Derinkuyu – Ancient Multi-Level Underground City

Deriinkuyu Underground City is an ancient multi-level underground city of the Median Empire in Derinkuyu district in Nevsehir Province in the Central Anatolia region Turkey.

As per the census of 2010, the population of the district was 22,114 out of which 10,679 lived in the town of Derinkuyu.

 The district covers an area of 445 km2 and the average elevation of the district is 1,300 metres, the highest point being Mt. Ertas at 1,988 metres.

The historical region of Cappadocia where Derinkuyu is placed, comprises of various historical underground cities which have been carved out of a unique geological formation that were not generally occupied and is now a major tourist attraction.

It extends to a depth of approximately 60 metres and was huge enough to shelter around 20,000 people with their food stores and livestock and is also one of the largest excavated ground city in Turkey.

More than 200 underground cities of at least two levels deep have been discovered in the areas between Kayseri and Nevsehir with 40 of which have been of at least three levels and the troglodyte cites at Derinkuyu and Kaymakli are the two best examples of the underground cities.

Carved out of Unique Geological Formation 

The underground cities and structures which have been carved out of unique geological formation may have been used as hiding places at the time of raids.

There are around 600 outside doors to the city which are hidden in the courtyards of surface dwellings and the underground city is 85 meters deep containing the usual rooms which is normally found in an underground city, with cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, stables and lot more.

Besides these, a large room with barrel vaulted ceiling on the second floor was a missionary school while the room to the left was used as the study room.

From the third and the fourth floors onwards the descent of vertical staircases lead to cruciform plan church to the lowest floor.

A ventilation shaft of 55 meters deep was also used in these underground dwellings and at least 15,000 ventilation ducts to provide fresh air deep within the underground cities were discovered.

Most of the floors were not provided with water wells up to the surface in order to guard them from being poisoned at the time of raids.

Protection for Attacks

The large network of passages, stepped pits, tunnels and corridors linking family rooms and communal places lead to places to meet, work and worship.

These underground dwellings were complete with chimneys for air circulation, niches for oil lamps, wells, water tanks, as well as areas to place the dead temporarily till a suitable place for burial was found.

They also had carefully balanced moving stone doors; resembling mill stones that were constructed to quickly block the corridors in case of any incidents of attacks which only operated from one side.

From observation, it is unlikely that these underground cities could have been intended for permanent dwelling or long stays but built to safeguard from attacks which could accommodate large numbers of people with their livestock for a long period of time.

The Sacred mean Phi

Numbers and Proportions – Divine Importance & Significance

Various cultures all over the world have seen the way nature has used number and proportion in the material form and these cultures were discovered in certain and exact set of numbers and proportions.

For the ancient people it seemed to be unclear that this set of numbers and proportion could have some significance or even possess a divine importance while the modern people would have no problem explaining the coincidence with logic or with scientific reasoning.

The ancient culture that discovered nature’s use of number did not have the need to explain things and left their minds open to the mysterious of nature’s love of geometry. Looking into the vast amount of information which has been collected on extensive number of forms where nature has adopted the proportion of Phi, it is observed that there is no other specific number which recurs through life with such regularity on earth.

For long, human beings realised that certain numbers, ratios and shapes had sacred significance like the number `7’ which has great significance in different aspects of various cultures, where geometric shapes were connected with numbers. The Fibonacci series and the Golden Ratio continue to be instrumental in everything from Music to Art.

Sacred Geometry – Complex System

Sacred geometry considered as a worldview of pattern recognition is a complex system of religious structures and symbols which involves time, form and space and according to this, the basic pattern of existence are considered to be sacred.

On researching into the nature of these patterns, forms as well as the relationships with their connections, understanding can be dawned into the mysteries, the lore and the laws of the universe.

The sacred meanings and symbols are also connected to certain geometric shapes, numbers and geometric ratios or proportions.

In the ancient times, certain numbers had some symbolic meanings attached to them, besides counting or calculating.

Most of the figures in geometry, like the polygons, hexagons, triangles, squares etc. were all related to numbers where square for instance related to four sides, triangle to three angles, etc.

Number Seven – Sacred Meaning to Geometric Number

Attaching sacred meanings to geometric number, one will find the number seven occurring consistently in diverse cultures all over the globe and religious and mythologies of the world consider seven as sacred.

An example is the pyramids of Egypt where the shape of the pyramid arrives at the number seven by connecting the three sided triangle and the four sided square.

