Aziz Mercurius Yeraltı Şehri ve Kilisesi

Underground City and Church of Saint Mercurius

Useful Information

Location:	Saratlı town. 50 km from Nevşehir, 22 km from Aksaray. (38.451211, 34.231508)
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Classification:	Underground City
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Address:	Aziz Mercurius Yeraltı Şehri, Saratlı Köyü Yolu, 68900 Saratlı/Gülağaç/Aksaray,
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History

Description

photography — Underground City, Cappadocia, Turkey. Public Domain.

Aziz Mercurius Yeraltı Şehri ve Kilisesi (Underground City and Church of Saint Mercurius) was named after Saint Mercurius. Mercurius (225-250 AD) was a Roman soldier who was exiled to Cappadocia by the Roman Emperor after he declared that he was a Christ. The entrance of the city is located inside an inn named Develik, dating back to the Seljuk period.

The city has seven levels, the upper three are open for the public. The church of this underground city is much bigger than in other cities. It was used as a burial place, as numerous graves of children and adults were discovered. During the excavation the skeletal remains were discovered. One grave was special as a man and a woman were buried in the same grave, one above the other.

A room named Develi Dam is also called a mausoleum. The adjacent room contains a duck or swan engraved into the wall.