Man finds huge ancient underground city beneath his house

Most people have certain things they’re looking for when it comes to buying a new house, whether it’s a garden, a spare bedroom or a downstairs loo – but most people don’t stipulate that their new property has to be a secret entrance to an ancient underground city.

That’s exactly what happened to one person, though, who discovered something truly remarkable hidden under his property.

A Turkish man back in 1963 kept noticing his chickens disappearing from his basement. He explored the space and inadvertently ended up finding a hidden passage to a vast underground network of rooms and tunnels.

It turns out he’d discovered the ancient underground city of Elengubu which was once home to around 20,000 people. The city was used predominantly between the 15th century BCE and the seventh century BCE.

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It was an important historical discovery, given that the city had been thought lost since last being occupied in the 1920s.

Inside the Underground City once Housed 20,000 People: Derinkuyuwww.youtube.com

As an archeological site, it’s remarkable. The city of Elengubu, now known as Derinkuyu, is thought to be the biggest of its kind ever excavated.

Over the years the city has been studied and many public areas including schools, barns, churches and even graveyards have been discovered.

The area is a hot bed of finds like these, with over 200 smaller cities also discovered around it.

Experts Made In Turkey said [via LADbible]: “Despite the disagreement on the architects of the town, there is a general consensus that the underground metropolis served to hide its inhabitants from their enemies.

“This purpose was especially crucial during the Byzantine period when Christians were fleeing from their Roman persecutors.

“When the Christians got to Cappadocia and discovered the city, they expanded and modified its existing structures by adding churches, schools, wineries, and other chambers that suited their needs.

“It is estimated that Derinkuyu could sustain up to 20,000 inhabitants and their animals at a go.”

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