The ancient city, christened as Derinkuyu, indeed stretched an astonishing 280 feet beneath the Earth’s surface. The sprawling labyrinth of tunnels and cavernous dwellings once sheltered a staggering population of 20,000 people. This revelation left Murat reeling, the magnitude of his discovery becoming ever more profound with each passing day.

As per the Turkish Department of Culture, this subterranean marvel was the work of the Phrygians, constructed during the eighth to seventh centuries BC, with its first mention in written text dating back to 370 BC.

Derinkuyu bore the marks of millennia, initially serving as a storage facility before transitioning into a refuge for its inhabitants, shielding them from invasions and conflicts. The city’s multifaceted history only deepened Murat’s fascination, unveiling a tapestry of human resilience and ingenuity etched into the cold, stone walls.