{"id":3124,"date":"2023-12-26T12:23:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T12:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/derinkuyu-underground-city-why-did-people-live-in-underground-cities\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T07:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:23:08","slug":"derinkuyu-underground-city-why-did-people-live-in-underground-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/derinkuyu-underground-city-why-did-people-live-in-underground-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Derinkuyu Underground City: Why Did People Live in Underground Cities?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><strong>Derinkuyu Underground City is one of the most remarkable underground cities in the Cappadocia region.  Located in the mysterious depths of history, Derinkuyu is a mysterious structure that sheds light on human history and legends.  This underground city of Cappadocia contains a story beyond time, revealing incredible events and technological wisdom in ancient times.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This underground labyrinth, which has challenged the imagination of humanity for centuries and carries the traces of different civilizations, has sometimes hosted legends and sometimes facts.  While even the only discovered parts of Derinkuyu have a unique structure in terms of human intelligence and protection strategies, this ancient structure also contains different theories about aliens, wars between gods and humanity&#8217;s struggle for survival.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"698\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11079\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-derinkuyu-yeralti-sehri-hakkinda-bilgi\"><strong>Information about Derinkuyu Underground City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Derinkuyu Underground City is an underground city located in the Cappadocia region and <strong>Nev\u015fehir \u2013 Ni\u011fde highway <\/strong>It is located on.  It is a structure carved into rocks underground, in Derinkuyu district, 30 kilometers away from Nev\u015fehir.<\/p>\n<p>This city, <strong>in 1963<\/strong> It was discovered by chance by a villager who wanted to renovate his house and was opened to visitors in 1965.  However, although its exact date is unknown, it is thought that Derinkuyu was used during the Protohittite, Hittite, Roman and Byzantine periods.  Some of the structures here include elements such as a marble eagle statue from the Roman period and a church showing Byzantine influence.<\/p>\n<p>The first Christians who escaped from persecution during the Roman period, II.  In the 16th century, they came to Cappadocia via Antakya and Kayseri and founded underground cities.  These cities were built to meet the need for long-term housing and included areas such as churches, stables, wineries, missionary schools, water wells, food warehouses and ventilation pipes.  There are 52 ventilation chimneys and water wells in total.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11087\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri.jpg\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11087\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>People, <strong>housing, nutrition and education<\/strong> Not only did they meet their needs such as these, but they also built narrow tunnels between floors and areas, considering their security.  These tunnels are equipped with large stone wheels that allow the tunnel to be closed in case of any danger.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, only 8 floors have been cleaned and opened to visitors. <strong>Derinkuyu Underground City<\/strong>It is estimated that if all floors of the city are cleaned, the total depth of the city may increase from 50 meters to 85 meters and the number of floors may be around 12 to 13.  The spaces are connected to each other by tunnels, and it is known that the tunnels extend in vertical and horizontal planes.  Additionally, the areas that can be visited cover an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 2500 square meters.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11081\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri3.jpg\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11081\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Purpose of Use of Floors in Derinkuyu Underground City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Derinkuyu Underground City;  It consists of different sections such as cellars, sleeping and resting areas, burial chambers, dining hall and church.  This city has 8 floors and has different functions on each floor:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1st Entrance Floor:<\/strong> The section is carefully hidden so that it cannot be seen from the outside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2nd Floor:<\/strong> It includes areas such as the stable, missionary school and baptistery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3 floor:<\/strong> There are living rooms, a kitchen, food storage and a barn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4th floor:<\/strong> There is a chimney providing ventilation to all floors and a tunnel connecting to Kaymakl\u0131 Underground City, 9 kilometers away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5th floor:<\/strong> It includes living and sleeping areas and food storage areas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6th Floor: <\/strong>There is the ventilation shaft, the area where the tunnel that starts on the third floor ends, and the beginning of the tunnel connecting the fifth and seventh floors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7th Floor: <\/strong>There is a tunnel connecting the fifth and seventh floors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8th Floor:<\/strong> It is the largest area of \u200b\u200bDerinkuyu Underground City.  