While Türkiye’s architectural marvels often evoke images of the soaring, majestic domes of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia or the intricate, azure-tiled walls of the Blue Mosque, the country’s most astonishing feats of engineering frequently lie completely hidden in plain sight. Beneath the unassuming terrain of the Sarayönü district in Konya lies a sprawling, subterranean labyrinth that completely redefines traditional concepts of ancient subterranean survival: Sarayini.
Dating back to the eighth century, this remarkable underground city spans an estimated 215,000 square feet of interconnected chambers, vaulted corridors, and multi-level workspaces. Excavations have officially cataloged more than 30 distinct rooms, complete with an exceptionally well-preserved, working wine press and passageways wide enough to rival prominent aboveground thoroughfares. While Türkiye is home to dozens of subterranean settlements, Sarayini stands out as one of the largest and most advanced complexes ever discovered in the region. Yet, historians and archaeologists emphasize that this was never intended to be a mere hiding spot for the destitute; rather, it was a masterclass in urban planning crafted for long-term survival, economic continuity, and community preservation.
What is Sarayini?
Carved deep into the bedrock beneath the modern-day Konya metropolitan area, Sarayini represents a complex architectural network of roughly 30 excavated chambers. Many of these spaces feature barrel-vaulted ceilings, seamlessly integrated chimneys, expansive storage rooms, dedicated cellars, and deep water wells designed to sustain a substantial population. According to historical analyses, this multilevel settlement was constructed primarily by local Christian communities seeking refuge from intense persecution under the Roman Empire and regional Muslim leaders.
Hasan Uğuz, a Konya Museums archaeologist who directed the site’s excavation phases, noted that archaeological teams working on-site were initially taken aback by the sheer scale of the settlement. Rather than uncovering a simple series of cramped caves, researchers found an expansive network featuring wide corridors so grand that field teams began referring to them as "main streets." Rather than resembling primitive, dark bolt-holes, the architecture inside Sarayini is frequently likened to underground palaces due to its spacious design and the remarkably high quality of life it was engineered to support.
"The name Sarayini essentially means ‘the palace cave,’" explains Davide Tanasi, an archaeologist, professor of history, and associate department chair at the University of Florida. "It is what 19th-century travelers and locals have always called it, because the architecture is so spacious. We imagine underground refuges as desperate places, and Sarayini turns that on its head with features like wide corridors, wine production, and water for thousands. Even in hiding, these people insisted on living well."
Among the most compelling indicators of this elevated lifestyle is the discovery of an elaborate winemaking facility. The installation features a polished marble grape-crushing basin complete with intact ancient grape seeds still resting in place, alongside meticulously carved stone channels designed to efficiently funnel fermented juice directly into secure storage cubicles. Furthermore, archaeologists have identified spaces designated as stables, demonstrating that livestock were sheltered alongside human residents during times of crisis. Small, rock-cut chapels have also been documented throughout the complex, highlighting the spiritual resilience of the inhabitants and proving that Sarayini was fully equipped to sustain comprehensive, daily societal functions rather than offering mere temporary shelter.
How was Sarayini built?
The creation of Sarayini was not a matter of conventional construction, but rather a monumental exercise in subtraction. "It was not ‘built’ so much as carved," Tanasi explains, noting that the city was meticulously chipped away from the bedrock over generations using simple picks, immense patience, and an exceptionally sophisticated understanding of geology. "Everything people needed came with them, such as wells, cisterns, ovens, kitchens, and workshops."
Much like Derinkuyu, one of Türkiye’s most famous subterranean cities, Sarayini relies on an intricate, multi-tiered network of vertical ventilation shafts and chimneys that ensure a steady, continuous circulation of fresh air even down to the deepest underground levels. This sophisticated excavation technique did not emerge in a vacuum. Konya is situated firmly in the heart of Anatolia, a geographical region with a deeply rooted, ancient history of subterranean architecture. Ancient civilizations that once dominated central Anatolia, including the Hittites and Phrygians, are credited with developing some of the region’s earliest known rock-cut chambers, establishing foundational engineering traditions that influenced later generations. By the time Byzantine-era populations expanded these subterranean networks, carving entire communities into soft volcanic tuff was already a well-established regional tradition.
"The engineering is remarkable," Tanasi adds. "These were not people cowering in a hole; they were running an economy underground."
How was Sarayini discovered?
Despite its vast proportions, Sarayini’s rediscovery owes less to high-tech prospecting and more to local oral history. "It was never really lost; this is a story about listening to people," Tanasi notes, explaining how elderly villagers recounted memories of exploring the dark, echoing tunnels as children and describing a massive underground city beneath their feet. Initially met with skepticism by visiting researchers, these local accounts ultimately proved to be remarkably accurate.
Systematic excavation work soon revealed that the site was exponentially larger than early preliminary estimates suggested. While initial assessments placed the discovered area at around 5,000 square meters, subsequent digging quickly expanded that figure to at least 20,000 square meters, equivalent to roughly 215,000 square feet. Subsequent employment of ground-penetrating radar further revolutionized the scope of the project, revealing an entirely separate underground city located just one kilometer north of Sarayini. This adjacent settlement is directly connected to Sarayini via tunnels and is anchored by a monumental cistern capable of supplying fresh drinking water to an estimated 20,000 people.
Excavations have yielded a variety of everyday artifacts, including animal bones, ceramic lamp stands, and distinct architectural features such as a column drum and a carefully positioned stone object resembling a tombstone. Because excavation work has been ongoing for only a few years, much of the wider region remains unexplored. The proximity of the newly discovered northern city has prompted archaeologists to investigate whether these distinct sites are actually part of one massive, continuous, and interconnected subterranean network rather than isolated enclaves—a revelation that could fundamentally alter how historians understand ancient settlement patterns across Anatolia.
Can you visit Sarayini?
At present, Sarayini remains closed to the general public. Because excavation efforts are actively underway, significant portions of the subterranean network remain unstable, unexcavated, or unsafe for unmonitored foot traffic. Researchers continue to map uncharted tunnels and chambers using advanced ground-penetrating radar, meaning tourism infrastructure has not yet been established.
Nevertheless, Sarayini is widely viewed as a prime candidate to eventually become one of Türkiye’s premier archaeological tourism destinations. While local cultural officials have expressed strong enthusiasm for opening the site to visitors eventually, no official timeline for public access has been announced.
"In the meantime, Cappadocia’s Derinkuyu underground city gives you a great taste of this Anatolian tradition," Tanasi suggests. "But keep an eye on Sarayini; it will be worth the wait."
