Lost Underground City

Sixty years ago in central Turkey, a homeowner made a remarkable discovery.When remodeling his basement, he knocked down a wall and found a tunnel. He followed the tunnel to find one of the largest underground cities in the world, abandoned long ago.When scientists explored it, they discovered it went down 18 levels, 280 feet into the ground, and was once home to some 20,000 underground dwellers.This was in the region known as Cappadocia, where ancient volcanoes formed soft, porous rock called tuff. On the surface it eroded into tall spires called fairy chimneys. Underground, water seeped in to form caves, which early cultures excavated further.Around 3,000 years ago, the Hittites began to carve the underground city of Derinkuyu. It was expanded by Christians throughout the Middle Ages.In the cool, lowest levels they stored grain and wine. In the middle levels they kept livestock. The highest levels were residences. A network of ventilation shafts brought fresh air to all.The underground city provided shelter from the weather, and from invaders.Central Turkey, at the crossroads of the Silk Road, was a frequent stop for marauding armies. Derinkuyu residents rolled massive stone doors across entrance tunnels to protect inhabitants.From 1500 AD until today the city was forgotten. But it’s now a UNESCO protected site, and a remarkable window into the past.