two floors underground. Moreover, 40 of them reach a depth of three tiers. The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli are some of the best examples of underground residential structures.

Nowadays, the underground cities of Cappadocia attract many tourists, but inside they are mostly empty.

Filmography

"Ancient Aliens. "(English) Ancient Aliens. Underground Aliens ) - popular science film (History Channel, 2011)

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Notes

Literature

Dorn Wolfgang. Zentralanatolien. - Cologne: DuMont Verlag, 1997. - ISBN 3-7701-2885-0.(German)
Kostof Spiro. Caves of God: Cappadocia and its Churches. - Oxford University Press, 1989. - ISBN 0-19-506000-8 978-0195060003.(English)

Excerpt characterizing Derinkuyu (underground city)

The Viceroy will take possession of the village [of Borodin] and cross his three bridges, following at the same height with the divisions of Morand and Gerard, which, under his leadership, will head to the redoubt and enter the line with the rest of the army.
All this must be done in order (le tout se fera avec ordre et methode), keeping the troops in reserve as much as possible.
In the imperial camp, near Mozhaisk, September 6, 1812."
This disposition, written in a very unclear and confused way, if we allow ourselves to regard his orders without religious horror at Napoleon’s genius, contained four points - four orders. None of these orders could be or were carried out.
The disposition says, first: that the batteries set up at the place chosen by Napoleon with the Pernetti and Fouche guns aligned with them, a total of one hundred and two guns, open fire and bombard the Russian flashes and redoubts with shells. This could not be done, since the shells from the places appointed by Napoleon did not reach the Russian works, and these one hundred and two guns fired empty until the nearest commander, contrary to Napoleon’s orders, pushed them forward.
The second order was that Poniatowski, heading towards the village into the forest, should bypass the left wing of the Russians. This could not be and was not done because Poniatovsky, heading towards the village into the forest, met Tuchkov there blocking his way and could not and did not bypass the Russian position.
Third order: General Kompan will move into the forest to take possession of the first fortification. Compan's division did not capture the first fortification, but was repulsed because, leaving the forest, it had to form under grapeshot fire, which Napoleon did not know.
Fourth: The Viceroy will take possession of the village (Borodino) and cross his three bridges, following at the same height with the divisions of Maran and Friant (about which it is not said where and when they will move), which, under his leadership, will go to the redoubt and enter the line with other troops.
As far as one can understand - if not from the confused period of this, then from those attempts that were made by the Viceroy to carry out the orders given to him - he was supposed to move through Borodino on the left to the redoubt, while the divisions of Moran and Friant were supposed to move simultaneously from the front.
All this, as well as other points of disposition, was not and could not be fulfilled. Having passed Borodino, the viceroy was repulsed at Kolocha and could not go further; The divisions of Moran and Friant did not take the redoubt, but were repulsed, and the redoubt was captured by cavalry at the end of the battle (probably an unexpected and unheard of thing for Napoleon). So, none of the orders of the disposition were and could not be executed. But the disposition says that upon entering the battle in this way, orders will be given corresponding to the actions of the enemy, and therefore it would seem that during the battle Napoleon would make all the necessary orders; but this was not and could not be because during the entire battle Napoleon was so far from him that (as it turned out later) the course of the battle could not be known to him and not a single order of his during the battle could be carried out.

