Article content
What do you store in your cellar? Are they bottles of wine? Potatoes, pickles, apples or other foodstuffs? Yes, such supplies in a cellar are an absolutely common sight. But some people hide an inheritance in their cellar that isn’t something just anyone is lucky enough to own. Such a case also exists in Turkey, where a man discovered an entire city in his cellar. In 1963 he came across such a city in Derinkuyu. Until then he had no idea it existed.
Discovery
It was 1963 when workers were renovating an old house. They demolished a wall in the basement and thus entered another room. There was great astonishment, because it was not an ordinary room, but something that surprised them greatly. The men discovered an ancient underground city. Since that day, eight levels of the entire city have been excavated. On the upper floor there are living quarters. You can also glimpse vineyards, a monastery and a church there.
Life underground
Pets also lived there. Due to the lack of oxygen, a complex ventilation system was developed, and therefore it was possible to survive underground for as long as needed. Archaeologists estimated that more than 20,000 people lived in this extensive underground city. And that assumes that only a quarter of the entire complex was discovered.
Turkish Cappadocia
It is estimated that there are more than fifty underground cities in Cappadocia. Neighboring Kaymaklı is connected by a long tunnel to the city found in Derinkuyu. The entire tunnel measures eight kilometers. Such a city did not serve the people for lifelong habitation. In these areas it served mainly as a refuge for Christian inhabitants who were hiding from the Ottomans. The estimate is also supported by the heavy stone doors. It is claimed that the underground city in Derinkuyu is four thousand years old and was built by the Hittites. However, other archaeologists claim that the city was built even earlier. If you feel like it and are interested in these ancient underground cities, be sure to visit Derinkuyu yourself; they are accessible to the general public. Exact reports and information about the city — its origin and other details — will most likely never be revealed.
