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The Underground City of Kaymakli is the widest underground city of the Cappadocia region. This was primarily used by early Christian refugees who wanted to escape the terrors brought forth by the Romans, pagans, and Arab invaders. The houses in the village were constructed around the city and the settlers linked their houses to almost one hundred tunnels of the underground city. The tunnels are still used today as storage areas, cellars and stables. Eight stories deep, the Kaymakli underground city can house thousands of villagers. For months, they hide within the depths of this underground city.
At present, only one stable can be seen at the first floor. However, research shows that the top floor primarily served as stables for various domestic animals. There is also a passage with a millstone door that leads to a church. There are also rooms near the stable, possibly used as hiding places. At the second floor, there are also some living quarters, a Christian Church and a cemetery. The third and fourth floor clearly showed the distinct lifestyle of "cave dwellers." There are communal kitchens, deep water wells, storage places, millstones, wineries, wine cellars, grape storages, and wide areas where meetings and ceremonies are said to be held. To provide air and space for the entire city, a vertical ventilation shaft, about 120 meters deep, passes all eight floors like an elevator.
Opened to the public since 1964, only four out of eight floors are open to tourists.
