The 5,000-year-old city stretches 4.8 km underground in Türkiye.

The underground city consists of numerous tunnels and living quarters. Photo:Ancient Origins.

Workers discovered a 5,000-year-old underground city while investigating the cause of flooded houses in the central Nevşehir province of Turkey. The partially flooded city stretches for more than 4.8 kilometers. Preliminary exploration revealed the complex to consist of three levels with numerous tunnels, houses, and places of worship.

Earlier, residents of Çalış town, Avanos district, Nevşehir prefecture, complained about unexplained flooding. During an inspection, a team of workers opened a tunnel that had been sealed for decades for safety reasons. Upon entering, they discovered an underground city. The city's rooms were located directly beneath the flooded houses. In the area, they found a small human statue.

Nevşehir Province is located in the Nevşehir region. Photo:Ancient Origins.

According to Kazım Yılmaz, the mayor of Çalış town, archaeologists will have to work to determine the exact origin and size of the underground city. But those who lived there in the past say the underground city covers approximately 1,036 square kilometers.

Locals used to use the underground areas of the city as shelters for livestock before the 20th century. About 25 years ago, a child fell into the tunnel, leading to the city's entrance being sealed off to prevent similar accidents from happening again.

Nevşehir province is home to many long-lost underground cities. Located in the Cappadocia region, Nevşehir is formed from soft volcanic rock, making it easy for ancient people to carve houses from the rock to protect themselves from the elements. Over time, these houses expanded into large cities.

The most famous underground city in the region is the Derinkuyu Caves, discovered in the 1960s. Archaeological research indicates that the deepest underground city in Cappadocia may have housed 20,000 people.