Matiate

The tunnel system was discovered by chance in 2020 during renovation works in Midyats old town[1] during which a cave was unearthed which lead to a tunnel to other caves.[2] Following large excavation works begun and by 2022[2] forty-nine rooms were made visible.[3] The underground city was called Matiate meaning "city of caves".[4][3]

The towns origins date back to the 2nd or 3rd century CE and at its peak it is believed to have been inhabited by between 60'000 and 70'000 people.[2] For now onehundred meters of tunnels and forty nine rooms have been unearthed. In the underground city a web of tunnels containing forty-nine rooms was made visible, but it is assumed that only 3% of the city have been discovered.[3] According the director of excavations of Matiate Gani Tarkan, excavation works will extend to the whole district of Midyat.[2]

Gani Tarkan, the director of excavations of Matiate assumes the cave system to have been used as a hiding place for persecuted people.[2] During the Roman era, the Christian religion was persecuted and its adherents are known to have lived in similar underground cities throughout Anatolia.[2] In the cave system there existed water wells, places of worship and silos.[2]