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Stone Door, Derinkuyu, Turkey

Derinkuyu also known as Elengubu, is an ancient multi-level underground city near the modern town of Derinkuyu in Nevşehir Province, Turkey, extending to a depth of approximately 85 metres (280 ft). It is large enough to have sheltered as many as 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores. It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found throughout Cappadocia.

 

The underground city at Derinkuyu could be closed from the inside with large rolling stone doors. Each floor could be closed off separately.

 

The room with the barrel-vaulted ceiling, possibly a school

The city could accommodate up to 20,000 people and had amenities found in other underground complexes across Cappadocia, such as wine and oil presses, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, and chapels. Unique to the Derinkuyu complex is a spacious room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling located on the second floor. It has been reported that this room was used as a religious school and the rooms to the left were studies.

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Uploaded on November 25, 2025
Taken on September 22, 2025