Derinkuyu Underground City
Derinkuyu Underground City features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Cappadocia. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Cappadocia Cappadocia guide
About Derinkuyu Underground City
Carved about 85 metres into soft volcanic rock, Derinkuyu is commonly called the deepest of Cappadocia's underground cities: a whole hidden town sealed by rolling stone doors.
The Derinkuyu underground city lies in the town of Derinkuyu, in Nevşehir Province, in the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia. It extends to a depth of approximately 85 metres and was carved mostly into tuff, a soft rock formed from compacted volcanic ash. Wikipedia describes it as the largest excavated underground city in Turkey. The city could be sealed from inside with large rolling stone doors, and a central shaft about 55 metres deep also functioned as a well.
Its Cappadocian Greek name was Malakopia, plausibly related to the Greek word for "soft." Cappadocian Greeks and Armenians used the underground cities as refuges; in 1923 the region's Christian inhabitants were expelled from Turkey. The site was rediscovered in 1963, when a resident broke through a basement wall and found a hidden room, and further digging revealed access to the tunnel network. Staircases descend to a church on one of the lower levels.
Did you know? In 1963 a resident knocked through his basement wall and found a hidden room. Further digging opened onto a whole tunnel network, and one of Turkey's great underground cities came back to light.
How long is a visit to Derinkuyu Underground City?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Derinkuyu Underground City. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Derinkuyu Underground City worth your time?
Derinkuyu Underground City is among the 15 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Cappadocia, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Cappadocia
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Derinkuyu Underground City and read more:
Day 2 of the Cappadocia in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Derinkuyu Underground City
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