In
1963, an inhabitant of Derinkuyu (in the region of Capadocia, central
Anatolia, Turkey), was demolishing a wall of his house-cave, and
discovered astonished that behind the wall was a mysterious room that
never had been seen; this room took to another one, and this one to
another one and another one...
By
chance the underground city of Derinkuyu was discovered, whose first
level could be excavated by hititas around year 1400 a.c.
The
archaeologists began to study this fascinating underground city. They
were able to arrive at forty meters of depth, although guesses are that
the bottom is as far down as 85 meters!
At present 20 underground levels have been discovered. Only eight
levels can be visited however; the others are partially obstructed or
reserved for the archaeologists and anthropologists, who study
Derinkuyu.
The
city was used for shelter by thousands of people who lived in the caves
to protect themselves for the frequent invasions that Capadocia
underwent, at the diverse times of their occupation, and also by the
first Christians.
The
enemies, conscious of the dangers that lie hidden inside the city,
generally tried to flush the people to the surface by poisoning their
wells.
The
interior is amazing: the underground passages of Derinkuyu (in which
there is space for at least 10,000 people) could be blocked in three
strategically important points by moving circular stone doors.
These
heavy rocks that closed the corridor prevented the entrance of the
enemies. They were 1 to 1.5 meters in height, about 50 centimeters in
width and a weight of up to 500 Kilos.
In the image it is shown how the circular stone door closed the corridor, having isolated the inhabitants solidly.
In
addition, Derinkuyu has a tunnel of almost 8 kilometers in length that
leads to another underground city of Capadocia, Kaymakli.
In
the reclaimed levels stables have been located, dining rooms, a church
(of 20 by 9 meters, with a ceiling of more than three meters of height),
kitchens (still blackened by the soot of bonfires that ignited to
cook), presses for the wine and the oil, warehouses, places of feeding, a
school, numerous rooms and even a bar.
The
city benefitted from the existence of an underground river; it had
water wells and a magnificent exhaust fan (52 wells of ventilation were
discovered) that astonishes engineers of the present time.
In
1963, an inhabitant of Derinkuyu (in the region of Capadocia, central
Anatolia, Turkey), was demolishing a wall of his house-cave, and
discovered astonished that behind the wall was a mysterious room that
never had been seen; this room took to another one, and this one to
another one and another one...
By
chance the underground city of Derinkuyu was discovered, whose first
level could be excavated by hititas around year 1400 a.c.
The
archaeologists began to study this fascinating underground city. They
were able to arrive at forty meters of depth, although guesses are that
the bottom is as far down as 85 meters!
At present 20 underground levels have been discovered. Only eight
levels can be visited however; the others are partially obstructed or
reserved for the archaeologists and anthropologists, who study
Derinkuyu.
The
city was used for shelter by thousands of people who lived in the caves
to protect themselves for the frequent invasions that Capadocia
underwent, at the diverse times of their occupation, and also by the
first Christians.
The
enemies, conscious of the dangers that lie hidden inside the city,
generally tried to flush the people to the surface by poisoning their
wells.
The
interior is amazing: the underground passages of Derinkuyu (in which
there is space for at least 10,000 people) could be blocked in three
strategically important points by moving circular stone doors.
These
heavy rocks that closed the corridor prevented the entrance of the
enemies. They were 1 to 1.5 meters in height, about 50 centimeters in
width and a weight of up to 500 Kilos.
In the image it is shown how the circular stone door closed the corridor, having isolated the inhabitants solidly.
In
addition, Derinkuyu has a tunnel of almost 8 kilometers in length that
leads to another underground city of Capadocia, Kaymakli.
In
the reclaimed levels stables have been located, dining rooms, a church
(of 20 by 9 meters, with a ceiling of more than three meters of height),
kitchens (still blackened by the soot of bonfires that ignited to
cook), presses for the wine and the oil, warehouses, places of feeding, a
school, numerous rooms and even a bar.
The
city benefitted from the existence of an underground river; it had
water wells and a magnificent exhaust fan (52 wells of ventilation were
discovered) that astonishes engineers of the present time.
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