Kaymaklı Underground City
Kaymaklı 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 Kaymaklı Underground City
Wider than it is deep, Kaymaklı spreads sideways through the rock: four open floors of stables, kitchens, storerooms, and wine presses laid out around tall ventilation shafts.
Kaymaklı Underground City lies in Nevşehir Province, in Central Anatolia, about 19 kilometres from Nevşehir on the road toward Niğde. Its ancient name was Enegup, and it first opened to visitors in 1964. Cut into the region's soft volcanic tuff, it is wider but shallower than the nearby Derinkuyu; four of its floors are open to visitors, each organized around ventilation shafts.
The rooms make the site feel lived in rather than merely defensive. The first level includes a stable with a millstone door leading toward a church, and the levels together hold storage rooms, wine or oil presses, kitchens, and a church with a nave, two apses, and a baptismal font. A third-level andesite block pierced with 57 holes is interpreted as having served the cold processing of copper, while the fourth level holds many storerooms for earthenware jars. The large storage areas suggest the city supported a substantial population.
Did you know? Kaymaklı is often called the widest of the underground cities. What is firmer is that it is wider but shallower than Derinkuyu, with four floors open to visitors, each arranged around ventilation shafts.
How long is a visit to Kaymaklı Underground City?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Kaymaklı Underground City. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Kaymaklı Underground City worth your time?
Kaymaklı 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 Kaymaklı Underground City and read more:
Day 2 of the Cappadocia in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Kaymaklı Underground City
Preview the Cappadocia tour free in the Gingerguide app.