Derinkuyu Underground City Derinkuyu is situated 29km from Nevsehir, on the road to Nigde. The city is approximately 85m deep. It contains all the usual rooms found in an underground city (stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churhes, wineries etc.) Apart from these, a large room with a barrel vaulted ceiling on the second floor was a missionary school, the rooms to the left being study rooms.
From the 3rd and 4th floors onwards the descent is by way of vertical staircases which lead to a cruciform plan church on the lowest floor.
The 55m deep ventilatino shaft was also used as a well. Not every floorwas provided with the surface in order to protect the dwellers from poisoning during raids.
Derinkuyu Underground City was opened to visitors in 1965 but so far only 10% can be visited. |