Many historians say that the Battle of Borodino was not won by the French because Napoleon had a runny nose, that if he had not had a runny nose, his orders before and during the battle would have been even more ingenious, and Russia would have perished, et la face du monde eut ete changee. [and the face of the world would change.] For historians who recognize that Russia was formed by the will of one man - Peter the Great, and France from a republic developed into an empire, and French troops went to Russia by the will of one man - Napoleon, the reasoning is that Russia remained powerful because Napoleon had a big cold on the 26th, such reasoning is inevitably consistent for such historians.
If it depended on the will of Napoleon to give or not to give the Battle of Borodino and it depended on his will to make this or that order, then it is obvious that a runny nose, which had an impact on the manifestation of his will, could be the reason for the salvation of Russia and that therefore the valet who forgot to give Napoleon On the 24th, waterproof boots were the savior of Russia. On this path of thought, this conclusion is undoubted - as undoubted as the conclusion that Voltaire made jokingly (without knowing what) when he said that the Night of St. Bartholomew occurred from an upset stomach of Charles IX. But for people who do not allow that Russia was formed by the will of one person - Peter I, and that the French Empire was formed and the war with Russia began by the will of one person - Napoleon, this reasoning not only seems incorrect, unreasonable, but also contrary to the whole essence human. To the question of what constitutes the cause of historical events, another answer seems to be that the course of world events is predetermined from above, depends on the coincidence of all the arbitrariness of the people participating in these events, and that the influence of Napoleons on the course of these events is only external and fictitious.
Strange as it may seem at first glance, the assumption that the Night of St. Bartholomew, the order for which was given by Charles IX, did not occur at his will, but that it only seemed to him that he ordered it to be done, and that the Borodino massacre of eighty thousand people did not occur at the will of Napoleon (despite the fact that he gave orders about the beginning and course of the battle), and that it seemed to him only that he ordered it - no matter how strange this assumption seems, but human dignity tells me that each of us, if not more, then no less a person than the great Napoleon orders that this solution to the issue be allowed, and historical research abundantly confirms this assumption.
In the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon did not shoot at anyone and did not kill anyone. The soldiers did all this. Therefore, it was not he who killed people.
The soldiers of the French army went to kill Russian soldiers in the Battle of Borodino not as a result of Napoleon’s orders, but of their own free will. The entire army: the French, Italians, Germans, Poles - hungry, ragged and exhausted from the campaign - in view of the army blocking Moscow from them, they felt that le vin est tire et qu"il faut le boire. [the wine is uncorked and it is necessary to drink it .] If Napoleon had now forbidden them to fight the Russians, they would have killed him and gone to fight the Russians, because they needed it.
When they listened to the order of Napoleon, who presented them with the words of posterity for their injuries and death as a consolation that they too had been in the battle of Moscow, they shouted “Vive l" Empereur!” just as they shouted “Vive l"Empereur!” at the sight of an image of a boy piercing the globe with a bilboke stick; just as they would shout “Vive l"Empereur!” at any nonsense that would be told to them. They had no choice but to shout “Vive l" Empereur!” and go fight to find food and rest for the victors in Moscow. Therefore, it was not as a result of Napoleon’s orders that they killed their own kind.
And it was not Napoleon who controlled the course of the battle, because nothing was carried out from his disposition and during the battle he did not know about what was happening in front of him. Therefore, the way in which these people killed each other did not happen at the will of Napoleon, but happened independently of him, at the will of hundreds of thousands of people who participated in the common cause. It only seemed to Napoleon that the whole thing was happening according to his will. And therefore the question of whether or not Napoleon had a runny nose is of no greater interest to history than the question of the runny nose of the last Furshtat soldier.
Moreover, on August 26, Napoleon’s runny nose did not matter, since the testimony of writers that, due to Napoleon’s runny nose, his disposition and orders during the battle were not as good as before are completely unfair.
The disposition written out here was not at all worse, and even better, than all previous dispositions by which battles were won. The imaginary orders during the battle were also no worse than before, but exactly the same as always. But these dispositions and orders seem only worse than the previous ones because the Battle of Borodino was the first that Napoleon did not win. All the most beautiful and thoughtful dispositions and orders seem very bad, and every military scientist criticizes them with a significant air when the battle is not won, and the very bad dispositions and orders seem very good, and serious people prove the merits of bad orders in entire volumes, when the battle is won against them.
The disposition compiled by Weyrother at the Battle of Austerlitz was an example of perfection in works of this kind, but it was still condemned, condemned for its perfection, for too much detail.
Napoleon in the Battle of Borodino performed his job as a representative of power just as well, and even better, than in other battles. He did nothing harmful to the progress of the battle; he leaned toward more prudent opinions; he did not confuse, did not contradict himself, did not get scared and did not run away from the battlefield, but with his great tact and war experience, he calmly and with dignity fulfilled his role as an apparent commander.

Returning from a second anxious trip along the line, Napoleon said:
– The chess has been set, the game will start tomorrow.
Ordering some punch to be served and calling Bosset, he began a conversation with him about Paris, about some changes that he intended to make in the maison de l'imperatrice [in the court staff of the Empress], surprising the prefect with his memorability for all the small details of court relations.
He was interested in trifles, joked about Bosse's love of travel and chatted casually in the way a famous, confident and knowledgeable operator does, while he rolls up his sleeves and puts on an apron and the patient is tied to a bed: “The matter is all in my hands.” and in my head, clearly and definitely. When it’s time to get down to business, I’ll do it like no one else, and now I can joke, and the more I joke and am calm, the more you should be confident, calm and surprised at my genius.”

