10/07/2024
Derinkuyu is a 2500-year-old multi-level underground city in Turkey, extending to a depth of approximately 85 meters.
It is large enough to have sheltered as many as 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores.
It is believed to have been built by the Phrygians, an ancient Indo-European people, around the VIII to VII centuries BCE. The city was later expanded by the Persians, Romans, and Christians, who used it as a refuge during times of war and persecution.
Derinkuyu is one of the largest and most well-preserved underground cities in the world, extending to a depth of approximately 85 meters (280 feet) and covering an area of around 4 km² (1.5 mi²).
The city consists of multiple levels connected by tunnels and stairways, with living quarters, stables, churches, and storage rooms.
The complex was designed with self-sufficiency in mind, featuring ventilation shafts, water wells, and an ingenious system of large round stone doors that could be rolled into place to seal off passageways and protect the inhabitants from invaders.
Derinkuyu was rediscovered in the XX century and has since become a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world who come to explore its mysterious and fascinating history.
