The Why Files: Operation Podcast - 534: DEEP DIVE: The Labyrinth Below: Derinkuyu's Ancient Mysteries

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

Unearth the mystery of Derinkuyu, an underground city in Turkey that has captivated historians and explorers alike. Hidden beneath a modest home, this labyrinthine complex reveals a network of tunnels and rooms carved from the earth, hinting at a sophisticated society that once thrived in secrecy. Marvel at the architectural genius and the sheer will it took to create such a sanctuary, capable of sheltering thousands from threats above. Join us as we navigate the dark corridors of history, exploring how and why ancient civilizations constructed this subterranean world, and the mysteries that still lie buried within its silent chambers.

You searched for your informant, who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth. While curled up on the couch with your cat. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. A man from Derinkuyu in the Nevershire province of Turkey was renovating his basement. Using only a sledgehammer, he broke through one of his walls. He felt cool air coming

in from the other side. When the hole was large enough to squeeze through, he decided to investigate. Inside, he found a small room-sized cave. At first, he was excited. This could save him a lot of work. This area of Turkey has complex cave systems, so he thought he had accidentally stumbled into one. He didn't.

When he turned on his flashlight, he saw writing on the walls. Roman, Greek, and languages he didn't. When he turned on his flashlight, he saw writing on the walls. Roman, Greek, and languages he didn't recognize. And that first small room was only the beginning. Flashlight in hand, he followed the narrow stone hallway. At first glance, this looked like a natural cave formation, but upon closer inspection, he wasn't so sure. The stone ceiling was rough like you'd expect to see in a cave,

but the walls were smooth. Over hundreds or thousands of years, an underground river could have eroded away the stone, but there was something eerie about this place. It was as if he could feel a human presence. The hallway continued for a few dozen feet, eventually spilling into a large room that could fit dozens of people. From there, he found a system of passageways.

As he continued to explore, he found more small rooms. Some looked like storage areas, with crevices that could have acted as shelves. He moved forward into the darkness, and he found more rooms around every corner. At first, he thought this was some kind of hideout, but it was just too big. Nobody could have built this. After exploring for a few hours, he thought he finally reached the end of the structure. But after making a sharp turn, he saw actual carved stairs, which led down even further into the darkness. If there was any question before, now it was clear. This was not a natural

structure. People built it. But it was too massive for him to explore on his own. When he returned through the hole in his basement wall, he called the Turkish authorities and described what he found. They told him that he was describing the myth of the hidden city of Derinkuyu. Now, the man knew the story well. He had heard it since he was a boy. The myth of Derinkuyu talked of an ancient city that provided refuge to every citizen in the area built thousands of years ago and hidden beneath the surface. He knew the myth of Derinkuyu very well.

He then said to the man on the phone, Sir, with all due respect, it's not a myth. Derinkuyu is in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey, which has very distinct geology. Millions of years ago, volcanoes covered the area. When ash is ejected during a volcanic eruption, it solidifies into a rock called tuff. Tuff is a relatively soft and porous rock found all over the region. And the word tuff comes from the Latin word tophus, meaning sandstone. Tuff is a relatively soft and porous rock found all over the region. And the word tuff comes from the Latin word tophus, meaning sandstone.

Because tuff is so pliable, it's been used for construction since ancient times. The Romans made concrete using tuff by mixing it with gypsum and quicklime. It was used all over the empire, the Colosseum, the Pantheon. Even the statues on Easter Island were made of tuff. So it's unsurprising that people in Turkey have been building with this material since prehistory. But rather than mine the stone and build up, the people in Derinkuyu built down. Cappadocia has hundreds of subterranean houses.

Some even go down two stories. But there's nothing quite like Derinkuyu. The underground city of Derinkuyu goes down over 280 feet. In the first few years of exploration, experts went down 18 stories. And since then, two more levels have been discovered. And it might go down even further. Archaeologists are still excavating. The total area of the city discovered is 5 square miles, or 13 square kilometers, and housed over 22,000 people. For comparison, Stonehenge takes up just 9 acres of space. This means you could fit 300 Stonehenge sites inside of Derinkuyu.

