In the Cappadocia region of central Türkiye, an important tourist center features a rock-carved museum built 20 meters (65 feet) underground that houses hundreds of years of historical ceramics, pottery and various archaeological artifacts.
The museum operator, Güray Tüysüz, stated: "We showcase historical artifacts found in different parts of Anatolia. Currently, our oldest artifacts date back to around 5000 B.C."
Located in the Avanos district of Nevşehir, the world's first underground ceramic museum was constructed 10 years ago. The construction of the rock-carved museum took approximately seven years. The museum features ceramic artifacts from the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
With hundreds of years of ceramics, pottery, and numerous archaeological pieces on display, the museum houses around a thousand artifacts, including modern works.
Tüysüz provided details about the museum, stating: "We are currently in the world's first and only underground ceramic museum. The museum was established about 10 years ago, 20 meters underground. In terms of its architecture and concept, it is also unique in the world. There are three different sections in the museum. Tt the entrance, we have an exhibition hall, where every 10 to 15 days, we feature a different artist and their works. In the second section, we introduce ceramic artists from our country. The third section showcases historical artifacts found in various parts of Anatolia. Currently, our oldest artifacts are from around 5000 B.C."
"This project will be a gift for future generations," Tüysüz added. He explained that they completed the museum in about seven years, stating, "In this project, we aimed to demonstrate the ceramics and pottery made by communities that lived in Anatolia over the last 10,000 years and to show where we have reached in our country."
"We hope this project will be a gift for future generations. The museum is underground, and you cannot create projects underground because you do not know what you will encounter. In this regard, we took a significant risk. We decided that if it was going to happen, it should happen here. Thankfully, we found a homogeneous and solid rock, allowing us to carry out our desired project. Besides that, it was an expensive project. We spread it out over time and completed it in about seven years."
Regarding the artifacts within the museum, Güray Tüysüz remarked: "There are approximately 460 archaeological artifacts here. With our modern pieces included, there are around a thousand artifacts. Honestly, foreigners do not expect such a project from us until they enter the museum. When they come here, they are shocked and very impressed. Our biggest supporters are the visitors who enter the museum. Everyone finds something of their own here, reflecting the characteristics of our culture."
