Ancient Mega City – Derinkuyu Underground City
Like something out of an especially surreal horror movie, the Derinkuyu Underground City was discovered in present time when a person found a hidden room behind a enclose his home which, after further digging was revealed to guide to an ancient underground complex, 18 stories deep. With such a fashionable and storied past, it’s hard to imagine this stunning area of Turkey could become even more mystical. At least, that’s what everyone assumed.
Likely first established round the 7th or 8th century BCE, the huge subterranean complex was built by the traditional population of the time to supply protection against invading forces. And what a defense it became. Continually growing since its inception, and significantly expanded during the Byzantine period centuries later, the hidden “city” is believed to own been able to protect 20,000 inhabitants for long periods of your time because of variety of surprisingly advanced, if crudely implemented innovations.The town descends 18 stories underground, deeper than any of the opposite underground complexes found within the area, and is fitted with thousands of ventilation shafts and water ways in which provided fresh air and water to every level of the location. There have been rooms for stables, churches, lodging, storage, and after all a winery, lest the citizens lose interest during a siege. The town was protected by doors fabricated from massive stone wheels that would be rolled in from of an entrance, essentially making it another wall.
Today, over 600 entrances to the Derinkuyu Underground City are found in courtyards and personal residences round the city giving the impression that there may are some holes during this impressive defense, but many entries or not, it’s doubtful that a lot of enemies could make it past two-foot stone doors.
In addition to high security, this impressive cave bunker also had ample food storage and rooms for livestock, ensuring those waiting out an invasion within the caves could survive for an extended time.
The caves remained in use by Turkish inhabitants up until the 1920s, when there was brief persecution of Christians during a population exchange with Greece. Currently hospitable the general public, nearly 1/2 the passageways and rooms are explorable and draw visitors from round the world.
Unique to Derinkuyu
On the second floor a barrel-vaulted ceiling tops a spacious room believed to own been a spiritual school. Rooms to the left provided individual studies.
A staircase between the third and fourth levels takes visitors to a cruciform church measuring approximately 65 x 30 ft (20m x 9m) in size.
A large 180-ft (55m) shaft was likely used because the primary well – both for residents underground and on the surface. To forestall any surface aggressor try and poison drink, control of the facility originated from the lower floors and moved upward, with lower floors able to cut-off supply to upper levels.
On the third level a 3 mile-long (5 km) tunnel connected Derinkuyu to nearby underground city Kaymakli – although it’s not functioning as parts of this tunnel have collapsed.
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