A man from Turkey in 1963 tore down the walls of his basement. Unexpectedly, this led to the discovery of an ancient underground city. This ancient underground city contains quite complete buildings, from schools, chapels to stables.
It is likely that the people in the area first used the building for storage purposes, keeping food at a cool and stable temperature. However, this could be the city they were in probably because this building was useful for defense.
This building is also very well designed. For example, those who live in the lower levels, are able to cut off the water supply to the upper and lower levels, preventing the enemy from poisoning their water supply. The tunnels could be blocked from the inside with round stone doors, and the passages were narrow.
Chances are, there have been several different communities that have taken refuge in this city over the centuries. The early Christians lived there, fleeing persecution from the Romans, while the Muslims used it for protection during the Arab-Byzantine wars of 780 and 1180.
"When news of the recent massacres came in Adana, most of the inhabitants of Axo took refuge in these crypts, and for several nights dared not sleep above ground," wrote Cambridge linguist Richard MacGillivray Dawkins of his visit.
That means, there is a high chance that the people who occupied this city at that time did not have a house on the ground. They tend to spend their time taking shelter in this underground city. Thus launched IFL Science, Thursday (19/5/2022).
