How an ancient civilization carved a 20,000-person metropolis beneath the volcanic earth

Art · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Deep beneath the Turkish town of Derinkuyu lies an architectural marvel: an eight-story underground city carved into soft volcanic tuff. Capable of sheltering 20,000 people, this subterranean labyrinth featured ventilation shafts, chapels, and rolling stone doors, serving as a sophisticated refuge for centuries before being rediscovered by accident in 1963.

Derinkuyu, meaning deep well, is the largest excavated underground city in Cappadocia. Its construction began as early as the 8th to 7th century BC, likely by the Phrygians, but it reached its full, complex form during the Byzantine era. The city was carved into local tuff, a soft rock formed from compacted volcanic ash, which allowed inhabitants to expand their living spaces into a multi-level structure reaching 85 metres deep.

The city was designed for survival and defense. It included essential amenities like wine and oil presses, stables, kitchens with Tandoor ovens, and religious schools. A sophisticated network of vertical ventilation shafts ensured airflow, with a central 55-metre shaft acting as a well. The layout was engineered so that no two levels had overlapping openings, maximizing air circulation while allowing residents to isolate specific sections or launch organized counterattacks if breached.

For centuries, the site served as a sanctuary for Christians fleeing various threats, including Arab–Byzantine wars, Seljuk invasions, and Mongolian incursions. Even into the 20th century, local populations used these chambers to escape periodic persecution. The city was finally abandoned in 1923 following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Its existence remained largely forgotten until 1963, when a local resident renovating his home broke through a basement wall, revealing a hidden room that led to the vast, ancient tunnel network.

Today, more than 600 separate tunnel entrances have been identified, many still concealed beneath private homes in the modern town above. The site stands as a testament to human ingenuity in the face of persistent danger, demonstrating how an entire society could adapt its environment to maintain life, culture, and security in the most challenging of circumstances.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• How ancient monastic communities sculpted an entire civilization into soft volcanic rock
• For a millennium, Greeks lived in secret underground cities beneath the volcanic plains of Cappadocia.
• Beneath the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia lie vast, hidden cities of the Byzantine Empire.
• Beneath Istanbul lies a sunken palace built by 7,000 enslaved people in the 6th century.
• From ancient Phrygian roots to Turkey's modern industrial and educational powerhouse
• The Diet of Worms was a pivotal imperial assembly, not a biological experiment.
• The Demoscene: Where Coders Turn Tiny Files Into Massive Digital Art Masterpieces
• Whitney’s 1960s math films and Sketchpad opened digital art
• Arts and Crafts forced Britain to copyright decoration
• From cathode rays to digital canvas: how computers redefined the art of painting
• Why 19th-century artists rejected nature to worship the artificial and the perverse
• Why the world's most famous discus thrower is actually an athletic impossibility

More in Visual arts · More in Art · Latest · A–Z · All topics