Deep under the Turkish town of Derinkuyu, there’s an entire world reaching 85 meters (279 ft) into the earth. Covering a vast area and with a network of labyrinthine tunnels, Derinkuyu was lost to history until 1963 when a man accidentally discovered a tunnel behind one of the walls of his house. The underground city is actually 18 stories deep, with wells, chapels, stables, schools and more, and is said to have been able to accommodate up to 20,000 people.
Carved into the region’s soft volcanic rock, known as tuff, within the Cappadocia region of Turkey, creating the underground city was an incredible feat. The complex is a stunning example of ancient engineering, complete with ventilation shafts, wells, water tanks, and an extensive network of passages and tunnels.
It is believed that more than 600 entrances to the city exist, most of them hidden, to the vast underground city which covered 445 km2 (172 mi2). There are stables, apartments, communal rooms, chapels, tombs, and even wine and oil presses. The passageways are “secured” by 1,000 pound (454 kg) stone doors that could only be opened from the inside.