It's 30 times bigger than Vatican City and four times larger than Buckingham Palace. The upper floors are the oldest and were used as apartments closest to the fresh air. But even as you go lower into the underground city, you can still breathe. Derinkuyu has a complex system of over 16,000 ventilation shafts that allow air to circulate through every room in the city, on every level, no matter how far down you go. It also has a fresh water supply. At the lowest levels of Derinkuyu is a series of underwater rivers. Wells were centrally located to bring water to the entire city. People living on the surface above Derinkuyu had been using the wells originally intended for the underground city. They just didn't realize what was underneath them.

Incidentally, the word Derinkuyu is Turkish for deep well. The tunnels seem to go on forever. To walk from one end of Derinkuyu to the other is a six kilometer walk or four miles of tunnels. As you explore Derinkuyu, you'll find everything you need to run a city. There are dining halls, churches, and schools. There are rooms for pressing and storing olive oil, markets, bakeries, wineries, libraries, and storage for vast amounts of food. Continue a few more levels down and you'll find areas for keeping livestock. There are stables for horses, areas for butchering, curing, and storing meat. Thousands of people could survive completely underground for a very long time. But who would build these

giant subterranean cities? And why? You sailed beyond the horizon in search of an island scrubbed from every map. You battled krakens and navigated through storms. Your spade struck the lid of a long-lost treasure chest. While you cooked a lasagna. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover best-selling adventure stories on Audible. You searched for your informant who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth. While curled up on the couch with your cat. There's more to imagine when you listen.

Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. The land in the Cappadocia region of Turkey is extremely fertile, ideal for farming. So why go through the trouble of building such an elaborate underground city? Most archaeologists agree that Derinkuyu was built for protection. But it's more than a bunker. It's an underground fortress. There are about 60 surface entrances to Derinkuyu. These doors are hidden in buildings, courtyards, and parks throughout the town. But when the doors are closed, they just look like part of the landscape. There was only a single main entrance to the city.

When under attack, residents would retreat underground using one of the many hidden doors. The doors were protected by massive circular stones that could retract and only be opened from the inside. These doors weighed a thousand pounds or more. The main gate was even heavier. The access tunnels at the surface are very narrow, so people can only enter single file. This was intentional. It would force invaders into choke points, making the city easier to defend. Most levels had armories to allow soldiers and citizens easy access to weapons. Even the local militia had dedicated stables to maintain horses for a small cavalry. They could ride out through a secret exit and take invaders by surprise.

Derinkuyu's multi-level cave system wasn't designed randomly. It was well thought out. All the city's levels are interconnected, but they could individually be sealed off from one another, preventing enemies from going further into the structure, or enemies could be trapped and sealed in. Even the water supply system was designed with defense in mind. It could only be controlled by the bottom up.

If invaders breached the upper levels, their water would be cut off. This system helped prevent the water supply from being poisoned. As a last resort, dozens of hidden passageways led out of Derinkuyu. A recently discovered passageway leads to Kemakli, another underground city about four miles north, and you can travel there completely underground. Kemakli is still being excavated, but some say it may turn out to be even bigger than Derinkuyu. We're learning that there's an entire series of interconnected cities in Cappadocia, all completely underground.

So we know why this huge subterranean city was built, but who built it? Well, that's where there's disagreement, but we do have some clues. So who built Derinkuyu? Well, it's made of stone, so carbon dating is no help. But there are a few theories. First is that Derinkuyu was built around 14,500 years ago.

This was during a time known as the Younger Dryas. And at that time, the mysterious Gobekli Tepe was built. At the beginning of the Younger Dryas, the Earth's temperature dropped rapidly. The planet pretty much returned to the Ice Age. During this time, it wouldn't have been feasible for humans to remain living on the surface. The theory suggests that Derinkuyu was created during this time for people to survive underground, where the temperature would have been warmer and more easily regulated. Others believe construction started with the Hittites between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago. A few Hittite artifacts, such as Hittite-style seal and lion statues,

have been recovered, which makes this case. The Anatolian Hittites controlled a large portion of Asia Minor, reaching all the way up to Upper Mesopotamia. Cappadocia and Derinkuyu were right in the middle of Hittite territory. This region of Turkey was a main corridor for trade in the ancient world, so whoever controlled the trade routes could impose their will on the entire region. This was very desirable real estate. Hittite cities were under constant attack from outside forces.

