Konya's Ancient Mystery: Oymalı Underground Cities

The underground cities located within the boundaries of Oymalı Village and Akören in the Karapınar District of Konya continue to preserve their mysteries.

Karacadağ is an extinct volcano, and 36 independent underground cities have been created in the region by carving into the granite-based tuff layers and limestone bedrock.

Inside these underground cities, there are various facilities such as churches, cisterns, stables, dungeons, rooms, galleries, and ventilation shafts.

Some of the galleries are well-like in shape, with niches on the sides for placing feet. A pulley system was installed here to lower children and belongings, and the world's first elevator was built. These galleries were designed for defensive purposes and are sized to accommodate a single person.

In the outdoor areas, you can see churches, evidence of daily life, and vineyard structures in the vicinity. These underground cities were built on a winemaking system plan (pressing, resting, draining, and storage), similar in purpose to the underground cities in Cappadocia, and they are contemporary in nature. Archaeological excavations are ongoing in the underground cities of Karacadağ with the same purpose in mind.

Believed to date back to the 7th century AD, the underground city was used for defensive purposes during the Roman and Byzantine periods, for military purposes by the Seljuks, and as a storage facility during the Ottoman period. Similar to the underground cities in Ürgüp and Göreme, this underground city was constructed during the same period. Once the necessary excavation and lighting work is completed, it will become one of the world's largest underground cities.