New Entrances To Ancient Underground City In Kayseri, Turkey – Found Accidentally

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Kayseri province is a very special region of Turkey. It has several ancient spots where archaeologists discovered underground cities.

The city of Kayseri (ancient Caesarea city), located in the Nevsehir-Urgup-Goreme triangle of Anatolia is known today as Cappadocia.

The place known to the villagers as a cave was actually a two-story underground city. Image credit: DHA Photo

It has a remarkable place with natural rock formations, fairy chimneys, underground settlements, and historical monasteries.

Underground cities were mostly shelters, built by ancient peoples as a means to seek refuge from invasions. They offered a comfortable place to hide and live normally with indispensable transportation, food storage, drainage, and other facilities.

Now, two more entrances to an ancient underground city in central Turkey's Kayseri province have been discovered, local officials say. It was an accidental discovery made by grape harvesters who came last year to the area called "Kırklar İni" near the Derebağ district of İncesu, writes Daily Sabah.

İncesu Mayor Mustafa İlmek, alongside the former teacher and historian Mustafa Çavdar, went to the area to investigate the report.

See also:

A 20-Meter-Deep Tunnel May Lead To Ancient Underground City In Central Turkey

Cappadocia’s Huge And Unique Selime Cathedral

Forgotten Richly Decorated Rock-Cut Cave Churches Of Goreme And Cappadocia

Nevsehir Labyrinth Of Tunnels: Largest And Most Complex Underground City In The World

Highly Sophisticated Underground City Of Derinkuyu – Who Were The Master Builders?

More Archaeology News

Their survey revealed that the place known to the villagers as a cave was actually a two-story underground city.

Image credit: DHA

Destroyed by treasure hunters, the ancient underground city had multiple rooms, and a monumental tomb cut from the rock.

Now, the researchers once again reexamined the area and found two more doors leading to the underground city, which, according to İlmek, the city is many meters in length.

"There are rock tombs in the underground city; however, they have been destroyed by treasure hunters,” İlmek said.

"According to our latest findings, the underground city has four entrances. Whether it has more entrances will be revealed at the end of the examinations," İlmek said.

The mayor said that once work is completed on this significant discovery, officials will apply for it to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer