Gaziantep Castle's extensive historical tunnels, caves unearthed
Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)
by Uğur Yıldırım
Aug 17, 2022 12:37 pm


Meters of tunnels and a series of caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations at Gaziantep Castle in southeastern Türkiye.

Set to be opened to visitors towards the end of the year, the tunnels and caves dating back thousands of years hold dozens of secrets and are the source of urban legends.

Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)
Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)

In a study carried out by the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Protection and Implementation Inspection Office (KUDEB), archaeologists unearthed the source of a flow of "fresh-brackish water," which had been an urban legend in the area until then.

After two years of nonstop work, the archeologists finally reached the exit points of the tunnels.

Gaziantep already hosts thousands of tourists throughout the year who come to take in its historical buildings, see its touristic sites and try the region's delicious food, and soon the tunnels under Gaziantep Castle are expected to become one of the most interesting points in the city.

Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)
Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)

Gaziantep KUDEB teams set to work in the tunnels in 2020 to unearth the exit points. The earthworks and collapses of the branches of tunnels and caves under the castle were cleaned and the aisles were illuminated with oil lamps.

Also during the cleaning work, cross symbols believed to belong to the Roman period were found at different points along the tunnels.

Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)
Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)

Speaking to Sabah, Gaziantep KUDEB archaeologist Ali Korkmaz said: "Since 2012, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality KUDEB has started to work on the identification and projecting of castles, brigades, caves, and tunnels under the title of culture both underground and above-ground. Our work gained momentum when the unearthed structures were included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List."

Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)
Gaziantep Castle's extensive tunnels and caves have been unearthed after two years of excavations, Gaziantep, southeastern Türkiye, Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)

"During the research, excavation and cleaning works, we uncovered tunnels and galleries with a total length of approximately 1 kilometer. In the works carried out since 2020, we have cleaned the filling materials consisting of rubble stone, soft soil and waste. We've uncovered the bedrock. We have identified the connection points of the tunnels with trenches and towers. We plan to open all of the tunnels to visitors as soon as possible," he added.

Last Update: August 17, 2022 14:22
Edited By: Buse Keskin