8Özkonak, Turkey
Less famous than Derinkuyu and Kaymakli, Özkonak offers another chance to see Cappadocia’s extraordinary underground architecture without focusing only on the region’s most famous sites.
The settlement contains interconnected rooms, tunnels and ventilation systems carved into volcanic rock. One of its fascinating features is the defensive design, including openings that could reportedly be used to communicate between different levels and mechanisms intended to protect the inhabitants.
Because it is smaller and less celebrated internationally, Özkonak can provide a quieter alternative for travelers fascinated by Cappadocia’s subterranean world.
