When travelers picture the architectural wonders of Türkiye, their minds often drift toward the soaring, majestic domes of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or the luminous azure tiles enveloping the historic Blue Mosque. These monuments stand proudly above ground, drawing millions of visitors from across the globe to admire their timeless beauty. Yet, some of the country’s most breathtaking and historically profound architectural achievements remain completely hidden from the casual observer, carved quietly into the ancient bedrock far beneath the surface.
Among these subterranean marvels is Sarayini, an astonishing underground city dating back to the eighth century. Spanning an estimated 215,000 square feet, this sprawling subterranean network consists of interconnected chambers, long corridors, and specialized workspaces. Located beneath the Sarayönü district within Türkiye’s Konya metropolitan area, the complex currently features over 30 documented rooms and counting. Complete with a remarkably preserved, fully functional wine press and a passageway wide enough to rival some above-ground streets, Sarayini represents a masterclass in ancient engineering and survival.
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. However, it was never constructed as a monument to luxury or imperial vanity. Instead, like many of its regional counterparts, it was meticulously crafted out of sheer necessity and the ultimate drive for human survival. As archaeological teams continue their painstaking work, the site is revealing new layers of history, offering profound insights into how past civilizations managed to thrive under extraordinary duress.
What is Sarayini?
Nestled beneath the modern-day landscape of the Sarayönü district in Konya, Sarayini is a complex labyrinth of subterranean architecture. The multilevel network features approximately 30 distinct chambers, several of which are crowned with elegant barrel-vaulted ceilings. The infrastructure is remarkably sophisticated, outfitted with strategically placed ventilation chimneys, extensive storage rooms, deep cellars, and functional water wells designed to sustain a population through prolonged periods of isolation.
The multilevel network reportedly dates back to the eighth century, constructed primarily by local Christian communities seeking refuge and protection from severe persecution by the Roman Empire and local Muslim leaders. Hasan Uğuz, a Konya Museums archaeologist who directed the site’s excavation efforts in 2023, noted that the archaeological teams working on-site were initially taken aback by the sheer scale of the settlement. They simply were not expecting the subterranean structure to cover such an expansive geographical footprint.
As excavation progressed, researchers uncovered numerous rooms and grand halls. One particularly wide and prominent passageway naturally earned the nickname "main street" among the local excavation crews and Turkish news outlets covering the discovery, including the Anadolu Agency. Rather than resembling the damp, cramped, and primitive caves one might typically imagine when discussing underground dwellings, the spaces within Sarayini have frequently been likened to underground palaces. Their spacious design and advanced amenities point to a surprisingly high quality of life that the subterranean network was engineered to support.
Davide Tanasi, an archaeologist, professor of history, and associate department chair at the University of Florida, sheds further light on the nomenclature and historical reality of the site.
"The name Sarayini essentially means ‘the palace cave,’" Tanasi explains. "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."
The on-site winery serves as one of the most compelling indicators of the lifestyle enjoyed within Sarayini. The installation features a polished marble grape-crushing apparatus, which researchers discovered with ancient grape seeds still resting in place. Grooved channels carved into the stone were thoughtfully designed to funnel fresh grape juice directly into designated storage cubicles.
Furthermore, archaeologists have identified spaces that appear to be ancient stables tucked among the excavated chambers. These areas were spacious enough to shelter livestock directly alongside the human residents, ensuring that essential agricultural assets remained protected during times of crisis. The presence of small chapels carved meticulously into the surrounding rock further underscores the cultural and spiritual dimensions of the community. It is details like these that demonstrate how Sarayini was genuinely built to sustain daily, organized life, rather than merely offering a temporary hiding spot from external threats.
How was Sarayini Built?
The creation of Sarayini required an immense amount of planning, labor, and geological expertise. As experts point out, the city was not constructed in the traditional sense using stacked masonry and mortar. Instead, it was subtractive architecture on a monumental scale.
"It was not ‘built’ so much as carved," explains Tanasi, "subtracted from the rock over generations, with picks, patience, and a very good understanding of the ground. Everything people needed came with them, such as wells, cisterns, ovens, kitchens, and workshops."
Much like Derinkuyu, one of Türkiye’s most famous and visited underground cities, Sarayini relies on an intricate network of vertical ventilation shafts. These chimneys ensure a steady, continuous circulation of fresh air, maintaining breathable conditions even in the deepest chambers of the subterranean complex.
This sophisticated rock-cutting technique did not emerge in a vacuum; it was the product of a long-standing regional tradition. Konya is situated squarely in the heart of Anatolia, a geographic region with an ancient and prolific history of underground construction. The Hittites and Phrygians, powerful civilizations that once dominated central Anatolia millennia ago, are credited with carving some of the earliest known rock-cut chambers in the area. Their advanced engineering traditions laid the groundwork for the structural techniques utilized by later generations. By the time populations were expanding and inhabiting Türkiye’s now-famous underground settlements during the Byzantine era, carving entire communities into soft volcanic rock, known as tuff, was already a deeply rooted and refined regional practice.
"The engineering is remarkable," Tanasi adds. "These were not people cowering in a hole; they were running an economy underground."
How Was Sarayini Discovered?
The unearthing of Sarayini is a testament to the value of oral history and community engagement. While academic researchers often rely on satellite imagery and historical texts, the rediscovery of this massive underground city began simply by listening to the local residents.
"It was never really lost; this is a story about listening to people," says Tanasi. "Village elders told the survey team they had explored the tunnels as children and described an enormous underground city. The archaeologists were skeptical, then realized at least half of it was true."
What followed was a systematic archaeological excavation that quickly revealed the site to be exponentially larger than initial estimates suggested. An early assessment mapping roughly 5,000 square meters quickly expanded to at least 20,000 square meters, translating to approximately 215,000 square feet. Subsequent surveys utilizing ground-penetrating radar revealed an entirely separate underground city located just one kilometer north of Sarayini. These two subterranean complexes are connected by a network of tunnels and center around a massive cistern capable of supplying water to an estimated 20,000 people.
"We did not think that it could spread over such a large area," Uğuz told the Anadolu Agency during the 2023 excavation phase. "During the surface surveys, the old men living here said that they had visited this place when they were children and that it was a very large underground city."
Excavation work at Sarayini has been ongoing for years. Many of the ancient underground cities unearthed across Türkiye have only recently been brought to light, and the vast majority remain partially unexplored. Among the items recovered during the excavations are animal bones, ancient lamp stands, and a unique room housing a column drum alongside an object positioned precisely like a tombstone.
Following the 2024 discovery of the neighboring underground city just a kilometer away, archaeologists are now actively investigating whether the wider region might conceal one continuous, interconnected subterranean network rather than a series of isolated sites. This ongoing inquiry could fundamentally reshape how historians understand settlement patterns and defensive architecture across the broader Anatolian landscape.
Can You Visit Sarayini?
For travelers hoping to explore Sarayini firsthand, access is currently not permitted. Active excavation work is still underway, and large portions of the subterranean site remain structurally unstable or only partially cleared of debris. Researchers continue to map uncharted sections using advanced ground-penetrating radar, meaning public tours are not yet a logistical reality.
Despite these current restrictions, Sarayini holds immense potential to become one of Türkiye’s premier archaeological tourism attractions. Local officials have expressed enthusiasm about the site’s future value to cultural heritage tourism, though no official timeline for public access has been announced by authorities.
"In the meantime, Cappadocia’s Derinkuyu underground city gives you a great taste of this Anatolian tradition," suggests Tanasi. "But keep an eye on Sarayini; it will be worth the wait."