Sections such as the meeting hall, burial chambers, church, hall and water well are located here.<\/p>\n<p>This underground city is a structure that is meters deep.  To think that a structure of this size and depth was built underground requires the same imagination that a 20-storey apartment building was built underground.  It is almost impossible not to be amazed by such technology and structural power in the 3000s BC.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"462\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11082\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri9.webp\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri9.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11082\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Origin and Purpose of Establishment of Derinkuyu Underground City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>60 years have passed since this surprising discovery in Nev\u015fehir in 1963, and many mysteries of the Derinkuyu underground city are still waiting to be solved.  This city, known as Derinkuyu, had been abandoned for a long time when it was rediscovered 60 years ago.  At its peak, approximately <strong>20,000 people<\/strong>This city where it is estimated that he lived<strong> 8th to 7th centuries BC <\/strong>It is thought that it may have emerged between<\/p>\n<p>Derinkuyu Underground City is not the only example in the region.  This city is connected to another underground city called Kaymakl\u0131 by tunnels. <strong>Creamy<\/strong>While it was slightly smaller than Derinkuyu and stretched across eight floors, it could accommodate approximately 3,000 people when it was in use.  While there are stables on the top floor in Kaymakl\u0131, churches, tombs and living spaces are on the second floor;  The third floor contained kitchens, storage areas and wine cellars.  These campuses had a structure that could bring to mind dystopian science fiction concepts, and richer families generally preferred to live on floors closer to the surface.<\/p>\n<p>Derinkuyu, built by carving soft volcanic rock layers, was a structure that expanded continuously over the centuries.  During the Arab-Byzantine wars between 780 and 1180, the top floors of the city, which were used by Christians to protect themselves from enemy attacks, contained a series of defense mechanisms designed to prevent the entry of invaders.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11083\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri5.webp\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri5.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11083\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>The origin and purpose of the underground city are still not fully clarified.  According to the estimates of the Ministry of Culture, the construction of the city dates back approximately 2,800 years. <strong>Iron Age<\/strong>It may have been carried out by the Phrygians, an Indo-European community who lived in and attracted attention in terms of architecture.<\/p>\n<p>Andrea De Giorgi, associate professor of Classical Studies at Florida State University, said in a statement to the BBC:<strong>Phrygians<\/strong> It was one of the leading early empires of Anatolia.  They flourished in western Anatolia in the late first millennium BC and built extraordinary structures carved from rock formations.  &#8220;Their kingdom covered a large part of Western and Central Anatolia, including the Derinkuyu region, although it is difficult to find,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Although it is thought that the city may have been built by the Phrygians, the city was later expanded by Christians during the Byzantine period.  The churches located on the lower floors of Derinkuyu support this thesis.  However, it is thought that the city and the tunnels were reused by non-Muslims fleeing the Ottoman Empire in the 20th century, similar to their previous purpose.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11084\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri7.webp\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri7.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11084\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Theories Emerging About Derinkuyu Underground City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There are alternative theories regarding the origin of Derinkuyu.  Some historians think that the city was originally built by the Anatolian Hittites in the 15th century BC to escape from their enemies.  Others say that the caves were discovered around 14,500 years ago. <strong>Early Dryas Period<\/strong> during, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/gobeklitepe-tapinak-mi-yoksa-uzeri-kapatilan-bir-laboratuvar-mi\/\">G\u00f6bekli Tepe<\/a><\/strong>  He argues that it was used in the same period.  According to these theories, a comet broke up in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, and the dust and smoke it emitted blocked the Sun for months and destroyed the Earth. <strong>Ice age<\/strong>He dragged me to .  