There are about 50 underground cities in Cappadocia, and the city of Derinkuyu (translated from Turkish as “Dark Well”) is one of them. Some of them have already been fully explored, some have begun to be explored, the next ones are waiting for their turn. Derinkuyu is the most famous and most explored of this group of underground cities of antiquity.

There is a very famous underground city of Saklikent. It is also called “The Invisible City.” But if it can be called a city purely symbolically, then Derinkuyu is a real underground city. A city in the full sense of the word. Its territory can even be called huge! The city covers an area of about 4 square meters. km, going underground to a depth of approximately 55 m.

Researchers believe that the city may have 20 floors or so, but so far they have only been able to explore 8 of them. Also, researchers and historians suggest that up to 50 thousand inhabitants could live in Derinkuyu at the same time!

According to historians, the foundation of the underground city was begun by the Hittites around 2,000 BC. For what purpose they began this underground construction still remains a mystery.

The first Christians remade, rebuilt and brought to perfection what the Hittites had started. For them, the underground city became a reliable refuge from the Romans, who were persecuting adherents of the Christian faith, and from the attacks of nomadic tribes and simply gangs of robbers and renegades, who saw a tasty morsel in Cappadocia, because a busy trade route passed through it.

In the underground city, everything necessary for life support was thought out to perfection. Residents have installed 52 ventilation shafts; even at the lower levels it is easy to breathe. Water flowed through the same mines to a depth of up to 85 m, reached groundwater and served as wells, at the same time cooling the temperature, which remained at + 13 - + 15 C even in the hottest summer months. The halls, tunnels, rooms, all areas of the city were well lit.
On the upper first and second floors of the city there were churches, places for prayer and baptism, missionary schools, barns, storerooms, kitchens, dining rooms and living quarters with sleeping rooms, stables, cattle pens and wine cellars. On the third and fourth floors there are armories and security rooms. , churches and temples, workshops, various production facilities. On the eighth floor is the “Conference Hall,” a general gathering place for selected representatives of families and communities. They gathered here to resolve vital issues and make global decisions.

Historians have differed in their opinions about whether people lived here permanently or periodically. Opinions differ, and scientists cannot come to one conclusion. Some scientists believe that the inhabitants of Derinkuyu came to the surface only for agricultural work. Others believe that they lived on the surface, in small villages nearby, and hid underground only during raids.

In any case, Derinkuyu has many underground secret passages (600 or more), which had access to the surface in various secret hidden and strictly classified places, including huts and buildings of above-ground villages and settlements.

The inhabitants of Derinkuyu took utmost care to protect their city from infiltration and capture. In case of danger of attack, all passages were either camouflaged or filled with huge boulders, which could only be moved from the inside. It’s incredible to imagine, but even if the invaders were somehow able to capture the first floors, the security and defense system was designed in such a way that all entrances and exits to the lower floors were tightly blocked.

Moreover, not knowing the city, the invaders could easily get lost in the endless winding labyrinths, many of which deliberately ended in traps or dead ends. And the local residents, without getting into conflicts, could either calmly wait out the cataclysm on the lower floors, or, if they wanted, get to the surface in other places through the tunnels of the lower floors. Some underground tunnels had an incredible length and reached ten kilometers!!! Like, for example, in the same underground city of Kaymakli.

How did ancient people, without machines and mechanisms, without knowledge of engineering, manage to create such a grandiose underground city in the rock?

The answer is simple - thanks to the very extraordinary properties of the tuff rocks from which these rocks are made - from the inside they are very easy to process, and under the influence of air they acquire enormous strength and hardness in a few months. For centuries, people, once accidentally noticing this natural ability of stone, used this feature of Cappadocia for their own protection, to create cave dwellings or underground cities.

The population of Derinkuyu led an active life until the 8th century. Then, for many centuries, the city was abandoned and forgotten, almost lost. The reasons why residents left the underground cities are unclear. Most likely, this happened due to the appearance of gunpowder and other explosive substances, due to which penetration into underground cities became easier, and protection became no longer so reliable.

