Concealed at the bottom of an intricate subterranean maze, this church provided hope to persecuted groups more than 1,000 years ago.
Derinkuyu Church is a carved religious home that is buried five floors below ground at the bottom of a complex maze. The church served as a beacon of hope to persecuted religious groups who formed the stone rooms and halls of these remarkable subterranean networks. Visit this religious home, said to date back to the fifth century, when as many as 20,000 inhabitants may have lived in the underground city.
Descend with a guide into the fascinating subterranean world away from the sun’s glare. Derinkuyu is one of the best preserved of several underground cities in the Cappadocia region. Learn about the persecuted people who lived in this maze for around 500 years until the 10th century. Marvel at the former schools, homes and cellars constructed within the stone city.
When you reach the bottom floor, you will see the church, which is shaped like a cross. Imagine the religious services that took place in this carved institution. Visit the tombs next to the church.
The highlighted 180.4-foot (55-meter) ventilation shaft provided air as well as water to the former inhabitants. Explorers have found more than 15,000 ventilation ducts in the city.
Phrygians originally built the city between the seventh and eighth centuries B.C. However, it is believed that the Byzantines crafted the church more than a millennium later. Archeologists discovered the network of tunnels in 1963.
The site has a small entrance fee. It opens daily in the morning until the evening, but closes earlier in the winter.
Derinkuyu Church sits at the bottom of an underground city 22 miles (35.4 kilometers) south of Göreme, where you will find the Göreme Open Air Museum and most of Cappadocia’s highlights. Take a tour bus for a guided visit to the underground city. Drive to the area to explore this ancient maze independently at your own pace.
