Derinkuyu, la misteriosa ciudad subterránea de Turquía
En 1963, un habitante de Derinkuyu (en la región de Capadocia, Anatolia central, Turquía), derribando una pared de su casa-cueva, descubrió asombrado que detrás de la misma se encontraba una misteriosa habitación que nunca había visto; esta habitación le llevó a otra, y ésta a otra y a otra… Por casualidad había descubierto la ciudad subterránea de Derinkuyu, cuyo primer nivel pudo ser excavado por los hititas alrededor del año 1400 a.C.
Los arqueólogos comenzaron a estudiar esta fascinante ciudad subterránea abandonada. Consiguieron llegar a los cuarenta metros de profundidad, aunque se cree que tiene un fondo de hasta 85 metros.
En la actualidad se han descubierto 20 niveles subterráneos. Sólo pueden visitarse los ocho niveles superiores; los demás están parcialmente obstruidos o reservados a los arqueólogos y antropólogos que estudian Derinkuyu.
La ciudad fue utilizada como refugio por miles de personas que vivían en el subsuelo para protegerse de las frecuentes invasiones que sufrió Capadocia, en las diversas épocas de su ocupación, y también por los primeros cristianos.
Los enemigos, conscientes del peligro que encerraba introducirse en el interior de la ciudad, por lo general intentaban que la población saliera a la superficie envenenando los pozos.
El interior es asombroso: las galerías subterráneas de Derinkuyu (en las que hay espacio para, al menos, 10.000 personas) podían bloquearse en tres puntos estratégicos desplazando puertas circulares de piedra. Estas pesadas rocas que cerraban el pasillo impedían la entrada de los enemigos. Tenían de 1 a 1,5 metros de altura, unos 50 centímetros de ancho y un peso de hasta 500 Kilos.
En la imagen superior se aprecia cómo la puerta circular de piedra cerraba el pasillo, aislando a los habitantes del subsuelo
Además, Derinkuyu tiene un túnel de casi 8 kilómetros de largo que conduce a otra ciudad subterránea de Capadocia, Kaymakli.
De las ciudades subterráneas de esta zona hablaba el historiador griego Jenofonte. En su obra Anábasis explicaba que las personas que vivían en Anatolia habían excavado sus casas bajo tierra y vivían en alojamientos lo suficientemente grandes como para una familia, sus animales domésticos y los suministros de alimentos que almacenaban.
En los niveles recuperados se han localizado establos, comedores, una iglesia (de planta cruciforme de 20 por 9 metros, con un techo de más de tres metros de altura), cocinas (todavía ennegrecidas por el hollín de las hogueras que se encendían para cocinar), prensas para el vino y para el aceite, bodegas, tiendas de alimentación, una escuela, numerosas habitaciones e, incluso, un bar.
La ciudad se beneficiaba de la existencia de un río subterráneo; tenía pozos de agua y un magnífico sistema de ventilación (se han descubierto 52 pozos de ventilación) que asombra a los ingenieros de la actualidad.
In 1992 I visited Derinkuyu and another underground city, Kaymakli. Your photos are better than mine were! After that trip I wrote the article “Turkey’s Underground Cities” for Dragon, a magazine for players of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The angle was “real-world dungeons.”
I’ve been to this place. The guide kept telling us they used it during the “battle times”. I’m awesome.
It’s like Dungeons & Dragons in real life. Think about how many battles took place in those tunnels over the centuries. All that’s needed are some cave trolls, chain mail and a sturdy broadsword..
That is awesome. I will have to visit that site…
This is truly amazing. And to think it was built so long ago before all our fancy equipment and technology. It was built with sweat and blood. Must have been a neccesity.
I love this story! Awesome!
That’s amazing… I need to visit that place some day
Regards
http://hekko.eu
.. down in fraggle rock!
Check Polish old mine Wieliczka in Krakow – a lot better
Great story, I’ll throw a link up on my conspiracy forum for my visitors.
I am a 400,000 year old Anunnaki. I supervised the digging of these cities. They were used in the summer when it was too hot on the surface. Also used as a huge brothel.
Is it true that the secrets to DDH’s awesome ab’s are written on ancient scrolls, buried deep in that maze of caves?
It was made to hide from the alien G*ds who were attacking them for being disobedient. You people know nothing.
I think i will be staying there with my family during armagedon. just hope there are no floods when i am down there. that would suck, because i cant swim.
Where is mine!I need a place just like that,so no-one can call me a land-lubber!? It is better than our natural cave systems here in Australia.Which are worth a visit.Eh!Any Turkey citizens nowhere I can get a free ticket etc!?
I’ve been to cappadoccia, and all through these caves and cities, this province in Turkey is littered with underground cities and caves. One of my best backpacking excursions was through turkey, really the cradle of civilization. an outstanding educational enlightening voyage. P.s. The raki (aka, lions milk) is great, dangerous but great.
pics or it didn’t hap…..oh wait.
Hello
It´s a very good report and presentation of this life space for survivors of dangers at different origins. The images are beautifully and have a live. Looking the pictures you think you are their. I am hearing of this city once, but never have seen this places in pictures of color. Thank!
Greeting Josef Bauer
Yes” i imagine the initial was done by water ,the type of stone made it’s easy to dig out ,but still it’s quite an acheivement
The Article states 1400 B.C.; just think how long it took to actually create this mysterious city? With the intelligence it took to engineer this gigantic project, one would think wars would be the thing of the past. Then I look at today’s technology and realize that intelligence has nothing to do with common sense. –jws
La pregunta clave es, como iluminaba esta gente esta ciudad subterranea? Si lo hacian con lamparas de combustion, consumian el oxigeno…….hay restos de CO2 en el techo de las cuevas?????
