Sunday, September 14 2025

Tag: Cappadocia underground cities

World’s Oldest Mental Hospital: Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery to Be Restored

World’s Oldest Mental Hospital: Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery to Be Restored

The Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery in Derinkuyu, Nevşehir, believed to be the world’s first psychiatric treatment center from the Byzantine era, is set to undergo restoration and open as a museum. Located in Cumhuriyet District, the monastery’s entrance was discovered in the 1990s beneath an abandoned building. The complex features tunnels, carved chambers, cellars, and