Gaziemir Yer Altı Şehri

Gaziemir Underground City


Useful Information

Location: Gaziemir village, Güzelyurt district
(38.352466, 34.388674)
Open: All year daily 8-20.
[2020]
Fee:  
Classification: SubterraneaUnderground City
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours:  
Photography:  
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Gaziemir Yer Altı Şehri, 68500 Gaziemir/Güzelyurt/Aksaray, Tel: 0507-817-1881. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2006 discovered and developed.
23-JUN-2007 opened to the public.

Description

Gaziemir Yer Altı Şehri (Gaziemir Underground City) is unique as the underground city has the typical design of a caravanserai. This makes it the probably the only underground caravanserai in the world. The city was started by the Hittites, the entrance passage was built with the hitit style stone overlay technique. It was expanded to it current size during the Byzantine period. It was still in use under the Seljuks.

The underground rooms are accessible through multiple huge portals which open to a central agora. This allowed easy access for the caravans to the underground stables and warehouses. This agora was used as a landfill for centuries and so the structure was completely forgotten. The barn sections for the animals are kept wide and spacious. The had holes drilled into the walls to hook the animals and mangers were carved ito the walls for their food. Even camel ones were discovered during the excavations.

The entrance tunnel leads to a more secluded part of the structure. It has two churches and a large wine factory with a cistern which was probably used to store the wine.