Cappadocia: Underground cities

Cappadocia is littered with underground towns. There are 44 which have been unearthed, and the chances are there are many still hidden. They range in size from villages to the largest, Derinkuyu, which is 10 storeys deep. The size reflects the size of the town which sits above, as these subterranean citadels were designed as hideaways from invaders. The population could spend anything up to two months hiding in a complex web of tunnels.

I visited Kaymakli, the second largest at five storeys deep, and the easiest to make your way around. You can move through it on a circular route, so you're less likely to run headlong into other tourists trying to crawl bent-double through the tunnels on their way back as you're heading in.

It's believed that the city was built in the 7th or 8th century, and could hold a mind-boggling 15-20,000 people. What initially seems to be a rabbit-warren of tunnels is actually a meticulously designed town with stables, kitchens, accommodation, a ventilation shaft, even a cemetery and a wine press. Punctuating the tunnels are vast stone wheels which could be rolled across openings to block invaders, should the city be discovered.

We had a real shock leaving the underground city. Having entered in bright sunshine we emerged into a flurry of snow - a rare sight at this time of year in Cappadocia!