Yesterday, I was floating in a basket above the clouds. Today, I decided to go in the exact opposite direction. Cappadocia is famous for its fairy chimneys, but half of its history is buried underground. There are dozens of subterranean cities here, carved out of the soft volcanic ash (tuff) by early Christians hiding from Roman and Arab armies.
Location: Derinkuyu Underground City
Depth: 8 Levels Down (Approx. 60 meters)
Temperature: 13°C (55°F) – Constant
Mood: Anxious and Hunched Over
I drove to Derinkuyu, the deepest of them all. I paid my entrance fee, took a deep breath of fresh air, and stepped into the dark.
The Descent (Watch Your Head)
The first thing you realize about Derinkuyu is that it was not built for comfort. It was built for survival. The entrance stairs quickly turned into a tunnel. And then the tunnel got smaller. And smaller. Within two minutes, I was bent in half, walking like a duck. The ceiling was inches from my head, and my shoulders occasionally brushed against the cold, damp rock walls.
I don’t consider myself extremely claustrophobic, but when you are walking down a dimly lit, one-way tunnel that is less than five feet tall, your brain starts sending warning signals. You are trapped. There is a mountain of rock above you. I had to force myself to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
The City in the Dark
When the tunnel finally opened up into a larger cave, I stood up straight and my back cracked loudly. I was on the third level down. And it was astonishing.
This wasn’t just a bunker; it was a fully functioning metropolis. At its peak, Derinkuyu could hold up to 20,000 people, along with their livestock. I walked through rooms that were clearly labeled: kitchens blackened by centuries-old soot, wineries with carved rock vats for crushing grapes, stables for horses, and even a large cruciform church.
In the corridors, I saw the massive, circular stone doors—like giant millstones weighing half a ton. In case of an attack, the inhabitants would roll these stones across the doorways from the inside to block the tunnels completely.
The Panic Point (Level 8)
The deeper I went, the quieter it got. The temperature dropped to a constant, chilly 13°C. I finally reached the 8th floor, the lowest level accessible to the public. I stood at the bottom of the main ventilation shaft. It is a massive vertical hole dropping straight down from the surface, over 60 meters above.
Looking up that dark shaft, I realized how incredibly brilliant the engineering was. Thousands of people lived down here for months at a time, and yet, thanks to these shafts, the air on the 8th floor was perfectly breathable. No modern machinery, just perfect airflow dynamics carved by hand.
The Verdict
Climbing back up to the surface was a physical workout. When I finally emerged into the bright Anatolian sunlight, I took the deepest breath of my life.
Derinkuyu is a psychological test. If you suffer from severe claustrophobia, or bad knees, you might want to skip it. But if you can push past the initial panic of the narrow tunnels, it is one of the most mind-blowing historical sites on Earth. It redefines what human beings are capable of when they are trying to survive.
My “Eat Walk Repeat” Note for Today:
- Eat: Grab a fresh, cold pomegranate juice from the vendors directly outside the exit. Your blood sugar will thank you after the climb.
- Walk: Do not rush the tunnels. Walk slowly, stay bent over, and let the people coming up pass first.
- Repeat: Appreciate the open sky. You will never look at a wide, open space the same way again.
Explore More of My Cappadocia Diaries:
If you enjoyed this diary, check out the rest of my Cappadocia series to see the fairy chimneys through a local lens:
🍽️ Eat & Drink
- Food Diaries: Smashing the Clay Pot (Testi Kebabı)
- Food Diaries: The Terrace Breakfast and Hot Air Balloons
🎟️ Things To Do
- The 4 AM Alarm: Floating in a Basket Above the Fairy Chimneys
- Going Underground: My Fight with Claustrophobia in Derinkuyu
🗺️ Itineraries
- The Red Valley at Sunset: Walking on Mars in Cappadocia
- The Green Escape: Hiking the Ihlara Valley Gorge
🚇 Essentials
- Sleeping in a Rock: The Reality of Cave Hotels in Cappadocia
- The Dust Diary: Exploring the Valleys on an ATV
🏘️ Neighborhoods
- Göreme Diaries: The Chaotic Heart of the Valleys
- Uçhisar Diaries: The Giant Rock Castle and the Quiet Heights
