While cleaning the collapsed tunnels, Uğuz emphasized that they discovered a large cistern, stating that the cistern consists of a feeding well and three connected galleries. He said, "The cistern's width is 63 square meters. In the summer months, water accumulates here with a height of 1 meter 20 centimeters.
So, there is a 63 cubic meters water reserve here. We are calculating how many people can live in the underground city for how long without going outside and how many people the 63 cubic meters water reserve can be sufficient for. Together with the wells feeding the cistern, there is a water source for almost 20 thousand people. In other words, the cistern has enough water for an army. When we analyzed the water, we found that it is high-quality water for its period. The method of filtration through the soil and the storage method ensure this quality."
Uğuz mentioned that there are locking mechanisms with round stones for security purposes in the tunnels leading to the cistern, and he pointed out that the source is protected against the risk of poisoning by enemies and against rain during siege or crisis periods.
Regarding the area with a connection to the outside, closed with stone blocks and wooden flooring, Uğuz stated that they obtained findings that shed light on the agricultural activities of the region in ancient times. He said, "When we intensified our excavation and cleaning works, we determined that the workshop we found was a winery. There is a grape crushing place made of marble stones. There is a grooved place where grape juice flows and cubicles where it is stored. "
"We found grape seeds and sediments in the samples taken from the winery. We will have the analyses done in the new period. We hope to obtain an ancient seed from the grape seeds we found. If we come across a grape variety that grew in these lands a thousand years ago, it will crown our efforts. The discovery of both the cistern, fortified areas, and the winery reveals that this place has a much wider range of uses than our expectations."
