22-05-2025
Scientist reconstructs sounds of ancient underground city with 3D virtual soundscape
Modern cities teem with diverse sounds, from the roar of vehicles to the melodies of music, and everything in between.
Ever wondered what an ancient city sounded like? What whispers, daily routines, and echoes filled its very air?
Sezin Nas, a researcher in interior architecture and acoustics at Istanbul Galata University, is exploring the soundscape of Derinkuyu, an ancient underground city in Turkey.
The ancient engineers of Derinkuyu demonstrated incredible skill and foresight, constructing a city that was a masterwork of defense and self-sufficiency.
Its primary purpose was defense against invaders, providing a secure refuge. Beyond military protection, Derinkuyu also offered a sanctuary from the harsh weather conditions prevalent on the surface. At times, it was even utilized to protect agricultural yields from natural calamities.
At its zenith, Derinkuyu was a bustling underground hub, capable of accommodating as many as 20,000 people.
Derinkuyu's vast population resided across seven interconnected underground levels, each designed for specific purposes. Crucial to the city's functionality was an intricate network of ventilation channels, vital for air circulation and remarkably, also used for communication.
As Sezin Nas points out, there's a significant gap in our understanding of the acoustic environments of underground cities. Her research aims to fill that void.
'The integration of ventilation and communication functions within the same architectural elements is considered one of Derinkuyu's most unique features,' Nas said. 'This multifunctional use of the ventilation system strongly highlights the exceptional construction process of the site and plays a central role in shaping its soundscape.'
BBC reported that Elengubu, now Derinkuyu, is the world's largest excavated underground city. It burrows over 85m deep, and consists of 18 levels of tunnels.
Used almost continuously for millennia by various civilizations, including Phrygians, Persians, and Byzantine Christians, it was finally abandoned by Cappadocian Greeks in the 1920s during the Greco-Turkish War.
To recreate the ancient auditory world of Derinkuyu, the researcher looked into the city's history and its architecture.
She focused her analysis on three distinct spaces: a church, a living area, and a kitchen — considering room functions, sound sources, and reverberations to create a truly immersive 3D virtual soundscape.
'Derinkuyu underground city is considered an interior environment on an urban scale, which distinguishes it from the open-space urban soundscapes,' Nas said.
'Listening to the reconstructed soundscape provides insights into how sound influenced spatial experience, communication practices, and social organization within the underground city,' Nas explained.
Nas envisions a dual impact for her research on Derinkuyu's soundscape.
First, she believes the ancient city's unique acoustic environment can serve as a source of inspiration for the design of future underground urban developments. Beyond this practical application, Nas holds a broader ambition: she hopes that soundscapes, in general, will evolve into systematic tools for historical study.
'This research also highlights the role of historical sound environments as an important and often overlooked component of cultural heritage,' Nas said.
Nas presented her research on the soundscape of Derinkuyu on Wednesday, May 21st. This presentation was part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics, an event that ran from May 18th to May 23rd.
