The Turkish word Yerkapı, meaning the gate in the ground, is derived from the postern that leads out through the rampart below its highest point, below the Sphinx Gate. This name quite accurately captures the essence of this part of Hattusa fortifications. So far, archaeologists have discovered twelve similar tunnels under the fortifications of Hattusa. However, Yerkapı is the best-preserved structure of them all. It is also the only postern of Hattusa that is still accessible. This artificial embankment is 15 meters high, 250 meters long, and 80 meters wide at its base. Above it, there are city walls, with the access to the city provided by the Sphinx Gate. Yerkapı probably played a representative role, not the defensive one, although historians do not agree on this topic.
In addition to the most famous underground cities of Cappadocia, that is Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, and Özkonak, this region hides many more such underground settlements. Their exact number remains a mystery, as they are continually being discovered. Not long ago, in 2014, another huge one was accidentally found in the capital city of the Nevşehir Province. Gaziemir belongs to the category of less frequently visited underground cities. It is located near the route connecting the Ihlara Valley with Göreme, situated in the heart of Cappadocia.
The part of Hattusa located at the foot of the Royal Citadel (tr. Büyükkale) is known as the Lower Town (tr. Aşağı Şehir). In this area, it is possible to see the ruins of the Grand Temple, the remains of an Assyrian trade colony, and the traces of residential houses and offices. This temple is the largest one in Hattusa, after the Temple of the Weather God in Kuşaklı, the second largest known in the Hittite Empire. The Grand Temple is currently marked with number 1 for guidance.
The King's Gate (tr. Kral Kapısı) is situated in the south-eastern part of Hattusa city walls. It is worth the attention of visitors especially because of its excellent state of preservation. Its shape and size are similar to The Lion Gate in the south-western part of the fortifications.
When you visit the inconspicuous ruins located near Lake Bafa, you might it find hard to believe that Myus was a city-state in ancient times. It was a member of a powerful confederation of twelve Ionian colonies in Asia Minor. Similarly as in the case of Miletus or Priene, the history of Myus is intrinsically linked with the river Meander. For centuries, this river gradually silted up the large bay on the coast of which many Greek cities were located.
