何世紀にもわたって隠されてきた秘密の地下都市
In Turkey, they built a city so deep underground, it could swallow your house. Because apparently when invaders keep showing up, the best solution is to disappear entirely. Daring Cuyu goes down 18 levels and house 20,000 people. Imagine booking a trip to Capidoshia and finding out your hotel room is 280 ft underground. Meanwhile, you’re complaining about basement apartments. Pro: The ventilation system still works after 3,000 years. Con. Good luck getting sell service down there. That’s a 9 out of 10 on the misery meter. Incredible engineering. Terrible Wi-Fi. Drop your worst underground experience below. I’ll wait.
In Turkey’s Cappadocia, there’s a city carved so deep underground it could swallow a modern house: Derinkuyu Underground City.
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Cut into soft volcanic tuff and expanded across empires, Derinkuyu reportedly sinks about 85 m (~280 ft) with up to 18 levels and capacity claims of ~20,000 people. It’s the ultimate hide-and-seek map—refuge from invaders, a marvel of ancient engineering, and a mind-bender for anyone who thinks a basement apartment is “too underground.”
This 9:16 Short blends travel, geography, and history to unpack why people went down instead of out—and how the system still breathes today.
🎬 What you’ll see (41.5s)
• 0:00–0:05 — Aerial Cappadocia → zoom to Derinkuyu entrance.
• 0:05–0:10 — Invaders arrive; locals vanish into rock—defense by disappearance.
• 0:10–0:15 — 18 levels of tunnels, chambers, wineries, kitchens, stables.
• 0:15–0:25 — “Hotel room 280 ft underground” gag vs. basement flats.
• 0:25–0:30 — Pro: ancient ventilation shafts still channel air.
• 0:30–0:33 — Con: “NO SERVICE”—Wi-Fi and cell bars don’t go this deep.
• 0:33–0:41 — MISERY METER: 9/10—incredible engineering, terrible reception. CTA: your worst underground moment.
🧭 Quick context
Derinkuyu sits in Nevşehir Province amid Cappadocia’s fairy-chimney landscape. The underground complex linked to other towns by tunnels, with rolling-stone doors, livestock areas, communal rooms, and a remarkable stack of ventilation shafts that kept oxygen flowing. Origins are debated (often credited to early Iron Age builders and later Byzantine expansions), but centuries of use turned it into a subterranean fortress.
✅ Visiting tips
• Go early or late to dodge tour-bus waves; bring a light jacket (cool underground).
• If you’re claustrophobic or have knee/back issues, consider staying near the entrance levels.
• Watch your head—low ceilings, narrow corridors, slick steps; wear grippy shoes.
• Respect one-way arrows; let groups pass at wider chambers; no touching fragile walls.
• Pair your visit with Kaymaklı, the other major underground city, for a great compare/contrast.
🚆 Getting there
• Base in Göreme, Ürgüp, or Uçhisar. Derinkuyu is ~35–40 min by car from Göreme.
• Join a guided “Green Tour” (often covers Derinkuyu + Ihlara Valley + Selime Monastery), or self-drive.
• From Nevşehir city: buses/minibuses run to Derinkuyu town; the site is well-signed.
🛠️ Why underground worked
Rock-hewn design moderated temperature, hid light/smoke, and funneled air through deep shafts—effective against raids. Rolling stone doors could be sealed from inside; narrow pinch points slowed intruders. Food storage and cisterns meant communities could wait out danger.
⚖️ Pros vs. Cons (tourist reality)
Pros: Unforgettable engineering, cool temps, cinematic textures for video, unique Cappadocia history beyond balloons.
Cons: Crowds in tight spaces, low signal, stairs and tunnels that test legs and lungs.
🎥 Shots to capture
• Shaft looking up (light cone) • Rolling-stone door slot • Long corridor depth reveal • Chamber to corridor timelapse • Surface sunset over fairy chimneys.
📍 Nearby add-ons
Ihlara Valley hike, Selime Monastery, Uçhisar Castle viewpoint, and a sunrise hot-air balloon session on another day.
Chapters (Shorts reference)
00:00 Cappadocia flyover • 00:05 Vanish from invaders • 00:10 18 levels / 20k people • 00:15 280-ft hotel joke • 00:25 Ventilation pro • 00:30 No signal con • 00:33 Misery Meter + CTA
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Your worst underground experience—tunnels, caves, subways, bunkers. What happened, and would you go deeper next time?
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2 Comments
This where Tolkien’s dwarves lived.
Even though it was that deep apparently you could still smell the turks 😂😂