An underground fortress would have been very useful to protect this land and its people. The Hittites had enemies on all sides. They were constantly at war with the Assyrians, the Thracians, and of course, the Egyptians. But the people that gave the Hittites a lot of trouble, and may have even caused their eventual demise, the Phrygians. The Phrygians inhabited central western Anatolia in ancient times, and were related to the Greeks. We all know the story of the Midas Touch. Midas was a Phrygian king who, according to legend, could turn anything into gold.

Some believe the Phrygians constructed or at least expanded and improved the city of Derinkuyu. The Phrygian people were talented engineers and architects. They undertook large complex building projects all over their territory. Considered some of the greatest builders of the Iron Age, the Phrygians had the skill, knowledge, and ingenuity to create an elaborate subterranean city. Several of the rooms in Derinkuyu have been determined to be ancient chapels. On the chapel walls are inscriptions written in Greek. The Hittites wouldn't do this, but the Phrygians would.

They controlled the area until the Persians conquered them in the 6th century BC. There are even written records that may support this. Xenophon of Athens wrote Anabasis in 370 BC, documenting a Greek army expedition to Persia. He mentions people in Anatolia and Cappadocia who lived underground, in dwellings large enough for entire families. But still others have entirely different theories of who created Derinkuyu. There's a theory that is a little out there. And when I say out there, I mean literally.

Because some people believe Derinkuyu was built by aliens. The theory that aliens arrived on Earth during ancient times is not new. We cover many of these theories and ideas here on the podcast and the YouTube channel. I'm sure you're familiar with the ancient astronaut theory, but if you're not, here's the short version. There's a lot of human history that's hard to explain without the use of technology that was just too advanced for its time. Gobekli Tepe, the pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu, and Stonehenge all have similar stories. Aliens arrived on Earth and actively helped civilizations build these amazing structures. And some of these stories come directly from ancient writings themselves.

Derinkuyu is no different. Supporters of the ancient astronaut theory say that alien beings helped humans. Derinkuyu is no different. Supporters of the ancient astronaut theory say that alien beings helped humans build Derinkuyu. They say the technical expertise needed to build a massive underground city was beyond what was available at the time. Advanced design elements like ventilation systems and water wells are difficult to craft and require exact measurements to be effective. Other details, like the perfectly smooth walls, are too precise to have been done by human hands alone. The scale and detail suggest technology was used that was far beyond the tools available at the time. There are also symbols and drawings found within Derinkuyu that appear to depict spacecraft and technology.

Similar symbols have been found in underground cities all over the world. These are all very different cultures, with different languages, different alphabets. Yet the markings in the underground cities are all very similar. Skeptics point out that no direct evidence of alien technology is found at Derinkuyu or at any of the ancient underground cities. Many of the feats described in the building of Derinkuyu can be explained by the creativity and generations of labor of those who built and expanded the city. And while some believe aliens built Derinkuyu, others theorize a different beginning.

Rather than getting help from aliens, some think that Derinkuyu is actually constructed by giants. According to Turkish folklore, the Divs or Devas were a race of giants that lived in the Anatolia region. Standing 30 feet tall or even taller, they were considered master architects and builders. Cyclops, one-eyed giants in Greek mythology, are also mentioned throughout the region and are said to have built great walls and underground cities. In Kazakh folklore, giants lived in caves near the area.

They captured women and had a taste for human flesh. In the Bible's book of Joshua, it mentions several battles with the Anakim and Amorites. These groups could make people appear as small as grasshoppers. Other giants, such as Goliath, fought humans in the area. In the Kesikbask Dastani, a Turkish Sufi legend, after finding the severed head of a man whose wife was captured and child was eaten by the giant, Ali descended into the underworld to kill the div responsible. And in almost every culture in the area, a similar story appears. Giant humanoids living in caves, either helping or in many cases fighting and eating humans. Many believe the caves described are places like Derinkuyu. Believers point out that the 1,000-pound doors

would be very difficult for regular-sized people to move. Yet there they are, and they're perfectly balanced. The site's walls, passages, and ceilings are between 10 and 15 feet tall. This is much higher than anything needed for an average-sized human. Even taking into account the added height for animals, the height of the passages seems excessive. Giants were said to have been of superior strength due to their size, and many point out that this strength would have been needed

to excavate something the depth and size of this great city. Whether you believe Derinkuyu was built by aliens, giants, or simply by the blood, sweat, and tears of everyday humans, one thing is clear. The city played a critical role throughout history for many different civilizations and may have even saved some from extinction. Though they didn't build Derinkuyu, early Byzantine Christians occupied it in the first century AD.

