Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu is a deep, multi-level underground city in Cappadocia, carved into volcanic tuff and included in a UNESCO World Heritage property. Its eight known levels descend 60–85 metres and could shelter as many as 20,000 people together with food supplies and livestock. The complex contains living quarters, churches, storerooms, kitchens, stables and even burial areas. It opened to tourists in 1965 after being discovered accidentally by a local farmer.

Several legends surround Derinkuyu. One tells of a battle between angels and demons: the angels built the underground city as a refuge but later abandoned it, leaving the demons to expand the caves. Another version speaks of subterranean beings, vampires or dwarfs hiding from sunlight in the deep tunnels.