Faith Underground

One of the absolute musts on the trip to Turkey was to visit one of the underground cities found around Cappadocia. Many have heard the stories of the persecution of the Christians during and after Roman times, however, not having personally experienced it, curiosity was piqued at the possibility of visiting an actual underground city lived in by 1st century Christians.

But first, a note, so as not to mislead you, as I was misled for many years.
Point 1: We are talking about an underground city. By city, one thinks of a place of residence for an extended period of time. How long do you think a large population could survive in an underground city?
Of course, the reason they are underground is to hide. This means that, unlike many cliff and cave cities of the southern region of North America, these people couldn't go in and out freely. Which means no harvesting crops, no hunting, no herding. In fact, there was even a place for them to bring the flocks of sheep and cows into the cave city. So once again, how long do you think one could live in such an underground city?
In reality, the maximum typical period of time was between 2 to 3 months. Now, in my mind, that is more of a retreat than a city, (and by retreat, I mean "camp"). But of course if it is a retreat forced upon you because you must retreat from the world, then perhaps its not such a fun retreat.

Point 2: Who made these underground cave cities and why?
I was always under the impression, falsely, that the Christians of the time created the cities. I was partially incorrect. Of course, they greatly expanded the city, however, the underground city had been there for a great great long time. It was prior to the period when the Egyptian army occasionally raided the area. Following the Egyptian raids came the Hittite reign. This was followed long after by the Roman Empire and Christian sufferage. So these were underground cities that everyone knew about, as they had been used for a great long time. So, why then were the Christians successful in hiding there? If we are going to play hide and seek, how many of us are going to hide behind the door? In the closet? Under the bed? These are not ideal places to look, as they are the first places checked by the seeker. Therefore, I ask again, how were these Christians successful in hiding there? If anyone knows the answer, please enlighten me!

During our trip, we visited 4 churches, 2 of which shall be described herein. The first was on a hike up a mountain, and the church was carved into the rock. It was a very beautiful church. It's plan was in the shape of an orthodox cross, with all legs of equal length. It had a dome with frescos, and just before sunset, sunlight entered its tiny windows and flooded the whole place with light. In terms of occupancy, I would estimate that a maximum of 20 people sitting crosslegged on the floor could be there at one time. Twenty people! Ultimate small group session.

The second was the underground city of Derinkuyu. As mentioned, it was possibly first developed by the locals as a hide out and fortress against Egyptian raiders. The first few levels have a series of stone wheels that roll into place completely blocking any potential invaders from entering further. Wells weren't dug in the upper levels either, fearing enemies would poison them. Instead, wells were dug on the seventh (final) level, giving no oportunity for poisoning from above. Air vents were cleverly hidden from enemies and any cooking done was done at night, so that no enemies could see the smoke. As my memory serves me, the kitchen was on the first floor (possibly third), thereby preventing any cooking smoke from penetrating deeper into the cave. A church can be found on the 5th floor with a small morgue on the 6th or 7th floor. The floors were all very vague to me but the ceilings were quite memorable. This was due to the fact that often going through passages I was forced to waddle like a duck just to pass through. The few times I could stand fully upright were a blessing.
The church found within the underground city was also in the form of a cross, though not an orthodox cross. It even had a narthex for people to gather in prior to service. In truth, no doubt, that area was used as living quarters for some poor souls, as the city at one point housed 5000+ souls. The church was significantly bigger than the previously described church, with standing space for maybe 500 just in the cross itself. There were, however, no domes or frescos. Due to the temperary nature of the city, perhaps it was deemed not necessary for frescos. Another possibility was the potential for degredation to any frescos due to the damp nature of the space.
Not only did the city have a church, but a stable for the cows and goats, kitchen, and wine making room. Even during times of persecution, fleeing Christians apparently had enough time to grab a few grapes. This was of course used for communion wine during times of hiding.
Lastly, during one of the latest periods of occupation, a missionary school was added to the city. After seeing the rough carved walls of the rest of the city, it was quite a shock to see such a truly refined space such as this.
Sadly, throughout this tour, I was never able to get an answer for this one question. Hiding in an underground city that all the locals no doubt know about, how could one successfully hide for months at a time? Truly a miracle!

On a tangent, long before the underground cities, caves were often carved into spires where people would retreat to during times of strife. These spire homes were small little homes for maybe two to three families, used when in danger from neighboring families. Placing a stone in front of the door was a very effective way maintaining safety. Again, why the enemies didn't just mortar the door shut, I don't know. Perhaps there was a certain code of honor followed in the day.

Next week, the once grand city of Efes (Ephesus) and why sun screen is important!