The underground cities of Cappadocia, which has a worldwide reputation for its nature, historical and cultural values, hosted more than 1 million tourists in 2022. Visitors who can visit the illuminated areas in 6 of the many underground cities in the region descend approximately 100 meters below the ground surface.
According to the data of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, between January and October 2022, Kaymaklı, one of the underground cities in Cappadocia, was 459 thousand 456, Derinkuyu 298 thousand 117, Özkonak 194 thousand 41, Mazı 9 thousand 172, Tatlarin. On the other hand, 4 thousand 846 tourists visited.
According to Nevşehir Municipality data, Kayaşehir, which was opened to tourism in the city center in 2020, was visited by 87 thousand 322 people in the same period. Thus, the number of domestic and foreign visitors rose to 1 million 52 thousand 954. In the same period of last year, 528 thousand 98 people visited the underground cities in the region.
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Information About Cappadocia Underground Cities
It is known that the underground cities, which were built by carving the soft tuff rocks unique to the region by people in 3000-3500 BC, were expanded in the Roman and Byzantine periods after the Hittites and reached their present status.
There are rooms, warehouses, water cellars, churches and other vital units connected to each other by narrow corridors in the underground settlements, which are built in accordance with the necessary sheltering conditions for a community to live temporarily.
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“10% of the Underground Cities of Cappadocia Can Be Visited For Now”
Saying that the underground cities are among the attraction centers in the region, Nevşehir Tourist Guides Chamber President Özay Onur stated that the exact number of underground cities in the region is not known. He said that there are only 20 underground cities in the region so far, but not all underground cities have been discovered yet. Stating that only 6 of the existing underground cities can be visited, Onur said, “10 percent of the underground cities can be visited for now. Because they have been eroded over time and the gates are closed, certain points can be visited.”