Kaymakli Things to Do

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The above ground (derelict looking) houses in the village were constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. We were told that all the homes were connected to the underground cities with a tunnel. Some of the tunnels are still used today as storage areas, stables, and cellars.

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Kaymakli is one of the largest underground settlements in the Cappadocia area. It consist of eight floors in total, however you can only visit four of the floors provided you are not clostophobic, asphmatic or have any heart diseases. The tunnels are very low and in places you have to walk bended, they are narrow, and steeply inclined. As you enter the city, you find yourself in the stable which is located on the first floor.

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Although this underground city goes 7 floors down the visitor is allowed to visit the 4 of them. Have in mind that in some parts you have to duck down because some tunnels between the rooms are lower than a meter! Some tall people had some pain in their back after that! The rooms are big enough though even with more than 10 people inside but if you are tall maybe you will feel uncomfortable in some parts. Of course, if you have claustrophobia the visit to the underground city is a no-no!

It’s easy to loose your self inside but don’t worry there are signs everywhere that showing you the way with blue and red arrows.

If you have a good guide with you will learn many things about the life here, where they stored supplies, what they do without a WC etc

There were living more than 5000 people inside here! The city was built by troglodytes during the Hittite period in the first place and then the Christians used them to hide from the Arabs.

What I really liked was the big millstone doors that used for protection. They used to control access and they have a small hole in the middle for attacking the intruders.
I was surprised also from some big rocks (pic 1)(probably a meteor) that were moved inside the city and they were used for putting several different things on it because of the hollowness on them!
Check the different rooms, kitchens, dinning halls, churches inside the city. The churches don’t have any frescoes of course but you will see curved crosses etc (pic 2)

The entrance fee is 15YTL(9euro) but it will probably included in your daily tour price because most of them have Kaymakli in one of their daily tours. It is open daily, 8:00-17:30.

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The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. When there wasn't any danger the people living on the ground in case of the danger have hidden in the underground cities.

For this reason all the homes at that time were connected to the underground cities with a tunnel. The tunnels are still used today as storage areas, stables, and cellars.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Kaymakli on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 27' 36.45" N 34° 45' 10.17" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Kaymakli village.

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Kaymakli is one of the largest underground settlements in the region. The tunnels are low, narrow, and steeply inclined. Of the four floors open to tourists (there are eight floors in total), each space is organized around ventilation shafts.
A stable is located on the first floor.

To the left of the stable is a passage with a millstone door. The door leads into a church. To the right of the stables are rooms, possibly living spaces.
Located on the second floor is a church with a nave and two apses. Located in front of the apses is a baptismal font, and on the sides along the walls are seating platforms.

The third floor contains the most important areas of the underground compound: storage places, wine or oil presses, and kitchens.
On the forth floor, there are some more wineries and grape storages. A long gallery leads people to the communal kitchen.

Learn more wiki/Kaymakli.

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From my photo's you will notice the floors below and the staircases that you have to use to get from one storey to the next. I wonder if they had similar staircases in the old days?