Exploring the Top 5 Subterranean Cities

Humans enjoy constructing city-like structures that rise for the sky, and why not intricate metropolis that hide beneath the earth’s surface? Underground cities are interesting structures that expose the mysteries of life above ground. Let’s take a look at the top five underground cities where people have lived for years.

Cappadocia, Turkey

It was discovered in 1963.

The region of Cappadocia in central Turkey is home to 36 unexpected underground cities, the deepest of which is Derinkuyu. It consists of seven floors beneath the earth’s surface that can house 20,000 people, livestock, and food. During the Byzantine era, this maze-like city was designed to defend inhabitants from invasions. This multi-level metropolis was carved into volcanic rocks. For civilization, this underground metropolis included ventilation shafts, kitchens, oil presses, bathhouses, and primitive wines.

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Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera is an ancient cave habitation place located in the southern Italian city of Matera. Sassi di Matera translates to Matera stones. It is one of Italy’s oldest settlements, dating back to 10,000 BCE. These dwellings were carved into the calcareous rock. The most shocking aspect of these caverns is that people are still living in the twentieth century, with no conveniences and scant access to sunshine.

The cave residents struggled due to low amounts of sunlight and a high density of sickness, and they were eventually relocated to modern dwellings.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site has also appeared in films such as The Passion of the Christ, Wonder Woman, and others.

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Naours, France

It was discovered in the late 1800s.

During times of invasion, the vast underground city of Naours was used as a refuge. This underground metropolis has over 300 rooms and a half-mile long cave. The underground location was constructed as part of quarries in the third century CE. Locals began using it as a hiding place between battles, and it eventually grew into a community beneath the surface.

Naours could house 3,000 people and provided amenities such as a chapel, wells, bakeries, and so on. This settlement was shut for many years before it was reopened as a tourist attraction in the nineteenth century. A collection of graffiti left by Allied forces is on display for visitors.

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Petra, Jordan

During the 1800s, scientists discovered

Petra, located in southern Jordan, is an ancient caravan city that originally housed 40,000 people around 2,000 years ago. It is a world-famous archeological site that combines Eastern customs and Hellenistic design. It is partially erected and partially carved into the sandstone, surrounded by gorges and passageways.

Al-Khazneh is a magnificent sculpture with a gorgeous façade that reaches up to 130 feet. Petra, located amid rough desert valleys and mountains, was once a trading center between 400 BC and AD 106.

The ancient Petra city has appeared in numerous films, including The Mummy Returns, Queen of the Desert, and Transformers.

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Matmata, Tunisia

It was discovered in 1967.

Many communities live in caves around the world, particularly in hot climes. The Berbers of Matmata are one such community, with residents living in caves to avoid the heat. This is a small settlement comprised of “troglodyte” or “cave-dweller” structures. These constructions were constructed by excavating a large pit in the ground. Artificial caverns are cut into the pit’s sides to be utilized as chambers, and some of the rooms are connected by passages. The open pit can be converted into a courtyard.

‘Star Wars: Attack of the Clones’ used this odd design, whereas ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ included Matmata’s Hotel Sidi Driss.

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