The seven musical notes in a scale in music, repeat at the octave, then there are seven virtues and seven deadly sins in the Christian Church, seven heavens and seven earths in the Islamic tradition, seven terraces of purgatory in the Roman Catholic beliefs,seven steps taken by Buddha at the time of his birth, seven worlds in the Hindu universe, seven branched Jewish menorah which is the oldest symbol in Judaism.

As per some beliefs, the human body needs seven energy vortices which are known as chakras in order to be open to spiritual growth, wherein one moves focus from the three lower physical chakras to the four higher spiritual point.Moreover, seven was also connected with growth wherein a phenomenon needed to be completed in seven stages like in the Bible where God created the universe in Seven Days

The Sword of Damocles – A Greek Legend

The Sword of Damocles, an object in the Greek legend has been designated to portray the dangers of being in authority. As per the legend, Damocles was a courtier in the palace of King Dionysius II ruling Syracuse, a city of Magna Graecia, which was the Greek area of southern Italy, during the fourth century BCE.

Like several other couriers, Damocles would always flatter the king with the hope that he would one day gain great power in his court. Dionysius II was a very wealthy man with all the luxuries that money could buy and even engaged court flatterers to boost his ego, one of them being Damocles.

Damocles would often make comments to the king with regards to his luxurious and wealthy life Eventually, the king tired of his constant flattery, on one occasion asked Damocles if he would be interested in switching places with him, in order to see what it would be like to be in that position as a ruler for a day, to which Damocles readily agreed.

Damocles to Experience the Life of a King for a Day 

Dionysius then ordered for the preparation to be made for Damocles to experience what the life as a king would be like for him. Dionysius gave orders that Damocles be placed on a golden couch which was covered with the most splendid woven rug and embroidered with beautiful works.

 He had the sideboards adorned with several chased gold and silver and gave orders that boys of outstanding beauty should attend to him and be at his beck and call. He was surrounded with perfumes burning, with unguents and garlands, along with tables which were piles with all the variety of most of the selected food.

In the midst of this luxurious surrounding, Dionysius had ordered that a shining sword fastened by a horse hair be suspended which could be let down so that it hung over the neck of the fortunate man.

Damocles enjoyed himself immensely in this position until he noticed the sharp sword which was hovering over his head, suspended by the hair of a horse from the ceiling and this was explained to Damocles of what life was all about being a ruler.

Dionysius Conveyed a Message 

Damocles was alarmed and afraid and neither looked at the waiters attending to him nor the silver works or the array of dishes placed before him at the table and lost interest in all that was prepared for him and begged the king to be allowed to depart from the position he had agreed to.

He then realised that he was better off with his original way of life and no longer wanted to be fortunate like the king with his wealth and power but preferred to return to his poor but a secured way of life.Dionysius had managed to convey a sense of constant fear which great men live when placed in high position.

Often as humans we tend to be dissatisfied with our own way of life. This legend conveys a reminder to us that for a powerful man, there always seems to be a danger where happiness is scarce.

Theologia Germanica

Theologia Germanica – Written during the Reign of Avignon Papacy 

The Theologia Germanica known also as Theologia Deutsch or Teutsch or Der Franckforter is presumed to be written around 1350 by an anonymous author and as per the introduction of the Theologia, it seemed that the author was a priest who was a member in the house of the Teutonic Order, living in Frankfort, Germany. It was written during the troublesome reign of the Avignon Papacy from 1309-1378, where numerous clerics were refrained from performing Catholic rites due to the power struggle between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.

This resulted in the lay groups of pious people such as the `Friends of God’, led by Dominicans, John Tauler and Blessed Henry Suso, becoming very prominent during this period and the author seemed to be associated with the Friends of God. Though speculation of the author went on, it was discovered and published by Martin Luther in the year 1516 and on his discovery, Luther declared that next to the Bible and St. Augustine, he had not found any other book from which he had learnt more of God and Christ and man and all things.

Most Influential and Widely Read

Luther had produced two editions of the text in 1516, a partial text without a tile and another in 1518 with a title `Eyn deutsch Theologia’ and his input further enhanced the books’ continuous appeal with repeated publication. The Theologia Germanica was most influential and widely read and continuously published German religious text during the Middle Ages. The book urges Christians to follow the path of Christ, by detaching the life of selfishness, licentiousness and sin.

 It is a belief that when one allows the divine light of God to penetrate our daily activities,Gods becomes our guide directing our will with His Perfect Will. The Theologia Germanica was written within the framework of Christian tradition though the author’s spiritual advice is conveyed to Christians of all denominations and this would aid those who wholeheartedly tend to live a righteous life on earth. Only eight manuscripts of the Theologia Germanica survive till date which comes from the second half of the fifteenth century. Hence it was not widely disseminated before it drew the attention of Martin Luther who is credited in giving the treatise it modern name.

