According to the explanation of scientists, the Cappadocia area used to build many underground cities is due to its historical nature.
Spanning 18 floors with a depth of 85 meters, Derinkuyu is one of the largest and deepest underground cities in Turkey, Derinkuyu has everything its inhabitants need to survive a period of history that has endured with invasions.
In 1963, a farmer in Cappadocia (Turkey) was in the process of renovating his house when he suddenly discovered a hidden room behind the wall of his house with a corridor leading to an underground cave that could contain thousands of people.
When exploring the passage, the workers realized the incredible size of up to 18 floors of the ancient city (so far, only 8 floors have been exploited and accessed). Researchers have found kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, pantries, stables, oil presss, wineries, weapons storage areas, and even churches, schools, and tombs. . More than 50 ventilation shafts are designed to bring air down from above, while thousands of smaller ducts are distributed throughout to let the air out.
According to the explanation of scientists, the Cappadocia area used to build many underground cities is due to its historical nature.
Many tribes, and later major governments, aspired to control Anatolia for thousands of years, due to its position as a major trade center between Asia and Europe. For these same reasons, areas in Anatolia have historically been extremely vulnerable to invasion. When armies of plunderers arrived, thousands of civilians would escape and survive underground, sometimes for months.
Derinkuyu’s designers equipped the entrances with round stone doors weighing up to 500 kg to ensure that invaders could not penetrate the underground city. And if they did, the narrow corridor would force everyone to go in a line so it would be easier to defend if they were attacked.
Derinkuyu also helps residents avoid extremely hot weather in the summer and cold, snowy winters. The temperature is quite stable year-round at only about 13 degrees Celsius, creating a cool environment for the animals, as well as maintaining a supply of fresh water and keeping the food fresh.
Derinkuyu also has about 600 doors connecting the areas. The ancients used large rotating disc-shaped stones with a small hole in the middle to make doors. They can only be opened and closed from the inside, so the residents of this city can take full control.
In addition to the chapels for worship, the ancient underground city of Cappadocia has many areas for trapping above ground. There are many areas for livestock and many wells that provide drinking water. Common rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, schools, stables, wine cellars and oil presses are all found beneath this underground city.
The date of the city of Derinkuyu and the people who built it has so far not been precisely determined. According to historical documents, the Hittites dominated Asia Minor from about 1,600 BC (BC) to 1,200 BC.
After this period, the Hittite empire collapsed into smaller groups, possibly due to numerous invasions and wars. If the Hittites built the city of Derinkuyu as some scholars say, it must have been completed before 1,200 BC.
Other experts suggest that the Phrygians who migrated to Asia Minor from the Balkans built the underground city of Derinkuyu between 1,200 BC and 800 BC. After that, the Persians, Macedonians, Greeks, Armenians, Syrians were present in Cappadocia.
