Underground in Anatolia

That day, while on the fields, plowing, I saw dust rising at the horizon,

A bad sign, for it meant that a brutal cataclysm was just behind the sun

The Arab invaders were fast approaching, each one riding on his stallion

With a single mission, to murder all those who didn’t serve their religion

No longer left with the determination to endure more such juggernauts

We chose to hide where they couldn’t reach us, not even their thoughts

Beneath the ground lay our haven, an entire city carved out of the rock

Eight layers deep, wide enough for 3500 of us to cook, rest, pray or walk

Image Source: https://www.doyouknowturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/underground-city.jpg

Pulling our cattle along, we ran towards the door; the leaders advising

to step into a big basin at the entry with vinaigre solution for cleansing

Then descending down a huge tunnel, I tied my animals near the stable

A passage to the left, shielded by a millstone, leads to the second level

The church’s here with a nave, an altar, and seating area along the walls

that are hand-painted with murals guiding us to stay away from the false 

Clearing the course swiftly to allow our fighters to brace for the attack

we hunker down the steep channel towards the crucial deck of our pack

The cellars, the winery, and the kitchen are active here on the third floor

But no one is sure, how long will we be here this time; a week or more?

Unlikely to be familiar with the terrain, we prayed that they would pass

after a methodical search, carrying with them, whatever they can amass

Our quarters were five stories below the land but air was not a concern

The chimneys circulated the air well and siphoned all the smoke in turn

Sitting in this maze of caverns and corridors, I asked my mama in despair

‘Why?’ ‘Well if the ants can live, so can we,’ she replied without any fear

The subterranean world whirred to life warily as she handed a pot to me

to fetch water from the well so that we could begin cooking immediately

Disclaimer - It is a work of fiction trying to imagine a day in the life of the Greek Cappadocians living in Kaymakli, trying to defend against the invaders by escaping into their underground city.

References:

1. https://www.captivatingcappadocia.com/cappadocia-kaymakli-underground-city-visitor-guide/

2. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/03/150325-underground-city-cappadocia-turkey-archaeology/

3. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/ancient-egypt-hittites/a/the-hittites

4. https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2011/01/cappadocia-turkey-civilisations-in-a-volcanic-terrain

5. https://www.goreme.com/kaymakli-underground-city.php

6. https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/turkey/south-central-anatolia/cappadocia/geological-formation-cappadocia/

7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinandrews/2017/10/26/the-story-of-the-volcanic-fairy-chimneys-of-turkey-has-a-dark-ending/#5456736a1da0

8. https://www.kayakapi.com/cappadocia

9. http://www.forbesindia.com/article/forbes-lifes/travel-unearthing-underground-cities-in-turkey/56501/1

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10. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-important-events/byzantine-system-defense-0011723