Midyat Caves

Mardin’s Midyat district hides a vast underground world directly beneath your feet. Do you know about this mysterious place? Its name is Matiate Underground City. This is an ancient subterranean world filled with corridors, tunnels, and hidden chambers, dating back thousands of years.

"Matiate" is the ancient name of Midyat from thousands of years ago. This massive city lies beneath the Ulu Cami neighborhood in the area known as Estel, within Midyat district of Mardin. The most fascinating aspect is that while people above continue their daily lives, an entirely different history lies buried beneath the ground.

Construction of Matiate began approximately 1900 years ago. At that time, Christianity was still a new religion, and the Roman Empire did not treat its followers kindly. To protect themselves from Roman soldiers’ persecution and attacks, people built shelters and escape routes underground. According to historical sources, the repressive policies of Roman Emperor Diocletianus forced people to live in such secure and concealed environments.

^{Midyat Caves} (Anadolu Ajansı)

Matiate is not merely a small hiding place; it is a vast underground city capable of supporting thousands of people for years without ever needing to emerge. Excavations have revealed the following features:

• 49 Rooms: Numerous rooms constructed for human habitation have been discovered.
• Places of Worship: Areas for prayer, including churches and synagogues, are present within.
• Wells and Silos: Wells were dug to ensure a water supply, and massive storage chambers (silos) were built to preserve food.
• Tunnels and Corridors: Rooms are connected by long tunnels, some of which reach up to 100 meters in length.
• Wine Presses: Special areas used for producing grape juice and beverages have also been identified.

Scientists estimate that up to 60,000 to 70,000 people could have lived simultaneously in this vast underground city. This is equivalent to relocating an entire city underground during that era!

This magnificent city was discovered entirely by accident! While the Midyat Municipality was conducting cleaning and restoration work on historic streets, they stumbled upon a cave. Initially, it was thought to be a stable or storage room. However, as cleaning progressed, tunnels emerged, and behind them, new rooms were uncovered. Thus, Matiate came to light.

The most distinguishing feature of Matiate compared to other underground cities worldwide is that life continues above it. Unlike underground cities in Cappadocia, which typically have no modern settlements above them, Midyat features "history within history": Above ground, stone mansions from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries stand tall, while directly beneath them lies a 1900-year-old ancient city.