Turkey’s Cappadocia reveals “new” 5,000-year-old city

A team of archaeologists discovered an ancient underground city in Cappadocia, Turkey, with tunnels and escape routes spanning over 3.5 miles. Estimated to be 5,000 years old, the massive metropolis was found in the areas around and beneath Nevşehir fortress during an urban development project carried out by Turkey’s Housing Development Administration (TOKİ). Hurriyet Daily News called it the “biggest archeological find of 2014”.

“Some 1,500 buildings were destructed located in and around the Nevşehir fortress, and the underground city was discovered when the earthmoving to construct new buildings had started,” according to Hurriyet Daily News.

Cappadocia is a region in Anatolia, located largely in the Nevşehir Province in central Turkey. Centuries of volcanic action coated the landscape with layers of lava and volcanic ash; nearby Erciyas volcano still experiences minor eruptions. Over time, strong wind and rainfall sculpted the rock into deep valleys and soaring towers (called “chimneys”) into which people – as far back as the 4th century CE – carved homes, chapels, tombs, temples and entire subterranean cities to safeguard from hostile invaders. Together with Göreme National Park, these fantastically formed sites comprise one of Turkey’s eleven World Heritage Sites.

Original article by Laurie Balbo

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Turkey’s Cappadocia reveals “new” 5,000-year-old city