Ephesus: The Round Tower-The Baths of Scholastikia
The underground cities have about 8 storeys dug into the earth. These cave constructions are grouped around an aeration chimney which is capable of supplying enough air for the dwellings below. Chambers (chapels, some with crypts, cellars, silos and living rooms etc) are linked with each other by corridors often narrow with a gentle slope or stairs.
These must have been constructed for security purposes against the danger presented by mainly Arab raiders. The openings were closed by huge mill stones. To the underground city called Derinkuyu (deep well) flight of stairs which starts from third or fourth storeys takes the visitor to the sanctuaries. The cities at Kaymakli, Ozkonak, Mucur, Orentepe, Gumuskent,Tatlarin, Ovaoren, Gokcetoprak are like modem apartment houses .
The dryness and the property of not absorbing humidity of the tuff made life easy. Even today these underground chambers are used to store lemons, oranges and straw. The underground cities such as Derinkuyu, and Ozkonak have been fitted out and the inside is illuminated and made ready to receive visitors. There must be other such underground cities awaiting their discovery.
The underground city Derinkuyu is in the centre of the actual city and consists of seven levels or storeys which descend to 85 meters beneath the earth's surface. All the storeys have access to the deep well at the bottom. There are two of which the apertures have been hidden lest they be poisoned by the enemy during a raid. At the bottom is a church in the shape of a cross and the chorus is beside the well .
The underground city next in importance is at Kaymaklı at a distance of 9 km. This one also is at the centre of the town, right beneath the Kaymaklı Castle. The fact that there are cellars, silos and dwelling chambers indicates that people could take refuge here and live in here for over long periods of time.
This is situated behind the Trajan fountain, at the foot of Panayır Mountain. The tower was erected as a monument in 50 A.D. It is square-planned, and set on a podium was the cylindrical shaft surrounded bya row of arches on two courses, now in ruins.
The Baths of Scholastikia, which are located behind the Temple of Hadrian, were entered by means of a stairway alongside the temple. The statue seen in the large hall on the west belongs to a wealthy Scholastikia, who had the baths reconstructed in the 4th century AD. The public toilets and brothel located alongside the structure were first constructed along with the baths in the Ist century A.D. It is believed that the baths consisted of three storeyed. An extensive hall which would have been the second storey has been uncovered along with another room to its north and a tiled roof.
The room in which the statue of Scholastikia was located used as a dressing room, and it extends to the stuccoed hot room (caldarium) on the north. On the left is the cold room (frigidarium). The marble floor of the caldarium is built over brick supports, and under it flowed hot water from the baths' furnaces on the left. The frigidarium contained a swimming pool, and was located alongside the dressing room. The baths could house a thousand customers, and contained a library and entertainment rooms. There is also a doorway opening onto the street leading to the Theatre on the east slope.