Rui Cenet takes the audience on a tour of Derinkuyu, the world's largest underground city, located in Türkiye near Cappadocia. The underground city was discovered in the 1960s and is believed to have been built in the 150s or 160s by early Christians who were persecuted by the Roman Empire.
The city is an impressive feat of engineering, with 18 stories, 85 meters deep, and a network of tunnels and rooms that could accommodate up to 20,000 people. The city had everything needed for survival, including ventilation systems, kitchens, stables, missionary schools, a church, and a burial room.
Rui Cenet explores the city's narrow tunnels, showing how the inhabitants used sliding doors, trap tunnels, and other defense mechanisms to protect themselves from enemies. He also visits the church, where Christians held secret meetings and prayed by candlelight.
The tour also includes the missionary school, where people were baptized and educated, and the barn, where animals were kept. Rui Cenet highlights the importance of preserving history and culture, as only 10% of the city can be explored, and the rest is still under research and prohibited from entry.
The video showcases the ingenuity and resilience of the early Christians who built this underground city, and Rui Cenet's enthusiasm and expertise bring the history to life.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The world's largest underground city is located in Derinkuyu, Türkiye, near Cappadocia.
2. The underground city was discovered in the early 1960s when a man was renovating his home.
3. The man found a mysterious room and tunnels that went deeper than he had imagined.
4. The underground city has houses, utility rooms, stables, missionary schools, a church, and a large burial room.
5. The city has ventilation rooms to provide air for the inhabitants.
6. The city can accommodate up to 20,000 people.
7. The inhabitants used a traditional Anatolian floor oven, called a tandoori, for cooking.
8. The city has a chimney to take away smoke from cooking.
9. People cooked at night to avoid being seen by enemies.
10. Not every family had their own kitchen, and they used a common area for cooking.
11. The city has rooms for storing food, such as barley or wheat.
12. Early Christians came to the region in the 2nd century and built the underground city to hide from danger.
13. The city was built in the 150s or 160s, shortly after the birth of Jesus.
14. The rocks used to build the city are volcanic formations that harden when they come into contact with air.
15. The city has a network of tunnels and rooms that are connected by ventilation shafts.
16. The city has a church with crosses carved on the walls and a long part of the cross.
17. The city has a room for graves, and the tunnel leads to a cemetery.
18. The inhabitants used chemicals to decompose bodies, as they could not burn them due to lack of ventilation.
19. The city has a water well that does not go outside, making the water safe to drink.
20. The city has a barn where animals were kept, and the animals were tied to small holes.
21. The city has a winery where people made wine by crushing grapes and collecting grape juice.
22. The city has a missionary school with a baptistery where babies were baptized, and people who converted to Christianity were also baptized.
23. The missionary school has classrooms and a hall where lectures were given.
24. Only 10% of the city can be explored, and research is still ongoing in other parts.
25. There are over 200 underground cities in the region, some of which are connected by tunnels.
26. The underground cities were used only for defense, and people did not live in them for years.