Underground Cities of Cappadocia

The underground cities of Cappadocia are a series of rooms and tunnels that are adjacent to each other. These cities have been carved out of the rocks in Cappadocia and although it’s believed that there are more than three hundred of these structures, the true number is not actually known. The material used for these underground cities is the hardened ash from the volcanoes that erupted millions of years ago. As this ash hardens, it remains soft enough to dig on the interior but the exterior is still hard enough to form a protective barrier.

The theories as to why these cities were built vary on the time periods as well as the people who built them. One school of thought is that these cities were built by the Hittites so that they could have a place that they could use to store their supplies and other items. This theory also states that the Hittites later used them as protection when they were looking for a place to hide from the Roman Empire. Others maintain that the cities were not brought into existence until much later when Phrygians were looking for a place to defend their land from the Assyrians.

It’s most often believed that the cities were built during a time when Cappadocia was undergoing much turmoil. Christian communities were continually being persecuted within the city and the Christians were also persecuting as a means of protection for themselves. In addition to this internal turmoil, the Arabs were also attacking and this historical information has led to the belief that this is the era in which the underground cities of Cappadocia were built. It was during the time of the Ottoman Empire that the cities were left forgotten because the people no longer needed this kind of protection.

The tunnels adjoined communal rooms, worship rooms, wells, and even kitchens. Although these cities seem to have made decent living areas as well as adequate protection from enemy attacks, it’s thought that the people of Cappadocia did not live in these as their permanent residences. What is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the cities was that some of the entrances and exits of the tunnels were guarded by a large stone. This not only blocked off the entrance to the city but it also worked as a lock, which could only be immobilized from one side.

Some of these underground cities are open for public viewing and the largest of them, Derinkuyu, has eight floors, all of which can be seen by tourists. Other excavated underground cities that are not open to the public are used for storage while others are used to regulate the water flow to the terraced farmlands. While the underground cities were once vital to ensure that civilization survived in Cappadocia, they are still integral to the way the area operates today. They are also a major source of revenue as the tourism that these cities promote greatly helps Cappadocia’s economy.