5,000 YEAR OLD CITY LOST UNDERGROUND IN TURKEY

A long-lost underground city dating back 5,000 years has been discovered in Turkey after workers went to investigate the source of flooding affecting homes in the central Nevşehir province. "The city, which is partially submerged, is believed to stretch over three miles into the ground," the Daily Sabah reported. An initial exploration of the complex suggest it is made up of three floors and is comprised of tunnels, homes and a place of worship.

The discovery was made after locals living in the Çalış township of Avanos complained of flooding, the source of which could not be found. During their investigations, municipal workers opened up at tunnel that had been closed off for safety reasons decades earlier.

According to the Daily Sabah, when the crew ventured inside, they found the underground city partially submerged in clear water. The flooded rooms of the city were found to be directly beneath the houses that had experienced flooding. At the site, workers found a small human figurine believed to be an icon of some sort.

Turkey's Nevşehir province is home to many long lost underground cities, many of which have been discovered in the last decade. The Cappadocia region, where Nevşehir is located, is made up of soft volcanic rocks that would have been fairly easy for ancient humans to carve homes out of, providing protection from the elements. Over time, these grew to become vast cities.

According to the Hurriyet Daily News, the city stretches over four miles, with tunnels wide enough for a car to pass through. Özcan Çakır, from the Canakkale 18 March University who was involved in excavations, told the newspaper: "We believe that people, who were engaged in agriculture, were using the tunnels to carry agricultural products to the city. We also estimate that one of the tunnels passes under Nevşehir and reaches a faraway water source."