The underground city was accidentally discovered in 1963. Local farmers and peasants, not understanding the true historical value of what was found, used these well-ventilated rooms for warehouses and storage areas for vegetables. This happened until scientists and researchers took over the city. After some time, it began to be used for tourism purposes.

Only a small part is accessible for inspection - about 10% of the city. But even this is quite enough for unforgettable vivid impressions! For safety reasons, all unnecessary and little-explored tunnels and passages are closed. There are signs along the route. It is simply impossible to get lost and lost. Naturally, the inconveniences remained. These are narrow, low corridors (the height of the vault is only 160-170 cm). You have to walk along the route on bent legs. The route is also complicated by the stairs leading from the lowest of the explored floors. A stone staircase of 204 steps, which is difficult to climb.

The entrance to the underground city of Derinkuyu is located in a one-story building in the village of the same name, located in the middle of a plateau at an altitude of 1355 m above sea level, 26 km south of Nevsehir.
Derinkuyu (“Dark Well”) is open for inspection daily from 8.00-17.00. The cost of visiting is 10 liras. You can get there by bus from Aksaray, running once a day. Or dolmus, running every 30 minutes, from Nevsehir.

Numerous rooms, halls, ventilation shafts and wells have been preserved in the underground city of Derinkuyu. Between the levels of the city, small holes are cut into the floor for communication between adjacent floors. The rooms and halls of the underground city, according to published sources and explanatory tablets, were used as living quarters, kitchens, dining rooms, wineries, warehouses, barns, cattle stalls, churches, chapels and even schools.
In the underground city of Derinkuyu, everything necessary for life support was thought out to perfection. The city is saturated with air by 52 ventilation shafts, so even at the lower levels it is easy to breathe. Water was obtained from the same mines, since, going to a depth of 85 m, they reached groundwater, serving as wells. Until 1962, the population of Derinkuyu village met their water needs from these wells. To prevent poisoning during enemy invasions, the outlets of some wells were closed. In addition to these carefully guarded wells with water, there were also special ventilation shafts, skillfully disguised in the rocks.

The air temperature in the underground city of Derinkuyu is kept at + 13 +15 C. All halls and tunnels are quite well lit. On the ground floors of the city there were baptismal places, missionary schools, warehouses, kitchens, dining rooms, sleeping rooms, animal stables and wine cellars. On the third and fourth floors there are weapons warehouses. There were also churches and temples, workshops, etc. here. On the eighth floor there is a “Conference Hall”. There is information that there was even a cemetery in the underground city.

Researchers have differing opinions about whether people lived in the underground city of Derinkuyu permanently or periodically. Some of them claim that the inhabitants of the underground city came to the surface only to cultivate the fields. Others say that they lived in an above-ground village and hid underground only during raids. In any case, the city has many secret passages (about 600), which had access to the surface in various places, including to above-ground huts.
The inhabitants of Derinkuyu took care to protect the city as much as possible from the penetration of invaders. In case of danger, the passages to the dungeons were filled with huge boulders, which could be moved from the inside by 2 people. Even if the invaders were able to get to the first floors of the city, his plan was thought out in such a way that the passages to the underground galleries were tightly blocked from the inside by huge stone wheel-doors. And even if the enemies were able to overcome them, then, without knowing the secret passages and the layout of the labyrinths, it would be very difficult for them to get back to the surface. There is a point of view that underground passages were specially built in such a way as to confuse uninvited guests.

This is what he writes A.V. Koltypin

What we were able to see in the underground city of Derinkuyu largely does not correspond to the prevailing opinion among archaeologists and historians both about the time of construction of the underground city (1st millennium BC - 10th century AD), and about its purpose (underground shelters used as temporary shelter). See and read the photo report with comments about the visit to Derinkuyu below. See also the continuation in the section “Crusts and deposits of secondary minerals on the walls and vaults of underground cities in Turkey.”
We also managed to see on the lower, 8th floor of Derinkuyu a large room (church?) in the form of a cross, which partly resembles in shape the “Cave Columbarium” of Mareshi in Israel. Taking into account the fact that in the rock city of Cavusin we discovered many symbols of the sun carved in underground rooms (the cross is also a symbol of the sun), this may indicate that the builders of these underground structures were followers of the solar gods.

