Shepherds have discovered an ancient underground city in central Turkey and tourists could soon be able to visit it.
The incredible city was uncovered in Turkey’s Kayseri province by researchers who have been cataloguing the underground settlements in the area since 2014.
They were told about the cave’s existence by locals in the Gesi district and what they found was pretty outstanding.
The cave, named the Belagasi Underground City, contains 52 chambers, is 80 metres in length, and authorities are now planning on opening it up for tourists to visit.
Chambers aren’t all that’s been discovered however, as a church and other buildings have also been found on the mountainside. Shedding some light on city’s origin, the Obruk Cave Research organisation has said, “There are many underground cities that were built by Christian peoples, especially between the 6th and 11th centuries.”
It is the largest system in the area with its 50 plus chambers and it is thought that they could have served a similar purpose as the nearby underground cities in Cappadocia where Christians used them as a means to escape persecution.
It truly is a fascinating discovery, and would be a quite marvellous sight to see when on a solo holiday in the country.
Turkey is home to many fascinating historical sites; such as Ephesus, an ancient Greek city southwest of the present day Izmir province, and the site of the legendary city of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the province of Çanakkale.
Image Credit: MusikAnimal
