Hot air balloons that allow people to view Cappadocia’s beauty from above have helped the region gain enormous popularity in recent years, drawing millions of visitors from all over the world. Nevertheless, Cappadocia is known for much than just that. It is also well-known for the magnificent rock formations that visitors can enjoy while trekking.
Riding aboard a hot air balloon is another option for people who want to view things from above. People in the central Turkish region have long understood that some of these rock formations have much more to offer than what the eye can see.
That’s correct, 250 feet below the surface of the Earth in Cappadocia, there is an ancient city named Derinkuyu (formerly known as Elengubu), which contains 18 levels of tunnels. It also happens to be the world’s largest underground city built inside an excavated cave. Yes, it is so large that it can hold 20,000 people at once for a very long time.
Since it has been around for thousands of years, it has been ruled by numerous empires, including the Phrygians, the Persians, and the Christians of the Byzantine Era, among others. Sadly, in the 1920s, it was abandoned.
Derinkuyu was rediscovered 40 years later. Its rediscovery went through numerous stages.
According to a report on Historic Mysteries, one of them was a man who allegedly discovered Derinkuyu while remodeling a surface house. He found a secret room in his basement that led to a system of tunnels when he tore down a wall. Derinkuyu is quite similar to one of those suspense movies, yet it’s an unique jewel since it’s so rich in history.
Another version claimed that the local man found it after losing hens repeatedly while remodeling his house. These hens would go into a crack but never come out again. He dug a little more and discovered a path that led to the system of tunnels. Years later, they would find 600 entrances in various nearby private residences.
The construction of Derinkuyu is still a mystery. The Hittites, however, “may have excavated the first few layers in the rock when they came under attack from the Phrygians around 1200 BCE,” according to A Bertin, an expert on Mediterranean cave dwellings, who spoke to BBC.
Although Derinkuyu might have been built for cargo storage, according to Andrea Di Giorgi, an associate professor of classical studies at Florida State University, it might have been built more for defense against intruders from the outside, battles, or even natural calamities.
According to Di Giorgi, “the succession of dynasties and their impact on the landscapes of Anatolia explain the recourse to underground shelters like Derinkuyu.”
However, he continued, “these homes were exploited to the utmost during the 7th-Century Islamic invasions on the predominately Christian Byzantine Empire.
Its use as a city was further demonstrated by the discovery of baths, bedrooms, kitchens, oil and wine presses, wells, places to store weapons, churches, schools, tombs, and stables for animals.
There were ventilation shafts and smaller ducts that distributed air around the city, in case you were wondering how they could breathe from down under.
Those who want to visit the historic city can do so for just $3.38. But fair warning—avoiding going there if you have claustrophobia is not recommended.
Watch the video below to know more:
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