Archaeologists excavate a ridiculously huge underground ancient city in Turkey

The underground city
(Image credit: Twitter/Hurriyet Daily News)

Archaeologists in Turkey are hard at work — they're excavating an entire city that was discovered underground in 2014. Construction crews made the shocking discovery while working on a project for Turkey's Housing Development Administration.

The mysterious city, which includes 11 neighborhoods, lies beneath central Anatolia's Nevsehir province and is filled with caves, tunnels, and even churches. Archaeologists believe the city is around 5,000 years old.

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The archaeologists think the city's tunnels were used for transporting agricultural items. They have taken 44 objects from the underground city for preservation.

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After measuring the exact locations of the city's chambers and passages with geo-radar machines, they will open the city to the public. When the restoration work is complete, Nevsehir will build a museum, art galleries, and even hotels in the underground city, Nevsehir Mayor Hasan Unver told Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.