Kaymakli is the widest of Cappadocia's underground cities - a sprawling, mostly horizontal warren first cut into the soft tuff by the Phrygians (around the 8th-7th c. BCE) and enlarged by Byzantine Christians into a complete subterranean refuge. Of its eight known levels, four are illuminated and open to visitors, descending about 20 m past stables, communal kitchens blackened by soot, wine and oil presses, storage rooms, ventilation shafts and a small church, all linked by deliberately low, narrow tunnels that could be sealed with great rolling millstone doors. Far broader and less claustrophobic than deep, vertical Derinkuyu 10 km to the south, it could shelter several thousand people and their livestock during raids.
Highlights
- The widest of Cappadocia's underground cities, a burrow-like warren
- Kitchens blackened by ancient hearths beside a rock-cut church
- Folk tales of djinn burrowing rock without tools or light
- Great rolling stone doors said to have trapped treasure-seekers
- Galleries sprawling sideways along the weakest volcanic ash beds
At a glance
| Period | Phrygian origins (8th–7th c. BCE); expanded by Byzantine Christians (8th–10th c. CE) |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Summer 08:00–19:00 / Winter ~08:00–16:30 (verify before travel) |
| Valley | 1 — Rose Valley |
Before you go
Wider and less claustrophobic than Derinkuyu — the better choice if you dislike tight spaces. Allow ~45–60 min; constant ~13–15 °C.
Take care
- Stooping needed through low, narrow tunnels with steep worn steps
- Not one for the claustrophobic — keep with your group
- Small packs are far easier than large ones below
History
Known in antiquity as Enegüp, the settlement's first tunnels are attributed to the Phrygians of the 8th-7th centuries BC. Byzantine Christians enlarged the complex between the 6th and 10th centuries as Arab raids pressed into Anatolia, and a tunnel of several kilometres is said to link it with Derinkuyu. Villagers above continued using the cool chambers as cellars and stables into the 20th century; the city opened to visitors in 1964, within the landscape UNESCO listed in 1985.
Myth & legend
Folk belief once credited Kaymaklı's dim warren to giants, or to djinn said to burrow through rock needing neither tools nor light. Tales of treasure-seekers trapped behind the great rolling stone doors kept generations of villagers treading carefully above them.
Geology
Kaymaklı's tunnels thread through soft tuff laid down by the Central Anatolian volcanoes, the diggers following the weakest ash beds around harder masses, which is why its galleries sprawl sideways. Freshly cut tuff is easily worked but stiffens as it dries in the air, leaving stable ceilings that need no props.
Wildlife & nature
The village overhead sits among vineyards, apricot orchards and potato fields worked on rich volcanic soil, with swallows and house martins nesting over the lanes. Magpies and crested larks patrol the field edges, and the vine rows turn gold across the plateau through October.
The view
A broad, burrow-like warren rather than a deep shaft: low corridors open into surprisingly wide living quarters, kitchens blackened by ancient hearths and a rock-cut church.
Photography
Warm artificial lighting suits handheld shots at high ISO; frame the tunnel mouths and millstone doors for a sense of scale, and keep gear minimal in the low, narrow passages.
When to visit
Underground temperatures stay cool and constant the year round, making this a fine escape from summer heat; late morning is busiest with groups, and winter visits are pleasantly quiet.
Getting there
Kaymaklı village sits on the road between Nevşehir and Derinkuyu; dolmuş services from Nevşehir stop near the site, and most southern-loop tours from Göreme and Ürgüp include it.
Where to stay
Base yourself in Göreme, Ürgüp or Uçhisar for cave hotels and guesthouses; Kaymaklı is an easy half-day trip from central Cappadocia and has little visitor accommodation of its own.
Food & water
Stalls and small shops cluster by the village entrance and sell bottled water; carry only a small bottle below, as the tunnels demand both hands in places.
Safety
Like its sister city, Kaymaklı means stooping through low, narrow tunnels with steep worn steps — not for the claustrophobic, and small packs are easier than large ones. Follow the arrows and keep together. In an emergency dial 112.
Accessibility
Unsuitable for limited mobility: the four open levels are linked by low, sloping tunnels where even average-height visitors stoop, with steep steps and no step-free route.
