Derinkuyu is one of the most extraordinary architectural works mankind has created. This underground city, located in Turkish Cappadocia, has attracted visitors for years with its unique history and structure. Hollowed out in the rock, the boundless tunnels and crypts were created many centuries ago and served the inhabitants for centuries to come. Today, it is a unique tourist attraction that inspires great admiration for the ancient builders and engineers.
Derinkuyu, the largest of Cappadocia’s many underground cities, could accommodate as many as 20,000 people. Its history dates back to ancient times, when underground shelters began to be built. This monumental work is located in the province of Nevşehir, in the village of the same name. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that there was no need to build massive fortifications on the surface – a single stone entrance, which could be sealed tightly, provided effective protection against invaders. The different levels also had additional defences in case of attack.
Yasir999, CC BY-SA 4.0
The underground city served its inhabitants as protection from attacks by Arabs and later Muslims. In the 14th century it was used as a refuge from the Mongol ruler Timur. Even after the fall of the Byzantine Empire, when Asia Minor was taken over by the Muslims, Derinkuyu continued its protective function. The city has several levels that extend up to 85 metres into the ground. In addition to housing for the people, Derinkuyu had warehouses for food, housing for livestock, as well as wine and oil factories. A unique feature was a large, collector vaulted room, probably used as a school. On the final, eighth level was the church, carved in the shape of a cross and accessed by stairs from the lower levels.
Derinkuyu also had a 55-metre ventilation shaft, which played a key role in providing fresh air and water. A water supply system built along the town provided water to residents even during emergencies, and also served the surrounding village during peacetime. The town dates to around the 8th century BC, and its builders were probably Phrygians. Subsequent inhabitants of the land, including Byzantine Christians, continued to expand the complex, creating numerous chapels and churches. The construction and development of the city continued for several centuries until around the 12th century AD. Derinkuyu was also connected to the other underground cities of Cappadocia by means of tunnels, in which archaeologists have discovered artefacts dating from the fifth to tenth centuries AD.
Long forgotten, Derinkuyu was rediscovered by chance in 1963. It has been open to tourists since the early 1970s, although only half of the complex can now be visited. Derinkuyu remains one of the most important testimonies to ancient engineering and the ability to adapt to harsh living conditions.
Source: bigthink.com, historia.dorzeczy.pl
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