In this case, ancient humans may have started living underground to avoid the cold climate.<\/p>\n<p>Another theory is that the construction of the underground city <strong>to aliens<\/strong> It binds.  According to these theories, either aliens built and abandoned underground cities, or humans created these cities to avoid invading aliens.  However, these last theories are not generally accepted in the scientific community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ancient astronaut <\/strong>Those who believe in the theory think that the gods of polytheistic religions may be real and are actually aliens who have landed on our Earth from space.  According to these beliefs, the type of beings that are called by different names in many different languages \u200b\u200b(Neteru, Nephilim, Giants, Guardians, etc.) are called &#8220;Anunnaki&#8221; by the Sumerians, so they call them Anunnaki. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/gokten-inen-elliler-anunnakilerin-varligina-dair-kanitlar\/\">Anunnaki<\/a><\/strong>With their tall height, long lifespan and advanced technology, they were considered gods in polytheistic religions and were considered god figures for a long time.  One of these gods is Ahura Mazda.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11085\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri6.webp\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri6.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11085\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/mecusilerin-ates-dini-zerdustluk-ve-ahura-mazda\/\">Ahura Mazda<\/a><\/strong>, is the national god of the Persians, and is the symbol of a bearded god sitting on an eagle-winged circle (Nibiru symbol &#8211; winged sphere), which we frequently encounter in Sumerian mythology.  Ahura Mazda was held responsible for the control and order of everything in the world.  Since the names of the Sumerian gods are mentioned with different names in different mythologies, they show similar characteristics with gods such as Adad (Hittite God Te\u015fup) and Enlil (H\u00fcrm\u00fcz, \u00dclgen, Zeus, etc.).  In 539 BC, the Persians captured Babylon and established a great empire.  During this period, they alone ruled a wide geography from Greece to Egypt, from Anatolia to Iran, in the name of their god Ahura Mazda.<\/p>\n<p>During this period, Derinkuyu and its surroundings were home to people who adopted the religion of Ahura Mazda.<strong> Zoroastrianism<\/strong> He converted to the (Zoroastrian) religion.  This religion has a belief system based on the opposites between good and evil.  According to the Vendidad, the second volume of the holy book of this religion, <strong>Ahura Mazda saved people from a worldwide disaster.<\/strong> In this text, the prophet of God Ahura Mazda <strong>Yima&#8217;<\/strong>He was ordered to build a similar underground shelter.  Yima has built a multi-storey underground city to protect selected people and animals from a global disaster.  Later, Ahura Mazda came with a sacred vehicle floating from the sky and declared war against his eternal enemy, Angra Mainyu.  This situation is reminiscent of the wars with Kumarbi, the enemy of the Hittite God Te\u015fup.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"450\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11086\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri8.jpg\" data-lazy- title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Derinkuyu-Yeralti-Sehri8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11086\" style=\"width:820px;height:auto\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>We observe that wars between gods are frequently described in various mythologies, and each mythological god uses special methods to protect his people.  There are no analogues of such underground cities among the regions dominated by the Persian Empire.  These underground cities in Cappadocia and the largest one, Derinkuyu, were built by the local people with the science and technology given by Ahura Mazda to protect them from air attacks during the war with Angra Mainyu.<\/p>\n<p>In this configuration, air vents were used as a clear strategy along with the creation of tunnels to protect against air attack.  In the case of a fast-moving threat, these holes can be difficult to spot.  Apparently, the Anunnaki may have developed various defense strategies to prevent innocent people from being harmed in their wars that lasted for many years.  The safest shelter for the people living in the region may have been underground.<\/p>\n<p><h5>Share<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Derinkuyu Underground City is one of the most remarkable underground cities in the Cappadocia region. Located in the mysterious depths of history, Derinkuyu is a mysterious structure that sheds light on human history and legends. This underground city of Cappadocia contains a story beyond time, revealing incredible events and technological wisdom in ancient times. This &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[1357,1374,3180,1380,1974,2140],"class_list":["post-3124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-why","tag-cities","tag-city","tag-derinkuyu","tag-live","tag-people","tag-underground"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasifiz.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}