Located in Turkey's central Nevşehir province, Cappadocia, a region known to attract tourists with hot-air balloon rides over cone-shaped rock formations, will now host the first ever natural underground museum.
Nevşehir museum manager and the Turkish representative of European Museum of the Year Award organization, Murat Gülyaz said the museum would "add value" to Cappadocia.
"We aim for the date July 2019 for the museum to be opened to tourists," Gülyaz said. "Cappadocia Museum, being 100 percent natural and underground, will be one of the most important museums in the world."
Construction of the museum started in January.
The underground museum area has a natural habitat that allows endemic plants to grow in a 50,000-square meter outdoor space and a 7,000-square meter indoor space.
The museum will also boast a multi-purpose conference hall, documentary-watching rooms, playgrounds for children and a research center.
The museum will be 15 minutes away from touristic sites such as the Göreme open-air museum, the Zelve Archeological Site and Uçhisar Castle.
