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Derinkuyu underground city is located in Cappadocia. Discovered in the 1960s, it’s the world’s deepest underground city and fits 20,000 people.

Derinkuyu Underground City, the World's Deepest Subterranean Metropolis Toggle navigation Popular Categories Art Design Photography Academy Store Architecture Science Technology History Environment Nature Career Resources Classes DIY Interview Travel Entertainment About Us About Team Submit Content Contact Advertise Affiliate Disclosure Privacy Terms Membership Academy Store Follow Pinterest Subscribe Get Our Weekly Newsletter Popular Popular Posts View All This Japanese Train Ditched Conventional Fuel and Now Runs on Leftover Ramen Broth Stunning Photos of Polar Bears Relaxing in Fields of Flowers During Summer in the Arctic [Interview] This Rainbow Fish Is Born Female and Becomes Male As It Ages 80 Documentaries From Kino Lorber Are Free to Watch on YouTube Art Design Photography Academy Store More Topics All Topics More Topics Art Design Photography Academy Store Architecture Science Technology History Environment Nature Career Resources Classes DIY Interview Travel Entertainment Membership Follow Pinterest Subscribe Home / Travel Massive Ancient Underground City Once Housed 20,000 People By Jessica Stewart on July 7, 2019 Photo: Nevit Dilmen [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia CommonsThis post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info. Many of us have fantasized about having a door in our home that leads us to a hidden world, but can you imagine a buried city laying just behind the walls of your house? In 1963, a Turkish man knocked down a wall in his basement only to discover the ancient 18-story underground city of Derinkuyu. At one time housing up to 20,000 people, Derinkuyu is one of the largest underground cities in the world. Located in Turkey's Cappadocia region, it's one of over 200 subterranean cities that were carved into the volcanic rock. In fact, Derinkuyu is connected to some of these subterranean settlements by tunnels that run for miles. Part of what makes it so impressive is the city's depth of over 250 feet, as well as the organization needed to meet the demands of a population living underground. Cappadocia is a region in central Anatolia, Turkey. How was Derinkuyu formed? Ancient volcanic eruptions allowed Derinkuyu to exist. Several million years ago, layers upon layers of ash, aka tuff, built up and eventually turned into a stable rock that's also capable of being carved. Long after the eruptions, Cappadocia inhabitants realized that they could carve their dwellings into the rock and underground.   When was the underground city created? It's thought that the Derinkuyu underground city was started by the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, in the 8th to 7th centuries BCE. After the population became Christian in Roman times, they began to include chapels in their underground dwellings. It's thought that the Christian population used the underground city to escape persecution by the Romans. But it is during the Byzantine period that the underground city flourished. During the Arab-Byzantine wars from 780 to 1180 Derinkuyu was used as a refuge for Muslim Arabs—it was during this period that the tunnels connecting the subterranean cities were added. An alternate theory places the creation of the underground city much earlier, with the ancient Anatolian Hittites. This placed construction at about 15th century BCE, with the area being used to flee invading enemies.   Next: More about life in Derinkuyu. Page 1/2 Jessica Stewart Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog. Read all posts from Jessica Stewart How far underground would you go? Share Like My Modern Met on Facebook Get Our Weekly Newsletter Become a My Modern Met Member As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts. Become a Member Explore member benefits How far underground would you go? Share Let's Connect Receive our Weekly Newsletter. We’re also on Pinterest, Tumblr, and Flipboard. Want to advertise with us? Visit My Modern Met Media. Get Our Weekly Newsletter SUBSCRIBE Learn Art Online Write Out Your Future: Hand Letter an Inspiring Phrase VIEW ALL COURSES Visit Our Store 'Frida Catlo' Enamel Pin by Niaski $12.50 Shop All Products Become a My Modern Met Member As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts. 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