A door to history from a house wall: Why are there underground cities in Anatolia?

In 1963, a man in Nevşehir discovered a door opening to history when he tore down a wall in his basement.

According to a report by Çağla Üren from Independent Türkçe; behind the wall, he discovered a massive underground city 18 stories deep, filled with chapels, schools, and stables.

CARVED BY THE PHRYGIANS IN THE 7TH-8TH CENTURIES BC

Derinkuyu, discovered in Cappadocia, consists of numerous underground settlements connected by tunnels stretching for kilometers. Some parts of the network extend to a depth of 75 meters. The rock in which Derinkuyu is carved consists of dense layers of volcanic ash, also known as tuff. This soft rock is porous and fragile.

This explains how ancient people were able to build this massive city with simple tools like picks and shovels. Cappadocia already has a rich volcanic history. According to Ministry of Culture archaeologists, the first settlement in Derinkuyu was carved by the Phrygians between the 7th and 8th centuries BC. The Phrygians were among the leading architects of the Iron Age and were known for their complex mega-construction projects.

However, there are other theories suggesting that the underground city was founded by the Persians or the Hittites. The first written accounts describing Derinkuyu mention that people in Anatolia dug their homes underground, describing these areas as large enough to accommodate a family, pets, and food stocks.

WHY DID ANATOLIANS LIVE IN UNDERGROUND CITIES?

Derinkuyu seems to have experienced its heyday during the Byzantine period. At that time, the settlement had turned into a vast complex covering an area of 445 square kilometers. It is estimated that the population of Derinkuyu was around 20 thousand. The underground city had all the amenities that those living on the surface at that time could benefit from. A typical Derinkuyu house had areas consisting of bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Air shafts and water channels were built to provide ventilation and water flow. During the scorching summer days of Anatolia, the residents of Derinkuyu likely lived more comfortably than the typical city dwellers of that time thanks to the constant cave temperatures. Still, the lack of sunlight may have caused some distress.

THREAT OF INVASION

Another reason why the ancient Anatolian people built these cities was likely invaders. For example, water in these cities was provided from underground wells 55 meters deep. These likely provided water to those living both underground and on the surface. The water supply was controlled from the bottom up; the lower floors could cut off the water flow to the upper floors. This was a system that prevented invaders from poisoning the well. There were likely some disadvantages to underground life. However, according to experts, these were mitigated by the extra security offered by Derinkuyu. Early Christians had flocked to the city to escape Roman persecution. Later, during the Arab-Byzantine wars between 780 and 1180, Derinkuyu became a safe haven for Muslim Arabs, which significantly expanded the city. When danger approached, the residents retreated underground. They closed access to the tunnel with round stone doors and hid themselves, their animals, and their stocks in these tunnels until the threat passed. As a last resort, they built secret escape routes to get out alive. According to archaeologists, the tunnels here were deliberately carved in a narrow shape. The purpose of this was to force invaders who managed to get inside to pass through this passage one by one. Lighting was provided by torches.

A NEW UNDERGROUND CITY DISCOVERED

Currently, Cappadocia is home to more than 250 underground cities carved from tuff, as well as numerous cave churches. Moreover, in 2013, archaeologists discovered a new underground city under a Byzantine-era fortress in Nevşehir. The area, which is still being excavated, could rival Derinkuyu.