Özkonak Underground City

Özkonak is one of many underground cities in Cappadocia. The details of its history are unclear, but it was probably constructed during the 7th to 10th centuries, when Byzantine Christians hid from Arab armies that raided the area on a regular basis.

Togay led us through a series of chambers that went progressively deeper. The city was clearly designed for hiding from enemies, often for months at a time. Large niches had been carved into the walls for storage. Pipes and openings between chambers promoted airflow. Unbelievably, it is estimated that 60,000 people could live here for three months! Togay explained that they couldn’t stay underground for longer than that because they would become ill due to vitamin D deficiency.

Low doorways could be barricaded using round stone doors.

Narrow, winding ramps made enemy access difficult and were easy to defend.

The residents of underground cities probably cooked just once a day, after dark, so that smoke from their fires would not give away their location. Trash, human waste, and even dead bodies would have to be stored underground, at least for a time. It must have been a difficult life.