Kaymaklı Underground City Archaeological Site

Address: Kaymaklı Mah., Kaymaklı, Nevşehir, Turkey

Website: https://kulturvarliklari.gov.tr/

Hours: Daily 8:00am-7:00pm (seasonal hours may vary)

Admission: ~50 TRY (~$3) for site entry; reduced rates for students/seniors

Kaymaklı Underground City is a carved subterranean settlement in Cappadocia, Nevşehir Province, Turkey, notable for its multi-level tunnel system and extensive rooms. It is one of the region’s large underground complexes used historically as refuge and long-term shelter.

The complex consists of a series of connected floors reaching roughly 60 metres down in places, with eight documented levels and multiple communal rooms. Public access is usually limited to the upper levels; visitors encounter kitchens, stables, storage rooms, cellars and small chapels connected by narrow tunnels.

The city was expanded and used during late antiquity and the Byzantine period as a defensive refuge from raids and persecution, with local communities living underground for extended periods when necessary. Its plan reflects deliberate engineering - ventilation shafts, rolling stone doors and storage suites are all evident.

Kaymaklı lies in the Cappadocia region of central Anatolia, in Nevşehir Province, a short drive from the town of Kaymaklı and roughly 20 kilometres south of the provincial centre Nevşehir.

• Structure: Carved into local volcanic tuff with eight constructed floors and several more levels estimated below ground; four levels are commonly open to visitors.
• Visitor note: Passages are narrow and uneven and the site has limited mobility access - wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for stooping in places.

What to See#

• Underground levels: Complex of connected carved levels running vertically under the town of Kaymaklı; passages link rooms used historically for living, storage and work.
• Stables and storage areas: Large spaces originally used for stables and stores, often identifiable by low-feeled doorways and wide vaults for animals and grain.
• Chambers, kitchens and ventilation shafts: Small chapels, communal kitchens and ventilation shafts dispersed through the city; several shafts provide the main natural airflow.

Kaymakl is about 20 km south of Nevşehir and 130 km from Kayseri. From Nevşehir or Ürgüp, regional minibuses (dolmuş) and tourist shuttles run regularly; many visitors include Kaymakl on a day tour of Cappadocia. By car, follow signs from the Nevşehir-Kayseri road; parking is available near the entrance.

• Enter via the village road from Tuzköy to avoid the busiest tourist buses; the ticket office is outside the complex.
• Wear trousers and carry a small torch for the narrow, low-ceilinged tunnels - some passages require stooping and footing is uneven.
• Visit the open-air restaurant in the adjacent village for gözleme - local lavash and tea are good post-visit comforts.