The man—whose name remains under wraps even after several decades—resided in the Turkish providence of Cappadocia. He’s said to have been working on an interior home upgrade when he demolished the one barrier dividing his residence from that of people from as far back as the 8th or 7th centuries BCE. The hole in his wall opened up to a tunnel, which gave way to more tunnels, allowing archaeologists at the Turkish Department of Culture to inspect the newly-discovered city firsthand.
Now referred to as Derinkuyu, the city is believed to have housed early Christians who fled from the Romans, plus Muslim Arabs seeking refuge from the Arab-Byzantine wars. Compared with other hideouts, Derinkuyu offered a decent level of security: Many people didn’t know about the underground labyrinth at all, and if residents were found out, they could use the city’s many intricate escape routes to avoid harm. They even used stone “doors” to block passageways, sealing themselves and their families inside with select livestock and other supplies until intruders gave up and left.
A “ventilation well” in Derinkuyu. (Photo: Nevit Dilmen/Wikimedia Commons)
Certain features suggest that even non-refugees who lived in Derinkuyu resided there exclusively. Ventilation shafts, water channels, and wells as deep as 180 feet helped facilitate survival without requiring residents to venture above ground. Those who lived in Derinkuyu—temporarily or long-term—used torches to see in the city’s perpetual darkness. Though much of Derinkuyu is made up of corridors, its total 172 square miles include many living quarters complete with bedrooms and kitchens, making for a relatively comfortable home.
Derinkuyu’s 18 floors also made for quite the lively city. The Phrygians, a group of ancient Indo-European people known for their impressive building skills, are believed to have constructed Derinkuyu with multiple functionalities in mind. Areas not used as dwellings were made into markets, meeting areas, schools, and houses of worship. Residents largely kept livestock in chambers close to the city’s surface to avoid odor and gas buildup, while underground churches were often accompanied by individual study chambers.
Researchers believe Derinkuyu was abandoned centuries (at minimum) before the Cappadocia resident stumbled upon it. Though the city was first found 60 years ago, archaeologists are still working to uncover all of the labyrinth’s secrets, with fragments of Darinkuyu’s history having been discovered just this year.
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