Focused on Latin Christianity

Written more than a century before Luther’s time, the theology is focused on the Latin Christianity of the Rhineland and appears in several editions and languages during its six hundred years old history which has taken its place alongside the Imitation of Christ in the literature of devotion.

Based on the Wurtzburg Manuscript, discovered in the nineteenth century, Susanna Winkworth translated the full version of the Theologia Germanica and the first publication of her translation in 1854 included additional passages which were not found in the editions that were made popular by Martin Luther. The syntax and the grammar of Susanna Winkworth’s original translation has been preserved from the German manuscript creating an edition which is true to the composition of the original translation while at the same time providing a modern and easy text reading.

Cup and Ring Mark; A Prehistoric Art

The term Cup and ring mark or carvings are a range of rock carved symbols, which have been considered as a prehistoric art that have been found mainly in northern England and Scotland though similar types of these carvings have also been found in other locations all across the world.

The carvings in Britain are estimated to be around 4000 to 5000 years old dating them back to the Neolithic and the Bronze era.

The best known examples are at Balnachraig – Kilmartin Glen, Argyll, Beauly near Iverness and Dalgarven Mill near Kilwinning. Cups and ring marks had been sculpted in local stone slabs some of which were quite basic with primitive decorations while others were made with great precision and style.

Most of them have concentric rings like ripples on water. Some examples are of portable rock art where cup and rings marks have been carved on huge stones which are movable.

The carvings generally occur as circular hollows which are cut into rock surfaces like cup marks and these are either single or in groups. The cup mark is surrounded by a circular channel like cup and ring mark and these too appear as single or multiple rings. There are also complex designs which involve cups, cups and rings together with grooved channels which are linked or enclosed parts of the design.

Cup and Ring Mark Symbols Pecked on Surface with Pointed Tools

These descriptions cover most of Britain’s rock carving though other types of motifs also exist like the spiral channels, cups in rosette patterns, ladder, chevron channels, grid and comb like motifs.

On close observation of un-eroded carvings, it shows that the symbols were pecked on the surface of the rock with the use of a pointed tool of around 0.5 cm in diameter with the possible use of a metal, flint and deer antler, as tools materials.

Archaeologists have carved a new cup and ring which has been created with the use of a deer antler pick where the stone has now been put on display in the Manor House museum, Ilkley, West Yorkshire and the modern carving also portrays how the symbols would stand out against the darker rock surface when they were first carved.

The Meaning and Purpose of Cup and Ring Mark Symbols – A Mystery

Presently the meaning and purpose behind the symbols is not known while several theories have been suggested though no valid reasoning has emerged.

Most of the rock carvings are placed close by or incorporated in cairns and burial mounds indicating that the symbols in some way could be connected with burial practices and possible beliefs with regards to ancestors and an afterlife.

Moreover, the symbols were also found carved on standing stone as well as at stone circles presuming that these places could have been used for religious as well as ritual purposes during that time.

Carvings also occurred on outcrop rock where site seems to have been chosen for a specific purpose to give an interrupted view over the surrounding area.

Many people have made attempts to comprehend the symbolism of these cups and ring marks and speculate about its original significance.

Prehistoric Megalithic Engineering

Megalith comes from the Greek word `Mega’, which means large and `Lithos’, stone.Megalith also portrays an object which consist of rocks formed in particular shape for a purpose which has been used in describing building that have been built by people of an ancient era in various locations of the world.

 Varieties of huge stone have been found as megaliths in construction of different structures that took place during the Neolithic period and that which continued through the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age.

Several theories have come up regarding the methods used in the prehistoric megalithic engineering in the form of modern civil engineering methods used in the megalithic construction.


One of the most amazing factors of the megaliths is its unusual size which has given some of the sites a mythological stand where local traditions consider that they had been fashioned by gods or giants.

Puzzling Primitive Methods and Tools

There are various tales with regards to the megaliths, describing single large structures of stones which had been thrown or lost by giants and have been described in particular as their graves or ovens or houses. The connection of giants with megaliths dates back to the thirteenth century where the oldest reference to tumuli gigantis has been found in written documents.

The most amazing mystery is the moving and using of huge stones which have been weighing over hundreds of tonnes where the smaller stones could have been exceedingly convenient and efficient. Generations of archaeologist, engineers, explorers, historian as well as tourist are left perplexed with these great mysteries and have been speculating on how the ancient people movedthese massive tons of blocks of stone with the help of primitive methods and tools.

