Özkonak Yeraltı Şehri

Özkonak Underground City is carved into the northern slope of İdiş Mountain, in the town of Özkonak about 14 kilometres from Avanos. According to the ministry's museum website, the settlement was cut into an area where layers of volcanic, granite-like tuff are especially thick. Lying north of the Kızılırmak, far from the big underground cities of southern Cappadocia, it offers a quieter visit. The underground city opened to visitors in 1972. English Wikipedia reports that it was found that same year by a farmer who wondered where the water he gave his field was disappearing to. The farmer is said to have first reached an underground room, and excavation later revealed a whole settlement. The age of the settlement is not known for certain. English Wikipedia writes that it was probably carved by the people of Byzantine Cappadocia, though it may be older. Turkish Wikipedia reports that the area passed from the Late Hittite period through Persian, Hellenistic and Roman rule. The sources also differ on the number of floors. The ministry describes the part open to visitors as two storeys, while English Wikipedia claims a larger total number of floors. The underground cities page of Derinkuyu Municipality notes that Özkonak has not yet been fully cleared and has been opened to visitors only as far as it has been cleaned. In other words, the part you see today is only a cross-section of a settlement that remains underground. When listing the main underground cities of Cappadocia, the same page names Özkonak alongside Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu and Tatlarin. The municipality stresses that such structures are unique to the geological formation of Cappadocia and that no similar examples are found in other regions. What sets Özkonak apart from the other underground cities is its defensive layout. The ministry specifically highlights the remarkable defensive techniques of this settlement. The floors are linked by long, narrow holes. English Wikipedia writes that this pipe-like system reached every floor and allowed communication between the levels during a siege. The same source reports that hot sand was poured on attackers through holes above the tunnels. The passages could be sealed from the inside with large rolling stones set into their sockets. Along the visitor route you can see one of these stones up close, together with the small passage beside it. Traces of daily life remain in every corner of the settlement as well. Stables, food stores, ventilation shafts, a water well and grape presses are the basic parts of the settlement. Turkish Wikipedia reports that part of the storerooms holds a large storage jar and a two-part press. The spaces are joined by short, low tunnels. So at some points you may need to stoop, and at others to turn sideways to get through. The steps and floors carved from tuff are uneven in places, so watch your footing. Because Özkonak is less crowded than the big underground cities, it is a place where you can study the settlement without hurrying. Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. The settlement is an archaeological site of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, so check current hours and admission on the official museum website. Özkonak is a short drive northeast of Avanos, and the underground city lies within the town. On the way back you can go down to Avanos for a walk along the Kızılırmak, or stop at the Sarıhan Caravanserai east of Avanos.