Travel Highlights - Derinkuyu Underground City

Cappadocia Green Tour

The Cappadocia Green Tour covers several towns in southwestern Cappadocia. Our destination is the most famous, Derinkuyu Underground City, an extremely ancient and mysterious underground city. This underground city reaches a depth of 60 meters, has approximately 20 floors, and can accommodate over 20,000 people. Inside, you'll find a variety of spaces, including churches, schools, storage rooms, and cemeteries. Navigating the caverns is truly magical. We'll then visit Narlıgöl Crater Lake, Turkey's largest volcanic crater.

Ihlara Valley was formed by the volcanic activity of Mt. Hasan. The Ihlara Valley Canyon was formed by the erosion of the Melendiz River. Over millions of years, layers of cracking and collapsing formed the 80-meter-deep canyon, stretching 14 kilometers in total. In the past, Christians hid in the valley's caves, carving murals in the cave churches they carved. We'll descend from the top to the riverbed and explore several churches along the riverbank, taking in some stunning photos of the rocks, caves, and streams. Finally, we'll visit Selime Cathedral.

Derinkuyu Underground City

Traveling through the caves was a breathtaking experience. It's hard to imagine how people centuries ago could have carved out such a vast and complex underground space. Currently, only the eighth floor of Derinkuyu Underground City is open to the public, and a quick tour takes about an hour. Underground cities are a truly fascinating attraction during a trip to Turkey. Derinkuyu Underground City has no radio, is eight stories deep, and has a complex network of paths, resembling an underground maze. Furthermore, the limestone within the caverns is highly sound-absorbing, meaning you can't hear the sounds coming from the next cavern, even if you shout. We met a guide at the entrance and asked him to show us around (120 lira). The guide's explanation was very lively, sharing the local history and explaining the functions of each chamber. There's a common misconception that they lived there year-round, but the guide explained that they only took temporary refuge during enemy attacks, typically for a dozen days.