Kaymaklı Underground City

Kaymaklı Underground City is contained within the citadel of Kaymaklı. First opened to tourists in 1964, the village is about 19km from Nevşehir, on the Nevşehir-Niğde road. The ancient name was Enegup. The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. The tunnels are still used today as storage areas, stables, and cellars. The underground city at Kaymaklı differs from Derinkuyu in terms of its structure and layout. The tunnels are lower, narrower, and more steeply inclined. Of the four floors open to tourists, each space is organized around ventilation shafts. This makes the design of each room or open space dependent on the availability of ventilation.

A stable is located on the first floor. The small size of the stable could indicate that other stables exist in the sections not yet opened. To the left of the stable is a passage with a millstone door. The door leads into a church. To the right of the stables are rooms, possibly living spaces.

Located on the second floor is a church with a nave and two apses. Located in front of the apses is a baptismal font, and on the sides along the walls are seating platforms. Names of people contained in graves here coincide with those located next to the church, which supports the idea that these graves belonged to religious people. The church level also contains some living spaces.

The third floor contains the most important areas of the underground compound: storage places, wine or oil presses, and kitchens. The level also contains a remarkable block of andesite with relief textures. Recently it was shown that this stone was used as a pot to melt copper. The stone was hewn from an andesite layer within the complex. In order for it to be used in metallurgy, fifty-seven holes were carved into the stone. The technique was to put copper ore into each of the holes (about 10cm in diameter) and then to hammer the ore into place. The copper was probably mined between Aksaray and Nevsehir. This mine was also used by Asilikhoyuk, the oldest settlement within the Cappadocia Region.

The high number of storage rooms and areas for earthenware jars on the fourth floor indicates some economic stability. Kaymaklı is one of the largest underground settlements in the region. The large area reserved for storage in such a limited area appears to indicate the need to support a large population underground. Currently only a fraction of the complex is open to the public.

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M Zaki M
16 April 2014
This is a must see! Be prepared to do some squats and ducks to get your way through. It is fully ventilated you don't have to worry. Red arrow is way down underground, blue arrow your way up to exit.
Tania Martinez
20 October 2015
An amazing experience see how people use lived in this caves. If you are claustrophobic beware 'cause this place is underground and the rooms and passages are tiny. Otherwise enjoy this historic place
M. B.
17 October 2015
A world wonder. Better to visit with a tour guide so understand fully what's going on there. (Some tunnels are tight i.e 100cm high only)
Daphne Goon
13 March 2018
Underground city. Some r low and narrow tunnels. Watch your head and steps. Be careful of the air shaft, don’t drop anything otherwise you can’t get it back
Ali Vaseghnia
24 March 2018
Definitely worth the visit. Don’t just follow the marked path, try to explore the city and you’ll be surprised.
Engin
7 April 2015
Check with the officials if you are a big person, the caves are really tight. İri bir vücudunuz varsa görevlilere danışın mağaralar çok dar.
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Map
0.2km from Nevşehir Niğde Yolu, Kaymaklı Underground City/Nevşehir Province, Turkey Get directions
Fri 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sat-Sun 9:00 AM–6:00 PM
Mon-Wed 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

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