Kaymakli Underground City

Kaymakli Underground City

The Kaymakli Underground City, located in the Cappadocia region, is a famous and beautiful destination, with approximately one million visitors every year. It is the largest underground city out of the 34 in the area and is considered a must-see attraction. The city was originally built by Early Christians in the early years of Christianity as a means of protecting themselves from the persecution of Roman soldiers. During this time, Paganism was the only recognized religion, and those who did not follow it were subjected to brutal persecution by the soldiers.

The Christians in Cappadocia discovered that living underground was a practical solution to protect themselves from the soldiers who were rounding up people and attacking their villages. Kaymakli Underground City is a vast and intricate maze constructed from tunnels and caves, and visitors can easily become lost in its extensive complex.

Kaymakli Underground City

Kaymakli is similar to other underground cities in terms of its structure, but its most impressive feature is its well-organized and thought-out design. The city comprises various amenities, including living rooms, sleeping quarters, stables, kitchens, storage sections, churches, and graveyards.

Kaymakli Underground City was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 and has been open to visitors since 1964. So far, levels 1-4 have been excavated, and the city's ventilation system ensured that every room had equal access to oxygen through air shafts on each level. There are 18 separate vents that provide ventilation for this 60-meter-deep cave city.

To visit Kaymakli Underground City, one can take public buses departing from Goreme bus station. First, visitors need to travel to the Nevsehir city center and then take a bus to Kaymakli town, which is 30 km away from Goreme. It takes over an hour to reach the underground city by public transportation. Guests staying in Urgup, Avanos, or Uchisar hotels must also travel to Nevsehir city center to find buses to the town. The admission fee for the underground city is 250 Turkish lira per person, and the GPS coordinates are 38°27'36.8″N 34°45'07.2″E.

We offer Private Kaymakli Underground City Tours for 90 Euro per person including professionally licensed English speaking guide, entrance ticket and transportation. We also have Small Group Highlights of Cappadocia Tour and Cappadocia Delight Tour visiting Kaymakli Underground City.