While staying in Goreme, we took a break from daily hiking to go see one of the underground cities in the area. We took 2 local buses to the town of Derinkuyu, where one of the largest of the cities is located.
Luckily, we arrived before any tour buses, so we practically had the place to ourselves. Hmm, how do I describe this place? It is 7 levels, and goes hundreds of feet into the earth. They were built hundreds of years ago for people to hide from the invaders. The only way to give you an idea of the scale of the place is to say up to 10,000 people could stay there for up to 6 months!
There are huge rock "doors" that roll across the narrow tunnels, blocking all access. The tunnels are very narrow and steep, you are crouching the whole way. There are ventellation shafts that still serve their purpose today for visitors. Obviously lighting has been added, and there is so much to see.
Things like kitchens, wineries, storage etc is labelled. The scale of the place is so amazing. Definitely not for the claustrophobic!
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