Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu underground city, 10km south of Kaymaklı, has cavernous rooms arrayed on seven levels reached by skinny long tunnels. This remarkable subterranean complex is the deepest underground city in Cappadocia, extending approximately 60 meters below ground level. Built between the 7th and 8th centuries, it could accommodate up to 20,000 people along with their livestock and food stores.

The underground city features an intricate network of tunnels, rooms, galleries, and passages, including ventilation shafts, water wells, storage areas, stables, chapels, and wineries. The city was designed as a temporary refuge for residents during times of invasion, with rolling stone doors and narrow passages that could be easily defended. The engineering feat includes a sophisticated ventilation system with over 15,000 shafts providing fresh air to all levels.