Que hacian con los excrementos humanos de 10.000 personas diariamente….? Si Habia 10.000 personas residiendo, habia 10.000 personas respirando….mas lamparas de aceite….???
El gasto de oxigeno es importante….
WOW WOW WOW I have always heard about underground cities. Do they have tours? I would love to go! Anyone know of any tours or are planning any trips email me. I would also love to see you guys pictures! THIS ROCKS!
janetjones1nonly@gmail.com
This is the historic lands of the Armenians!
How very…. dwarven. Marvellous
History repeats itself. We are only one major solar flare, polar shift, or new Hitler away from living underground again. I once heard there are thousands of miles of connected tunnels / caves in North and South America but can find no information about that. Imagine a new ice age where dirt and water to grow food and people with animals would mainly exist underground. Hummm a book or movie?
To the person who said that it’s like dungeons & dragons in real life … dungeons & dragons is NOT real life. Real life is what you have when you turn off the computers and video gales and technology. That’s real life. Also, I don’t think they fought battles in the tunnels. I thought the article said the tunnels were for hiding. Cool stuff, though.
if I found this behind my wall, I might have kept it quietly for my own basement. bet you the government kicked the home owners out that had their homes connected to these bunkers.
I saw this on Coast to Coast. I am from Ontario, Canada. What an incredible site. I loved the pictures, and the way things are in the world today this city may be useful in the future. Fascinating stuff you have here. A cultural treasure really. Did you know that underground places are turning up all over the world now? Hidden Secrets revealed. You have done an excellent job.
hey a broad sword? might as well have a ballista in the tunnels u dummy… LOL
The purpose of these tunnels is for living a long time in. People back then knew a lot about space and astronomy maybe they built these cities to survive some sort of cataclysm and it was big news or else there wouldn’t be tunnels connecting to other cities. They remind me alot of the survival shelters people build here in the United States in case of nuclear war.
I want to invest.
These underground chambers – cities really – were constructed by the Christian inhabitants to protect themselves from the marauding Muslims – Arabs and Turks who were invading destroying everything. Those people who built these magnificent structures are all gone – genocided all.
Yeah, that’s what we need to do to get ready for 2012. Start digging people! Who’s with me?
where did they put all the poop?
Wow you nerds need to get a life, this is a cool ancient city, we should build some like it today, it’s not a dungeon you d&d nerds need to get a life
Although I’m not the biggest D/D fan, this cave system is truly inspiring. If its not amazing enough from an engineering standpoint, this cave system is at minimum a testament to human fortitude. I nust see this place. It’s the most incredible blend of a natural beauty and the split second glimpse of beauty found in a mans resolve to survive.
PS- please tell me that this is sandstone.
Were these tunnels constructed from a pre-existing cave system? If not, then the amount of work that must have gone into removing all of the rock using the primitive equipment that they had available to them is truly mind-boggling. And without surveying equipment, it is miraculous that they planned and completed so many levels (complete with ventilation shafts) without the whole lot being undermined and collapsing into itself.
I have one question though: how did they know when it was safe to come out again?
I think this must be where the Fragles live!
It’s like an ancient version of the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam…but even more amazing!
wow! really amazing! can you imagine building these cities so long ago. I wonder what prompted such a huge endeavor. Iy must have been for basic survival. Really cool post.
happy holidaysm mtw
what did they do with all their poop
Dungeons & Dragons? More like Fraggle Rock!
This is the historic lands of the GREEK Orthodoxe not Armenian:)
i bet it stinks down there…why did they live underground???? maybe those freaky underground creatures from the time machine built it in the distant past!
hey, would you like to share tis article on iwasinturkey.com
Great pictures! I’d be willing to bet the whole Planet is littered with underground chambers similar to these. There have been many stories about such places here in the U.S. that have been discovered only to have our government seal them up and make the area restricted and classified.
Read “From the Ashes of Angels” for a take on when/whom built this.
Thinks me, tunnels awesome and cool, like, they are! HapsPer, people these hiding were from age of icedness. Cold cold weather make ground under living worthy more of economy and of necessity for with the survival freedom of. Prefer me the shine of sun. Of shine of Sun is wealth and of health. You thank we do, for nifty article this like. If even syntax the seems a bit absurd English readers for. Cool very photos of caves. Want us lower levels for explore and conquest of treasures deepest. Operation cunning and secret propose for rosasub missions. Knipp free now and ever continue stuff cool explore! Job 1, Quality, Ethan. Thankyou, Elroy.
la l 4 rock! of the liceo javier
heh, ok computerized translation, that explains. cool implementation, though maybe the site could announce that this would occur.
Wow. That is absolutely amazing.
wooow!!! esto es increible lo asombroso y el misterio ke encierra todo esto es …
como lograron cabar estas casas subterraneas? o como lograron in trodusir estas rocas
hasta el fondo delas viviendas subterraneas ?
es increible pensar ke allan sido personas comunes o acaso nosera ke todo esto encierra un misterio ke alomejor todo este misterio estara encerrado en alguna de estas abitaciones ?
o acaso no piensan ke al misterio mas increible como se bastaban de alimentacion oacaso
salian por provisiones al subsuelo o se se bastaban de algun tipo de planta subterranea ke cosechaban ? y por ke no pensar ke se proteguian de otros seres ke alomejor
llano existen en nuestra actualidad ? pues todo esto es un misterio ke alomejor algundia
se de aconoser…
bueno se cuidan y ojala y suban mas fotos de estas casas subterraneas