# Sarayini: Türkiye's Advanced Underground City

Exploring the eighth-century marvel beneath Konya.

- **Source:** [Architectural Digest](https://brifing.si/source/d2a803b5-44d1-459b-8d0d-ae4594d3d9a4)
- **Published:** 2026-09-23
- **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business)
- **Original article:** <https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-underground-city-in-türkiye-is-one-of-the-worlds-largest-and-most-advanced>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/5b2849f3-ff17-497d-bc2a-589fd26886bc

## Historical Significance

Sarayini, an underground city in Konya, Türkiye, dates back to the eighth century. Spanning approximately 215,000 square feet, it features interconnected chambers, corridors, and workspaces. Built by local Christians, it served as a refuge from Roman and Muslim persecution. The city’s advanced design includes a wine press and wide passageways, showcasing its functionality and sophistication.

## Architectural Marvel

Sarayini’s architecture includes 30 rooms with barrel-vaulted ceilings, chimneys, storage rooms, cellars, and wells. The city’s layout supports a high quality of life, with features like a marble grape-crushing installation and grooved channels for wine production. These details reveal a community designed for sustained daily living, not just temporary shelter.

## Excavation Discoveries

Excavations led by archaeologist Hasan Uğuz have uncovered a labyrinth of corridors and galleries. Findings include stoves, cellars, and storage areas, providing insights into daily life. Ground-penetrating radar revealed an additional underground city one kilometer north, connected by tunnels and centered on a large cistern.

## Cultural Insights

Sarayini’s design reflects the engineering traditions of ancient Anatolian civilizations like the Hittites and Phrygians. The city’s spacious corridors, wine production facilities, and water systems challenge the perception of underground refuges as primitive. This advanced infrastructure highlights the ingenuity of its builders.

## Economic Activities

Evidence of a winery and stables indicates that Sarayini supported economic activities. The marble grape-crushing installation and grooved channels suggest organized wine production. Livestock shelters and storage areas further demonstrate the city’s self-sufficiency and economic complexity.

## Ventilation Systems

Sarayini relies on a network of ventilation shafts to maintain air circulation throughout its chambers. This system, along with chimneys and wells, ensured a comfortable living environment. Such features underscore the city’s advanced engineering and planning.

## Future Exploration

Archaeologists are investigating whether Sarayini and nearby underground cities form a continuous network. This discovery could reshape understanding of Anatolian underground settlements. Excavation continues, with new sections being mapped using ground-penetrating radar.

## Tourism Potential

While Sarayini is not yet open to the public, it holds significant tourism potential. Local officials anticipate it becoming a major draw, similar to Cappadocia’s Derinkuyu. Ongoing excavation and stabilization efforts are required before public access can be granted.

## Sources covering this story

- https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/this-underground-city-in-türkiye-is-one-of-the-worlds-largest-and-most-advanced — 

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._