Besides moving them, the accuracy of positioning them is mind blowing and while the question is simple the problem is quite complex.

Adopted Sophisticated Technology

The use of such massive stones in several constructions like the Baalbek, Giza, Stonehenge, Carnac, Jerusalem, to name a few, indicates a level of organization and skill.

Several theories have come up regarding the methods which were adopted in the prehistoric megalithic engineering especially in the form of modern civil engineering system imposed during the megalithic engineering.

In recent prehistoric period, this civilization adopted sophisticated technology by inconveniently quarrying huge stones as well as transporting them to inconvenient distance to some to the most inconvenient locations and then piling them into temples on the mountain scale.

Many agree that the Great Pyramids of Egypt together with other prehistoric megalithic structures around the globe were constructed on these colossal magnitudes which no ordinary human being would have done. The monument at Abu Simbel even today had to be cut to pieces since even the heaviest machinery was unable to manage to move them a few hundred yards away from the Nile waters which were rising behind the Aswim Dam.

Astounding Level of Technical Skill

The actual structure method and technology adopted by the ancient people is puzzling as well as fascinating to modern man and an in-depth study has revealed an astounding level of technical skill and knowledge shown by ancient men.

Some examples are that they quarried the stone needed without using any explosives recognizing different area or weaknesses in the rock, using fire to crack the stone or driving in wet wooden wedges into cracks in rock walls.

Besides they also used different types of fibres woven and plaited in various patterns to make ropes which were used in a variety of uses like the movement of heavy objects.

Atlit Yam Submerged Ruins of Ancient Neolithic Site

Atlit Yam is located around 200 to 400m offshore at a depth of around eight to twelve meters extending over an area of ca. 40,000sq.m not far from the coast of the village of Atlit in the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa in Israel.

It is the submerged ruins of the ancient Neolithic site and this prehistoric settlement dates back to the seventh millennium BC which has been preserved well by the sandy sea-bed with a mysterious stone circle which stands as if it was first erected. 

It is one of the largest and the oldest sunken settlements found, which gives us some information about the ancient inhabitants.

The site was first discovered in the year 1984 by Ehud Galili, a marine archaeologist and thereafter, underwater excavations took place to know more about this ancient settlement.

The architectural discoveries made consisted of stone built water wells, series of unconnected walls, stone paved areas, foundations of rectangular structures, round and ritual installations, the megalithic structures with thousands of flora and faunal remains with numerous artifacts of stone, bone flint and wood. Besides this, around sixty five human skeletons were also discovered in both primary and secondary burials which lay there undisturbed.

Center of the Settlement – Seven Megaliths

Towards the center of the settlement, were seven megaliths measuring 1.0 to 2.1 meters high, weighing around 600 kg which seemed to be arranged in a stone semicircle.

These stone had cup marks which had been carved into them and were once arranged around a freshwater spring which indicates that they could have been used for water ritual while another installation of three oval stone of around 1.6 to 1.8 meters, two of which have grooves forming schematic anthropomorphic figures.

The stone built well another of its significant structure which was excavated down to a depth of 5.5 meters had sediment fill containing animal bones, stone, flint, wood and bone artifacts at the base of the well indicating that it had ceased to function as a water well but was used as a disposal pit.

This change could probably be related to salinization of water which was responsible in the rise of sea level.

Atlit Yam Archaeological Material, Complex

Many discoveries made with regards to this settlement gives us an insight into how the prehistoric inhabitants lived during that time and traces of more than hundred species of plants which grew at the site or that which were collected, together with animal remains of both wild and domestic animals indicate that the residents raised as well as hunted animals for survival.

The archaeological material also indicates that Atlit Yam was complex and was based on the combined use of terrestrial as well as marine resources for plant cultivation, hunting, livestock husbandry, gathering and fishing providing the earliest known evidence for agro pastoral marine subsistence system on the Levantine coast.


Greatest Archaeological Mysteries

Atlit Yam is one of the greatest archaeological mysteries on how it happened to be submerged in the first place.

A study conducted by an Italian, Maria Pareschi of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and volcanology in Pisa shows that a volcanic collapse of the Easter flank of Mount Etna 8,500 years ago could have been the cause of a 40 meters high tsunami which engulfed some of Mediterranean coastal cities within hours.

Some are speculating that the apparent abandonment of the site around that time and the fish remains indicate that the tsunami could have occurred.