Turkey Attractions

Venue: Central Anatolia    When: Daily

Taking the concept of "underground culture" to new levels, the entire population of the region of Cappadocia in Turkey moved into gigantic underground warren-cities long before the birth of Christ. Each housed up to 20,000 people and was excavated to a depth of up to 50 metres.

At first the region of Cappadocia, shaped as it is by complex and powerful tectonic forces, gives an impression of complete alienness. At every turn new features of this geological amusement park spring forth to surprise and amaze you: giant cones, twisting towers, blocks of rock with unimaginable, smooth and twisting faces, bizarre shapes carved from rock faces by the elements and winding volcanic ravines. Were it not for the greenness and fertility of the region, it would be easy to imagine one had landed on Mars.

The region is in fact extremely fertile and supported at one point a rather large human population, most of whom hid themselves away in the enormous underground metroplex that the area has become famous for. The largest of the region's subterranean cities, Derinkuyu, may have had up to 20 levels of habitation, stretching down to a depth of more than 150 feet (some of the well shafts are up to 300 feet deep) and accessible through some 600 secret and concealed doors on the surface. As though this wasn't enough, some believe that the winding corridors of the city connect to the nearby city of Kaymakli, more than nine kilometres away! There are at least 20 more cities and villages spread through the region and some speculate there may be hundreds of complexes still undiscovered...

The original inhabitants of the area were probably Hittites, but in later years the region became a sanctuary to Christians fleeing Arab persecution. The Christians built more than 1000 rock churches in the area, many of which can still be visited. The city complexes also contain kitchens, wells, stables, temples, dormitories, schools, halls of assembly and living rooms. Some of the most interesting features are the circular rock doors that slide into place across corridors, sealing from the inside to keep invaders out and attesting to the military-defensive nature of the complex.

Of the two main cities, eight levels of Derinkuyu have been opened to the public, as opposed to only five in Kaymakli. Visitors are warned that the experience of the narrow, dark passages of the underground cities is not for the claustrophobic. The best times to travel are in May and September, when temperatures aren't too extreme.