Kaymaklı Underground City

Kaymaklı Yeraltı Şehri800 bce – 1200 cephoto: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

Iron AgeRomanByzantinePhrygianRomanByzantine+1Nevşehir

Depth

Eight levels extending approximately 80 meters underground

Capacity

Could shelter thousands of people with livestock and supplies

Defense

Massive circular rolling stones sealed tunnel junctions from inside

Ventilation

Dozens of vertical shafts provided fresh air to all levels

Church

Barrel-vaulted underground chapel with carved decoration

Tunnel

Reportedly connected to Derinkuyu, 9 km away

“Kaymaklı demonstrates human ingenuity in adapting to extreme circumstances — the creation of entire cities underground in response to the threat of invasion.”

Wfrom_wikipedia

Kaymaklı Underground City is the second-largest underground city in Cappadocia, with eight levels of tunnels, churches, and storerooms carved into volcanic tuff for shelter during invasions.

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overview

Kaymaklı Underground City extends beneath the modern village of Kaymaklı in Nevşehir province, a vast subterranean complex carved into the soft volcanic tuff that defines the Cappadocian landscape. With eight known levels descending approximately 80 meters below the surface, it is the second-largest underground city in the region after nearby Derinkuyu, and together they represent one of the most remarkable feats of subterranean architecture in the world. The origins of Kaymaklı's underground spaces likely date to the Phrygian period (8th-7th centuries BCE), when the soft tuff was first hollowed out for storage and shelter. However, the complex was massively expanded during the Roman and Byzantine periods, when the Christian communities of Cappadocia required refuge from periodic invasions and persecutions. The underground city could shelter thousands of people along with their livestock and food supplies during sieges, creating a self-contained subterranean community that could survive for months. The layout reflects careful planning despite the organic expansion over centuries. Each level served distinct functions: upper levels contained living quarters with sleeping platforms and cooking areas (identifiable by smoke-blackened ceilings), while middle levels housed storerooms for grain, wine, and oil. A church level featured a barrel-vaulted chapel with simple carved decoration. The deepest accessible levels contained water wells and additional storage, ensuring the survival of sheltering populations even during extended sieges. Massive circular rolling stones, weighing up to half a ton, could be rolled across corridor junctions to seal off sections of the underground city. These ingenious defensive devices, operated from the inside, could be positioned quickly and were nearly impossible to move from the exterior. Narrow tunnels connecting levels served as chokepoints where a single defender could hold off multiple attackers. The ventilation system demonstrates sophisticated engineering. Dozens of vertical shafts penetrate from the surface through all eight levels, providing fresh air circulation even to the deepest chambers. Some of these shafts also served as communication channels between levels and as wells providing access to underground water sources. A tunnel reportedly connected Kaymaklı to Derinkuyu underground city, approximately 9 kilometers away, though this passage has not been fully explored. If confirmed, it would represent an underground infrastructure network of extraordinary ambition.

why_it_matters

Kaymaklı demonstrates human ingenuity in adapting to extreme circumstances — the creation of entire cities underground in response to the threat of invasion. The engineering achievements in ventilation, water supply, and defensive architecture are remarkable for any period, let alone one predating modern construction technology. The underground cities of Cappadocia illuminate the lived experience of early Christian communities on the frontier of empires, where the threat of persecution and invasion was a constant reality that shaped everything from architecture to social organization. Kaymaklı is a monument to resilience and the determination of communities to survive against overwhelming odds.

evidence

evidence_desc

confirmed

Eight levels of underground chambers, tunnels, and functional spaces have been archaeologically documented, carved into the volcanic tuff characteristic of the Cappadocian landscape.
Rolling stone doors, some weighing approximately 500 kg, remain in situ at tunnel junctions, demonstrating the defensive engineering of the underground complex.
A barrel-vaulted underground church with carved cross decoration confirms the complex's use by Christian communities during the Byzantine period.

inferred

Phrygian-period pottery in the upper levels suggests initial excavation of the underground spaces began in the Iron Age, with massive expansion during the Christian era.
The scale of the storage facilities — grain silos, wine presses, and oil storage — suggests the underground city was designed for extended occupation during sieges lasting weeks or months.

debated

The reported 9-km tunnel connecting Kaymaklı to Derinkuyu has not been fully explored or confirmed, and some researchers question whether a continuous passage of this length exists.

excavation

1964

Opening to visitors

First four levels of the underground city were cleared and made accessible to visitors, revealing the scale and complexity of the subterranean complex.

1975

Deep level exploration

Archaeological teams explored and documented levels 5-8, identifying the church level, deep storage chambers, and additional ventilation shafts.

1995

Structural survey

Engineering survey assessed the stability of the underground chambers and identified areas requiring conservation intervention to prevent collapse.

2005

Ventilation system study

Detailed documentation of the ventilation shaft network revealed the sophisticated air circulation system that made deep-level habitation possible.

2018

New passage discoveries

Ongoing exploration identified previously unknown chambers and connecting tunnels, suggesting the known extent of the underground city may represent only a portion of the total complex.