Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu Underground City is a massive subterranean city in Nevsehir, Turkey, that was built by early Christians to escape religious persecution. The city has 8 levels and can accommodate up to 20,000 people, with amenities such as food and drink preparation areas, mass storage rooms, stables, wine presses, and a church. It was used as protection from Arab Muslims during the Arab-Byzantine wars and was also used by Christian natives as protection from the Mongolian incursions of Timur in the 14th century. The city was connected to other underground cities through miles of tunnels and was abandoned in 1923 when the Christian inhabitants of the region were expelled from Turkey. Today, it is a popular tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering an in-depth insight into the lives of the people who lived there