Immediately after entering, on the first floor of the underground city of Derinkuyu, you find yourself in an amazing underground world, “smelling of hoary antiquity” (deep antiquity). With the experienced eye of a geologist, you pay attention to the weathered surfaces of the walls and the crusts and films of secondary formations covering them, as well as the wavy corrugated surface of the floor with thin deposits of calcareous deposits, indicating that the underground structures were flooded with water for quite a long time. This is not mentioned in any published source about Derinkuyu and other underground cities of Cappadocia. But I had to see the same thing more than once in Maresh, Bet Gavrin, Susiya and other underground structures in Israel. In the central photo there are dark “cellular” walls in the background - a modern cement wall

The underground city of Derinkuyu is a complex branched system of rooms, halls, tunnels and wells, diverging downwards (covered with gratings), up and to the sides. It’s no wonder that those who accidentally found themselves in this underground labyrinth soon lost all orientation. In Derinkuyu and Ozkonak, a significant surface area of the walls and ceilings is covered with green formations. Our study of them showed that they are heterogeneous. In some cases these are minerals, apparently from copper compounds, film and crust, in others - modern mosses and lichens, widespread under lamps

Continuation of what was said above. In the central photo, in the foreground on the left is a modern staircase, in the background on the right (the dark “cellular” part) is a modern concrete wall. This suggests that the underground cities of Cappadocia are being built up to our time. Now this is being done for the convenience of tourists. Did anyone even think that tourists could have been taken to these cities 10 thousand, 100 thousand or a couple of million years ago?

On the left is one of the underground tunnels going down. In the center and to the right is a round stone wheel-door that blocked it. Note the degree of secondary alteration of the walls, covered with green, in this case, mineral formations, and the rather thick (about mm) gray crust of secondary minerals covering the stone wheel-door. At the top of the wheel, the mineral crust has partially peeled off, revealing the brown surface of the tuff (ignimbrite) from which the wheel was made. All this indicates the great age of this section of the wall and the wheel.

On the left is another stone wheel-door covered with a gray mineral crust. It lies on later (calcareous?) deposits covering the floor of the underground hall. Next to the wheel-door there is an obviously man-made rectangular block covered with the same gray crust and a fragment of a brown slab. Both of these objects are buried in calcareous sediments. This may indicate that they lay here before the underground city of Derinkuyu was flooded with water. In the center is another stone wheel-door in a groove in the wall. Both the wheel and the wall are covered with a rather thick coating of mineral deposits and bear obvious signs of antiquity. On the right is a stone wheel-door, shown in the top row, in a smaller shot.

More tunnels and rooms of the underground city of Derinkuyu

And further. On the left in the right photo is a modern wall

The so-called “Conference Hall” on the lower, 8th floor of the underground city of Derinkuyu. Views from different sides

Downward tunnels in the lower levels of the underground city of Derikuyu. The staircase on the tunnel floor in the right photo (as in many other places) appears to have been carved later than the walls and ceiling of the tunnel from calcareous (?) deposits carried by water. The same thing was repeatedly observed by me in Maresh, Bet Gavrinea and other underground structures in Israel. In the photo in the center, at the bottom of the tunnels and halls of the underground city of Derinkuyu, formations such as wave-breaking ripples are widely developed, less likely karrs (products of groundwater activity) in a thin layer of sediments overlying the floor, most likely limestones, anhydrites or gypsum. Again, such structures are very widely developed in underground structures in Israel

The rocks in which the underground structures of Derinkuyu were cut. In all likelihood, ignimbrites

The nature of secondary changes in ignimbrites (?) on the walls of underground structures. In the left photo, the wall is covered with a fairly thick crust of gray secondary minerals (quartz?). It preserves rounded potholes and linear marks from chisels, which apparently reveal the primary brown rock (although it cannot be ruled out that, on the contrary, they are covered with iron oxides and hydroxides). In the middle photo, the entire wall is covered with iron oxides and hydroxides. Finally, in the right photo, the ignimbrites are covered with a thin film of green (copper) secondary minerals. I have collected samples of secondary minerals for chemical analysis, which can be carried out when a sponsor becomes available

In the photo on the left, chisel marks in the ignimbrites (?) are clearly visible. The photo in the center shows that the chisels pierced the crust of secondary minerals (in the depressions - unaltered ignimbrite?, on the ridges - altered rock). The photo on the right also clearly shows that secondary oxides and hydroxides of iron were deposited in cracks in the rock and marks (depressions) from chisels

To the left and right are two more halls of the underground city of Derinkuyu. Note the floor of these and other rooms, on which formations such as wave-breaking ripples are widely developed, less likely karrs in a thin layer of sediments overlying the floor - most likely limestones, anhydrites or gypsum. In the central photo there is a close-up of the surface of the ripples on the dungeon floor.

