Derinkuyu

Derinkuyu, known to its former Greek inhabitants as Malakopeia, is a city in Cappadocia, Central Anatolia. Most of the city's expanse is concealed underground, with only a few skylights to let air and sunlight through.

After the Byzantine Templars reasserted their presence in the Ottoman Empire in 1509, they took over the city of Derinkuyu. It became their secret headquarters, from where they planned to restore the Byzantine Empire.

History

Templar headquarters

During the early 16th century, the Byzantine Rite became the foremost Templar Rite in Europe, since the Roman Rite had been defeated by the Italian Assassins. The Byzantine Templars established their primary headquarters at Derinkuyu, where they set up prisons and installed themselves as rulers of the city, filling the streets with guards.

The one in charge of the Masyaf expedition, Manuel Palaiologos, resided in Derinkuyu for some time after his family lost their hold on the Byzantine throne. Manuel's forces were garrisoned in the city, and both he and his fellow Templar Shahkulu held power within its walls.

In 1511, after negotiating the purchase of firearms from Tarik Barleti, the Captain of the Janissaries, the shipment was stored in the Derinkuyu stronghold.

Assassin infiltration

Ezio's arrival at Derinkuyu

By the same year, Tarik had Ottoman spies active within Derinkuyu, who were meant to observe the Templar activity in the city, and report it back to the Janissaries. After gaining enough information, Tarik planned to attack the Templars where they felt safest, in order to catch them off-guard and thwart their plans before they could enact them.

In March of 1512, the Assassin Ezio Auditore visited the city, following his search for the final key to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's library. There, he met with one of Tarik's spies, a young woman named Dilara, who told him of the capture of all her fellow spies the previous week.

As the two parted, Ezio made his way around the city, where he overheard Byzantine Templars discussing Dilara, who they had captured just outside Derinkuyu's prison. They also spoke about Manuel's bodyguard Shahkulu, and how he was preparing to kill her and several other spies.

Unfortunately for them, neither the guards nor Shahkulu had the key to Dilara's prison cell, as it was at the city market, held by an off-duty Byzantine. Ezio tracked down the guard, and pickpocketed the key to liberate Dilara, before the two then left for Derinkuyu's chapel to kill Shahkulu.

Shahkulu beating Janos at the chapel

Making their way across the city, they arrived in time to see Shahkulu beating a spy named Janos. Ezio free-ran around the area and made his way to a small platform, directly above where Shahkulu stood, since he realized that the Templar's armor was too thick for bullets. Ezio then leapt from the beam, and air-assassinated Shahkulu with his Hidden Blade.

Though Shahkulu fell, he reached up to strangle Ezio as the Assassin was speaking his last rites, to which Ezio responded by stabbing him once more in the shoulder, to make the man release his grip on his throat.

Unfazed, the Turkmen renegade shrugged off the second injury, and attempted to fight the Assassin alongside his guards. After a brief skirmish, Ezio finally killed Shahkulu, and questioned the two spies about the firearms Tarik had delivered to the Templars. Dilara revealed that although the rifles had been sabotaged to prevent them from firing, the gunpowder was authentic. Realizing that he could ignite the delivered gunpowder to flush out Manuel Palaiologos, and ignoring Dilara's protests that he would cause a panic in the city, Ezio left for Derinkuyu's stronghold.

Hunt for Manuel

The explosion in the stronghold

Ezio entered Derinkuyu's depot, where their armaments were stored, and searched for the rifles. Upon finding the gunpowder, he ignited it, creating a large explosion that blazed through the stronghold. The resulting fire seared through the wooden fortress, choking the entire city with flames and smoke.

Upon hearing the loud explosion at the weapons depot, Manuel rushed out onto an elevated area, where he had a clear view of the entire city. From there, Manuel began calling out to the panicked citizens for calm, but he fled upon seeing Ezio advancing upon him.

As Manuel ran, he called out for his guards to kill the Assassin, and eventually made his way through a large gate in the corner of the city. He slowed upon reaching the small port at Derinkuyu's underground river, but Ezio, who had scaled the closed gate, cornered him there.

Manuel facing Ezio

Manuel was forced to confront the Assassin, and the two met in a duel. Despite his efforts, Manuel was bested, and was subsequently killed in the confrontation. Ezio then took the final Masyaf Key from Manuel, but he was confronted by Prince Ahmet on a boat offshore, who revealed himself to be a Templar as well.

Ezio conversed briefly with Ahmet, and the Ottoman prince commanded his men to kill the Assassin, before departing from the city.

City fire

Ezio: "Keep out of sight until you hear the explosions. Then, you run."

Dilara: "Explosions? If you do that, all hell will break loose. You will panic the entire city."

Ezio: "Sì. I am counting on it."

—Ezio and Dilara, shortly before the fire, 1512.

The evacuation of Derinkuyu

The fire Ezio had caused at the stronghold spread alarmingly through the city, filling the underground chamber with acrid smoke, and forcing an evacuation. Ezio fled with the rest of the civilians, many of whom were killed by the abundance of thick smoke, or through the falling rubble of burning buildings.

During the span of the evacuation, Derinkuyu's alarm bell rang loudly, and explosions periodically rocked the entire city. Despite the raging fire and deafening blasts, Ezio and a number of civilians managed to escape Derinkuyu, with the Assassin leaving the city by boat.

Trivia

General

• The name Derinkuyu translates to "deep well."
• In an interview with CVG, Alexandre Amancio noted that parts of the city were reminiscent of Petra.
• As Derinkuyu could never be liberated from the Templars, the unique items sold there were always subject to Templar taxes, which raised their prices by 10%.
• After his first visit, Ezio could take a boat to Derinkuyu from the Eastern Galata district docks.
• There was only one viewpoint in the whole of Derinkuyu; synchronizing it was mandated in the memory "The Hidden City".
• While in-game Derinkuyu is not far from the coastline, with Piri Reis' ship being anchored at a short distance from its entrance, in real life the underground city is located more than 200 kilometres away from the nearest port.
• Historically, Derinkuyu served as a refuge for Byzantine Greeks against encroaching Turkish Muslims as the Byzantine Empire weakened. Due to Derinkuyu's remoteness, rugged terrain, and the various defenses and traps in the tunnels leading to it, these Greeks were able to live in effective independence from the Turks until the early 20th century.
• After finishing Sequence 7, Derinkuyu has no Byzantine guards, shops are empty, the depot is destroyed, a strange wooden beam hangs in midair near the center of the city, and civilians can be heard choking on smoke. However, after the main story is completed, Derinkuyu returns to how it was before Ezio started the explosions.

Notoriety

• While playing through Sequence 7, Ezio will not gain any notoriety. Returning to Derinkuyu after finishing the sequence, however, will enable Ezio to gain notoriety.
• The notoriety Ezio gains in Derinkuyu will drop by 6.25% every minute while out of combat, as long as it's not 100%.
• If Ezio gains 100% notoriety in Derinkuyu, the only way to get rid of it is to replay the memory "Escape".

Gallery

Concept artIn-game

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  Concept art of Derinkuyu
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  Concept art of the stone carved church
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  Concept art of Ezio in Derinkuyu
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  Concept art of the Derinkuyu fire
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  Concept art of Derinkuyu's interior
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  Concept art of Derinkuyu's interior

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  Map of Derinkuyu
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  Ezio's ship arriving at Derinkuyu
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  Ezio overlooking Derinkuyu from the view point
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  The port outside Derinkuyu
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  Ezio eavesdropping at Derinkuyu's prison
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  The smoke-filled streets of Derinkuyu

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel