Mucur Yeraltı Şehrivisitor guide.

Serving as an archaeological site allocated to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and affiliated with Kırşehir Museum, Mucur Underground City was officially registered as a 1st Degree Archaeological Conservation Site by decision no. 457 of the Kayseri Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation Regional Board on 22.07.1989. The underground city is located in the very center of Mucur District in Kırşehir Province, situated 20 km from Kırşehir along the main transit highway connecting Ankara and Kayseri. While underground cities of this unique character are recognized to have been excavated by early Christians during the Early Christian Period (3rd–4th centuries AD) in order to seek sanctuary and protection against persecuting pagan Roman emperors, they were likewise heavily utilized in the Middle Byzantine Period (8th–9th centuries AD) for defense against devastating Arab incursions. Carved entirely out of volcanic tuff bedrock across two subterranean levels, our underground city consists of residential rooms, assembly chambers, and grand halls interconnected by narrow corridors, with ventilation provided by vertical air chimneys. Chambers: Currently, 42 rooms of the underground city are open to visitation, and large storage jars and water pithoi embedded directly into the rock floors catch the eye in virtually every chamber. Water wells and wall niches are found throughout the rooms. In particular, numerous niches in one circular chamber strongly suggest its use as a small subterranean place of worship. Corridors: Narrow and low-ceilinged passageways constructed for moving from one space to another have heights of roughly one and a half meters and widths ranging between half a meter and one meter. The purpose of constructing passageways so low and constricted was to block and halt enemy attacks during hostile raids. Furthermore, massive circular rolling millstone door locks designed to seal off corridors, main passages, and private compartments are remarkably preserved. Ventilation Shafts: Five shafts currently open today are vertical air conduits reaching the surface to fulfill ventilation and oxygen needs underground. The portion currently open to visitors represents only a small section of a vast subterranean settlement sprawling beneath the modern town of Mucur. DOWNLOAD MUSEUM BROCHURE NEARBY MUSEUMS KAMAN KALEHÖYÜK ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM KIRŞEHİR MUSEUM