To the left and in the center is a room (church?) with a vaulted ceiling on the lower 8th level open to visitors, built on a cruciform plan. On the right is the town of Derinkuyu

There are about 50 underground cities in Cappadocia, and the city of Derinkuyu (translated from Turkish as “Dark Well”) is one of them. Some of them have already been fully explored, some have begun to be explored, the next ones are waiting for their turn. Derinkuyu is the most famous and most explored of this group of underground cities of antiquity.

According to historians, the foundation of the underground city was begun by the Hittites around 2,000 BC. For what purpose they began this underground construction still remains a mystery.

How did ancient people, without machines and mechanisms, without knowledge of engineering, manage to create such a grandiose underground city in the rock?

This is what he writes A.V. Koltypin

What we were able to see in the underground city of Derinkuyu largely does not correspond to the prevailing opinion among archaeologists and historians both about the time of construction of the underground city (1st millennium BC - 10th century AD), and about its purpose (underground shelters used as temporary shelter). See and read the photo report with comments about the visit to Derinkuyu below. See also the continuation in the section “Crusts and deposits of secondary minerals on the walls and vaults of underground cities in Turkey.”
We also managed to see on the lower, 8th floor of Derinkuyu a large room (church?) in the form of a cross, which partly resembles in shape the “Columbarium Cave” of Mareshi in Israel. Taking into account the fact that in the rock city of Cavusin we discovered many symbols of the sun carved in underground rooms (the cross is also a symbol of the sun), this may indicate that the builders of these underground structures were followers of the solar gods.

The underground city of Derinkuyu is a complex branched system of rooms, halls, tunnels and wells, diverging downwards (covered with gratings), up and to the sides. It’s no wonder that those who accidentally found themselves in this underground labyrinth soon lost all orientation. In Derinkuyu and Ozkonak, a significant surface area of the walls and ceilings is covered with green formations. Our study of them showed that they are heterogeneous. In some cases these are mineral, apparently from copper compounds, film and crust, in others - modern mosses and lichens, widespread under lamps

On the left is one of the underground tunnels going down. In the center and to the right is a round stone wheel, a door, blocking it. Note the degree of secondary changes in the walls, covered with green, in this case, mineral formations, and the rather thick (about mm) gray crust of secondary minerals covering the stone wheel-door. At the top of the wheel, the mineral crust has partially peeled off, revealing the brown surface of the tuff (ignimbrite) from which the wheel was made. All this indicates the great age of this section of the wall and the wheel.

On the left is another stone wheel-door covered with a gray mineral crust. It lies on later (calcareous?) deposits covering the floor of the underground hall. Next to the wheel-door there is an obviously man-made rectangular block covered with the same gray crust and a fragment of a brown slab. Both of these objects are buried in calcareous sediments. This may indicate that they lay here before the underground city of Derinkuyu was flooded with water. In the center is another stone wheel - a door in a groove in the wall. Both the wheel and the wall are covered with a rather thick coating of mineral deposits and bear obvious signs of antiquity. On the right is a stone wheel-door, shown in the top row, in a smaller shot.

More tunnels and rooms of the underground city of Derinkuyu

And further. On the left in the right photo is a modern wall

The so-called “Conference Hall” on the lower, 8th floor of the underground city of Derinkuyu. Views from different sides

Downward tunnels in the lower levels of the underground city of Derikuyu. The staircase on the tunnel floor in the right photo (as in many other places) was apparently cut out later than the walls and ceiling of the tunnel from calcareous (?) deposits carried by water. The same thing was repeatedly observed by me in Maresh, Bet Gavrinea and other underground structures in Israel. In the photo in the center, at the bottom of the tunnels and halls of the underground city of Derinkuyu, formations such as wave-breaking ripples are widely developed, less likely, karrs (products of groundwater activity) in a thin layer of sediments overlying the floor, most likely limestones, anhydrites or gypsum. Again, such structures are very widely developed in underground structures in Israel.

