A man in Turkey removed a wall in his home's basement and discovered a pathway to the ancient city of Derinkuyu, which once housed thousands of people.
The world is filled with mystery and wonder. History is a fascinating subject. It's a topic that will keep even the most inquisitive minds busy and always searching for answers. There will always be more to learn and discover about the planet humans inhabit.
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The rediscovery of the ancient Turkish city of Derinkuyu took place in the 1960s following a strange situation involving chickens, according to Yahoo. The man noticed that his chickens were disappearing.
The barnyard animals were going in a spot that had opened following recent updates to his home. This move led to the homeowner having a wall removed in his basement. What he found behind the wall was a passageway to the city of Derinkuyu.
Before the rediscovery of Derinkuyu, "the largest underground city in the world," in 1960, had been abandoned for decades, since the 1920s, according to the BBC.
As many as 20,000 people are believed to have lived in the ancient city.
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After that first initial discovery in the 60s, others soon followed. The BBC points out that "more than 600 entrances" were later found "within private homes leading to the subterrestrial city of Derinkuyu."
Underground City Primarily Used For Safety, To Avoid Invaders
Additionally, teams found nearly two dozen tunnels in the underground city. Also, there were areas to store food, keep cattle, hold school and even a place for worship.
The BBC also mentioned safety as the reason for construction of the underground city in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. People likely ventured into Derinkuyu in order to avoid those people invading the Turkish region.
In fact, one documentary filmmaker, Ruhi Çenet speculates that the underground city, which was constructed and built about 150 years after the birth of Christ, likely aided in the expansion of Christianity.
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"The Roman Empire was idolaters and didn't want Christians back then," he said. "The empire was cruel towards them. So, those Christians came underground and protected their religion. Maybe, if these Christians hadn't survived here, Christianity might have never spread."
What a fascinating and magnificent discovery!
"Let your cry come to me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see great things and secret things of which you had no knowledge." – Jeremiah 33:3
WATCH: Documentary Filmmaker Explores Underground City
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h/t: Yahoo News, BBC & YouTube.com/ Discover with Ruhi Çenet
Featured Image Credit: YouTube.com/Discover with Ruhi Çenet