Visitor tips
Follow the painted arrows, red heading in and blue heading out, to stay oriented; visit early, add Derinkuyu the same morning, and bring a light jumper for the constant underground chill.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
The lanes above you could belong to any Cappadocian village: vine rows and apricot trees, potato fields on rich volcanic soil, swallows and house martins cutting the air between the roofs. Yet the ground beneath those fields is hollow. This is Kaymaklı, the widest of Cappadocia's underground cities, and where its sister at Derinkuyu plunges, Kaymaklı sprawls. Its galleries spread sideways through the rock like the burrow of some enormous, patient animal, and four of its levels are open for you to walk. Known in antiquity as Enegüp, the first chambers here are credited to the Phrygians, nearly three thousand years ago. It was Byzantine Christians who turned that beginning into a city, enlarging the warren between the sixth and tenth centuries as raids pressed across Anatolia, until entire communities could withdraw underground with their animals and their harvest and simply wait for quiet. Villagers overhead went on using the cool chambers as cellars and stables into the twentieth century. The city opened to visitors in nineteen sixty-four, within the landscape UNESCO would list in nineteen eighty-five. Why does it sprawl rather than plunge? Because the diggers were reading the rock. This tuff was laid down in beds by the Central Anatolian volcanoes, some soft, some stubborn, and the miners followed the weakest ash seams and worked around the harder masses. Freshly cut tuff yields easily to hand tools, then stiffens as it meets the air, which is why these ceilings hold themselves up without a single prop. As you go down, read the rooms. Low corridors open without warning into surprisingly generous living quarters. Kitchens still carry ceilings blackened by ancient hearths. There are storage niches for grain and oil, stables, presses for wine and oil, and a church cut from the rock. Watch for the great millstone doors resting in slots beside the passages, discs of hard stone taller than a person, rolled across from within so that nobody outside could shift them, each level sealed on its own. Village tradition insists that a tunnel of several kilometres once ran from here to Derinkuyu. The people above never quite forgot what lay beneath their feet. Folk belief once credited this dim warren to giants, or to djinn who were said to burrow through solid rock needing neither tools nor light. Tales of treasure-seekers shut in behind those rolling stone doors kept generations of villagers treading carefully across their own fields. A few kindnesses before you descend. Follow the painted arrows, red heading in and blue heading out, and you will keep your bearings without effort. Bring a light jumper, because the rock holds one steady, cool temperature the year round, which is exactly why these depths served as larders in peaceful centuries as well as shelters in troubled ones. Keep your pack small, since there are places where you will want both hands. The tunnels are genuinely low, the steps steep and worn smooth, and if confined spaces unsettle you there is no shame at all in staying up in the daylight. When you climb back into the sun, linger a moment in the lanes. Crested larks along the field edges, magpies on the walls, vine rows turning gold through October: an ordinary, unhurried place. That was always the point. Everything below was made so that all of this above could carry on. Straighten your back, take a long breath of open air, and walk on.
Common questions
How old is Kaymaklı Underground City?
Kaymaklı Underground City dates from the Phrygian origins (8th–7th c. BCE); expanded by Byzantine Christians (8th–10th c. CE) period.
How do I get to Kaymaklı Underground City?
Kaymaklı village sits on the road between Nevşehir and Derinkuyu; dolmuş services from Nevşehir stop near the site, and most southern-loop tours from Göreme and Ürgüp include it.
What are the opening hours at Kaymaklı Underground City?
Summer 08:00–19:00 / Winter ~08:00–16:30 (verify before travel)
Is Kaymaklı Underground City accessible?
Unsuitable for limited mobility: the four open levels are linked by low, sloping tunnels where even average-height visitors stoop, with steep steps and no step-free route.
When is the best time to visit Kaymaklı Underground City?
Underground temperatures stay cool and constant the year round, making this a fine escape from summer heat; late morning is busiest with groups, and winter visits are pleasantly quiet.
Is there food and water at Kaymaklı Underground City?
Stalls and small shops cluster by the village entrance and sell bottled water; carry only a small bottle below, as the tunnels demand both hands in places.
Where can I stay near Kaymaklı Underground City?
Base yourself in Göreme, Ürgüp or Uçhisar for cave hotels and guesthouses; Kaymaklı is an easy half-day trip from central Cappadocia and has little visitor accommodation of its own.
What should I know before visiting Kaymaklı Underground City?
Follow the painted arrows, red heading in and blue heading out, to stay oriented; visit early, add Derinkuyu the same morning, and bring a light jumper for the constant underground chill.
Is Kaymaklı Underground City safe to visit?
Like its sister city, Kaymaklı means stooping through low, narrow tunnels with steep worn steps — not for the claustrophobic, and small packs are easier than large ones. Follow the arrows and keep together. In an emergency dial 112.
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