The rocks in which the underground structures of Derinkuyu were cut. In all likelihood, ignimbrites

To complete the picture in Cappadocia, after walking through the valleys, you should visit the underground city of Derinkuyu. About two hundred underground cities are known in Cappadocia, but the largest is Derinkuyu. Behind it comes Kaymakli, which is ten kilometers from Derinkuyu. Smaller ones are scattered throughout Cappadocia, including near Goreme, but they are less interesting.

It is convenient to combine an independent visit to this underground city with a walk around. You can also explore Derinkuyu as part of the Green tour from Goreme.

The underground city of Derinkuyu is a cave carved into soft tuff that connects underground rooms intended for various purposes. The city is very large, it has 8 floors, going approximately 60 meters deep (to groundwater). It is believed that about 20 thousand people could live in it, and they also kept livestock and provisions underground.

This city was accidentally discovered by a local resident in 1962, when he dismantled the wall of his house and found a “mysterious room” behind it. He continued his excavations and discovered a complex tunnel system with additional cave rooms. Archaeologists became interested in the find, and two years later the city was opened to tourists.

This city still has many secrets - even its actual size has not been determined precisely. There are versions that only a tenth of the entire city has now been explored and that it may have 4 more hidden floors. And some very brave researchers claim that the city consists of 20 floors and 60 thousand people lived in it. Considering that the underground city of Derinkuyu in Cappadocia is connected by a 10-kilometer tunnel (currently impassable due to rubble) with another underground city of Kaymakli, then the opinion about the number of inhabitants of such a metropolis at 60 thousand seems quite plausible.

There is even more uncertainty about the exact age and origin of the city. Some suggest that Derinkuyu began to be created 20 centuries before the birth of Christ, while others believe that the city is only 27 centuries old. In any case, both are very respectable ages.

It is not clear how it was used: either they lived in it permanently, or temporarily, when they had to hide from the enemy. The creation of the city is attributed to the Hittites, Phrygians, and Persians. In general, there is still a lot of uncertainty in this issue. It is only known for sure that the last inhabitants were Christians, who somewhat expanded the city.

The underground city certainly has an ingenious design. It was built in such a way that it is even surprising how people at that time could do it. Just look at the cost of ventilation shafts and water wells. But what is most impressive is the architecture of the passages, which are designed to destroy the unexpected guest, while the residents themselves knew their way around it well. That’s why, be careful and don’t go where you shouldn’t.

The city has the following premises: wineries, living rooms, temples, stables, kitchens, meeting places, schools, wine cellars, chapels, bakeries, dining rooms, rooms where oils were pressed, various workshops, and armory warehouses. There is even an underground cemetery.

Also interesting are the stone doors that blocked tunnels and entire floors. I saw the same ones in the rock church. Such doors are about one and a half meters in diameter and weigh half a ton.

underground city currently has five floors open to the public, or rather not even floors, but pieces of them. These areas are lit by electric lamps, but it is still quite dim inside. It would be a good idea to take a flashlight with you to illuminate dark places.
Narrow passages can cause attacks of claustrophobia in people prone to it.
The city was built this way so that the enemy gets lost in it. Sometimes there are dark passages that are not covered with bars. To avoid getting lost underground, do not go into these passages under any circumstances.
Dress warmly: the temperature below is about 15 degrees – a sweater or windbreaker will be useful.
The entrance is in the building equipped with a turnstile. There is no special place to leave a large backpack, but you can ask, and things will be stored in the storage room.
Exit from the city is located not far from the entrance, that is, to his surprise, the visitor exits in a slightly different place.

Operating mode. Cost of visit

Working hours: daily, from April to October from 08.00-19.00, from November to March from 08.00-17.00.
Cost of visit: 25 TL. Tickets stop selling half an hour before closing.

How to get to Derinkuyu

How to get to the underground city of Derinkuyu is described based on the assumption that you are coming from Goreme. First of all, take a minibus to the city of Nevkheshir (11 km). The bus will take you to a stop where you need to change to another minibus that goes to the town of Derinkuyu (32 km). Derinkuyu may be the end, or it may be that the bus goes further, so warn the driver so that he can indicate where to get off.

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Derinkuyu underground city. Cappadocia. Türkiye. Derinkuyu Underground City