Thousands of years ago, up to 20.000 people have secretly hidden from religious prosecution and foreign invaders in an underground city. Fighting for their lives, the inhabitants of Capadoccia, in modern-day Turkey, have built a gigantic 8-story maze underneath the ground. In the 20th century, the secret of Derinkuyu was finally revealed, and it all happened by accident!

The incredible story of Derinkuyu is as fascinating as the city itself, which is now a popular tourist attraction. And if you stick around long enough, we will even tell you why many people believe it was actually built by… reptilian aliens?

The Finding of Derinkuyu

For centuries, the secret of Derinkuyu was so well-kept that Historians had no idea about its existence. Its discovery happened less than 100 years ago, and it was purely accidental. Surprisingly enough, it started with what should’ve been nothing but a regular home improvement project.

In the province of Nevsehir, sitting on the outskirts of the Turkish city of Capadoccia, an oblivious homeowner was starting a renovation project in his house. That’s how he ended up tearing down a wall in his basement. But to his surprise, his seemingly regular construction project was about to make it into the history books…

Turkey’s Best-Kept Secret

To his surprise, the Turkish homeowner found himself in a secret underground city. People’s basements can have their fair share of secrets, but nothing like what this man encountered. Right there, underneath his home, sat a massive labyrinth of stone tunnels that led right back to his basement.

Soon enough, the Turkish homeowner realized that there was a whole series of secret rooms and passages, an underground city large enough to get an untrained explorer completely lost. At this point, the mystery of Derinkuyu was already out of his hands. Baffled by his discovery, historians and investigators were called to the site.

The Finding of the Century

A great time for archaeological discoveries, the 20th century was marked by plenty of advancements in History. But even the most experienced investigators were surprised by how large and unique Derinkuyu seemed to be. Its underground tunnels descended into up to 18 different levels of complex stone rooms and passages.

But, most of all, Derinkuyu looked like a city that was built to keep something away. Its ancient architecture was designed to keep whoever was inside safe, leaving no room for the invasion of outsiders. A fact that might help to explain why it took so long to find the massive city, but that also raised a lot of questions…

How Old Was It?

It was clear that the underground city of Derinkuyu belonged to a different age, but how old was it? Further investigations have allowed historians to conclude that the city was active between the 5th and 10th centuries. The timeline was traced according to some of the artifacts that were found, which were characteristic of the Middle Byzantine Period.

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern extension of the Roman Empire and the predecessor of the Ottoman Empire. It was marked by the influence of Christianity, which was then a fairly new religion, promoted all over the Rome-dominated lands by the emperor Constantine I.

Caves Were Common in Capadoccia

The Turkish region of Capadoccia is known for its natural volcanic formations and for having been the home of the Phrygians. Man-made caves and underground locations were common in the region. The Phrygians liked to make the most out of the exceptional Capadoccian landscape and were skilled cave builders.

Even though Derinkuyu is the largest underground city in the region, old caves can be found all over Turkey. When Greek language and Christianism become the norm in the region, the old Phrygian caves started being re-developed to include new elements, like Greek inscriptions and chapels. But what was the real purpose behind Capadoccia’s endless underground labyrinths?