Derinkuyu Underground City
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Derinkuyu Underground City is in the Derinkuyu District that is 30 km away from Nevsehir, on the Nevsehir - Nigde highway.
As in the Kaymaklı Underground city, there are locations that can shelter a big group and meet their needs. This underground city consists of 8 floors. Being different from the Kaymaklı underground city, there is a missioner school, one confession place, a baptism pool and a well drawing the attention of the visitors.
The underground cities are the structures peculiar to the geological formations of Cappadocia region and such samples are not met in other regions.
The Underground City of Derinkuyu approximately 85m deep, is located on the road to Nigde, 29km from Nevsehir. Ten percent of the city is open to tourism. It was opened to tourism in 1969.
The city has all the usual areas found in an underground complex (wineries, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, etc.) Unique to the complex and located on the second floor is a spacious room with a barrel vaulted ceiling. This room was a missionary school, the rooms to the left of this large room are said to be study rooms.
Between the third and fourth levels is a descending vertical staircase. This passage way leads to a cruciform floor plan church on the lowest level.
The large 55m ventilation shaft appears to have been used as a well. Not every level was able to protect the city dwellers from poisoning during raids so the shaft provided water if the outside world was not accessible.
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