Within the complex are several Christian churches, and Christian symbols and writing are all over the upper floors. They also added vaulted ceilings and other structural features found in Christian architecture. Derinkuyu was a place for Christians to hide from Roman soldiers and practice their faith in secret, avoiding persecution from the Roman Empire. During the Arab-Byzantine wars from 780 to 1180, Muslim Arabs used Derinkuyu. They also expanded the structure and inscribed the walls. Local Greeks used it until the end of the Greco-Turkish War in 1920. At this time, it was abandoned and would stay that way until finally rediscovered by a regular guy working in his basement. Whether it was being used by the Hittites, Phrygians, Jews,

Christians, Muslims, or Greeks, Derinkuyu was shelter from attacking armies, refuge from raiding tribes, and sanctuary to the faithful who feared religious persecution. I'd like to think that if the first builders knew how many thousands of people would use this city to protect their faith and their families, the builders would be proud. Derinkuyu is an important discovery, and it inspired others to explore the area in search of large underground cities and boy did they find one while during kuyu is the most well known of the underground cities in 2020 another was discovered this one could be over three times the size of Derinkuyu. Construction workers in the Midyat region of Turkey were completing restoration work on historic houses when they stumbled on a hidden entrance to a limestone cave. This wasn't unusual for the area. Midyat is about nine hours east of Derinkuyu and caves are found all over the region. But this particular cave was

different. It was much larger than anything they'd ever seen. The workers contacted the authorities, who brought in experts. When they realized the vast size of the cave system, they started excavating. The structure has passageways, corridors, wall murals, Jewish and Christian churches, water wells, and ventilation shafts, all similar to those found at Derinkuyu. Researchers have given this massive city the name Matiat, meaning city of caves. About 3% of the structure has been dug out, and it is massive.

While Derinkuyu could house about 20,000 people, Matiat could hold 70,000, over three times the size of Derinkuyu. There are 600 known entrances and at least eight levels, and its similarities to Derinkuyu don't end there. The design and architecture of the rooms, markings on the walls, and even the structure of the wells and door systems are all similar. Matiyat is the largest underground city discovered in Turkey, at least so far. Over 200 underground cities in the Anatolian plains have been documented,

40 of them are at least three levels deep. And Turkey isn't the only region with a history of civilizations living underground. We can find more of these cities on the other side of the world. Located in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, Dumuluru, also known as Tunnel Creek Cave, is part of an ancient reef system. It's about 6,000 years old and provided living spaces for the Wardandi Noongar people.

Also in Australia is the Kingchega National Park. The native tribes there have lived in huge cave systems for centuries. In China, the Longyu Caves date back to the Qin and Hang dynasties. These structures were created over 2,000 years ago. The techniques used to create them are, to this day, still a mystery. In South America, the Moche civilization built the Temple of the Dragon in Peru. The techniques used to create them are, to this day, still a mystery. In South America, the Moche civilization built the Temple of the Dragon in Peru. This was a complex system of chambers, patios, and platforms carved below the ground. Researchers say that these temples were used for burial sites and religious rituals. On nearly every continent, underground tunnels and cave systems have been used throughout history to house, shelter, and protect ancient cultures.

Undiscovered secrets are all around us. Sometimes the walls that obscure the truth are miles thick, other times paper thin. But whether by innovation, persistence, or sheer luck, those walls can be breached. It's at that point that a wardrobe becomes a gateway to Narnia. Platform nine and three quarters opens up a world of magic, and a few inches of stone in a humble Turkish basement reveals an ancient underground city. I encourage you to break down these walls wherever you find them. Whether it's a literal wall, as in this story, or a figurative one in your mind holding you back from an adventure. Break down the wall.

You never know what you might discover. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. My name is AJ. This has been The Y Files. If you had fun or learned anything, do me a favor. Leave the podcast a nice review. That lets me know to keep making these things for you. And like most topics I cover on The Y Files,

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