What secrets are kept by 8 of the most impressive underground cities in the world: From modern Moscow to ancient Petra

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

There are a huge number of not only ancient underground cities in the world, but also quite modern ones, which are hidden in the bowels of the earth and at the same time are part of megacities. From ancient dungeons and bunkers of the Cold War to real cities of the future - the most amazing underground cities of our Earth, further in the review.

The fantasy of a modern man, when mentioning underground settlements, will most likely draw some kind of ancient cave. Perhaps the home of the troglodytes or fantasy stories on a post-apocalyptic theme. Someone remembers the Morlocks? … However, underground cities are different, but no less interesting.

1. Petra, Jordan

Petra is a very ancient city. It is located in the southwest of Jordan. It is the former capital of Idumea and later of the Nabataean kingdom. Peter in translation from Greek means "rock". Absolutely - after all, this entire ancient city is entirely made of stone. It is also called the "pink" city. When the sun rises and sets, the rocks really shine crimson pink.

Petra is known, probably, to almost everyone for her cameo role in the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." A city built by nomads, hiding it in the mountains of southern Jordan. This place has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The peak of development of Petra fell on a period of about 2000 years ago. Then the ancient Nabataeans carved by hand from the surrounding sandstone hills a magnificent collection of tombs, banquet halls and temples.

One of the most famous and highly exquisite buildings is Al-Khazneh, or "The Treasury". Its decorative facade rises forty meters above the cliff. Petra may have been home to 20,000 people during its heyday. It was abandoned around the 7th century AD. Europeans were unaware of Petra's existence until the 1800s. Excavations at this site are still ongoing. Scientists believe that most of the city is still hiding underground.

2. Orvieto, Italy

The Italian city of Orvieto stands majestically right on top of a hill. It is best known for its white wines and picturesque architecture. His most mysterious wonders are hidden underground. Since the ancient Etruscans, generations of local residents have lived in its underground catacombs.

The city was originally built on volcanic cliffs. Later, an underground labyrinth was carved. At first, it served only for the construction of wells and water storage. Centuries passed and he grew up. The city has over 1200 interconnected tunnels, grottoes and galleries. Some chambers contain the remains of Etruscan sanctuaries and medieval olive presses. Others have indications that they were used as wine cellars or roosts for pigeons, a common local delicacy. The underground city of Orvieto has also often served as a refuge during the wars. Its last use in this capacity was relatively recently, during the Second World War.

3. Burlington, UK

The shelter, built during the Cold War, was supposed to save the most important members of the British government in the event of a nuclear strike. This impressive underground complex covers an area of 15 hectares. It is located under the village of Korsham at a depth of thirty meters.

Burlington Bunker was built in the 1950s. It consists of a number of tunnels and stone caves. It contained offices, cafeterias, a telephone exchange, medical facilities, and bedrooms. Everything was thought out to the smallest detail. The British Prime Minister and some 4,000 other key government officials were to be comfortable and safe in the event of an emergency. It even had its own BBC studio, which the prime minister could use to address the people.

Although the Burlington facility was never used, it was completely classified until 2004. After that, the British government considered it unnecessary and declassified. Now they are trying to find some useful use for it.

4. Matmata, Tunisia

The small town of Matmata in southern Tunisia is completely unique. They lived here for centuries in the dungeons. This is somewhat unusual in this part of the world, where the desert reigns, where it is customary to build only ground dwellings from clay and stone.

The secret of the origin of the underground city lies, most likely, in the times of the Roman conquests. People built dugouts where the ground was hard. Life in such houses is still considered normal here. Underground houses are well protected from the sweltering summer heat and fierce winter winds.

In the 60s of the last century, a large-scale flood occurred in the region. The dungeons were completely flooded. Some people have moved to traditional land-based homes. Some of the local residents remained faithful to their dugouts. Some do this: next to the cave, they build an above-ground shelter, and the underground serves other various domestic purposes. Local attraction is the Sidi Driss dugout hotel. He has become a star, appearing in films such as Star Wars: A New Hope and Attack of the Clones. The inn was Luke Skywalker's home on his homeworld, Tatooine.

5. Moscow, Russia

The underground city near Moscow began to excite the minds of researchers a long time ago. The archaeologist Ignatius Stelletsky was the first to write about this in his book "The Search for the Library of Ivan the Terrible." The scientist believed that this dungeon was built in the 15th century. Stelletsky even drew up a plan for secret Moscow. There were systematized data on almost four hundred objects. There were many different rooms, wells, stairs, underground passages, necropolises. The archaeologist concluded that the city consists of a dozen levels. Stelletsky dreamed of creating a museum of underground Moscow. Unfortunately, the metro did not allocate a place for this and the exhibits collected by the scientists were kept in his apartment.

In addition, there are many urban legends about underground military facilities under the city. Of course, almost all of them have no official confirmation. It is interesting that in 2006 a museum and restaurant "Bunker 42" was opened on Taganka. He occupied part of the former office premises, which were the command post of the strategic forces. This bunker was built by order of Stalin. This underground hideout was kept secret until the mid-1980s. It was a top secret military facility. Why it was declassified in the 90s, no one knows for sure. Most people believe that now this item is simply located in a different place, and this one is no longer needed.

6. Montreal, Canada

The underground city of La Ville is Montreal's main tourist attraction. This is not just a shopping center, it is a huge underground city. It was built in 1962. The unusual object was intended to help the townspeople withstand the harsh winters, winds and humid summers of the capital of the province of Quebec. In La Ville, there are not only shops, but also educational institutions, banks, theaters, residential buildings, offices and even stadiums.

There is a full-fledged transport connection inside the city. Buses, cars and even subway trains run there. Locals consider La Ville an incredibly convenient place to work and live. No need to waste time in traffic jams. The Montreal authorities are determined to expand the boundaries of the underground city over time.

7. Cricova, Moldova

One of the main attractions of Moldova is the underground city of Cricova. It is located very close to Chisinau, just twenty minutes away. The history of this town began after the Second World War. Then in Moldova, winemaking slowly began to revive. There and then arose the problem of an acute shortage of premises for aging and storage of wine.

The attention of the authorities was attracted by the former limestone mines. It was decided to build a champagne factory on the site of the workings. The mines proved to be an ideal location with a constant temperature suitable for this purpose. Now the plant has been operating for over six decades. Workings in the depths of this dungeon reach a length of 60 kilometers. Visitors travel by bike and even by car. There are even road markings and traffic lights.

8. Coober Pedy, Australia

Coober Pedy is a former mining settlement. After all, here is the largest opal deposit on our planet. Some call this place the strangest city in the world. The village was built underground due to the fact that the local climate is painfully severe here. The terrible heat, the raids of wild dingo dogs, forced the prospectors to hide in dugouts. Mine workings here side by side with residential buildings, restaurants, coffee shops, shops, temples and other attributes of ordinary city life, including a cemetery. The terrain in this region is not abundant in vegetation. We can say that it does not exist at all. Residents of the "opal capital" boiled trees from scrap iron.

The townspeople consider their home to be cozy and comfortable. Many homes do not have air conditioning. Here, by itself, the optimal temperature regime is maintained. Locals rise to the surface at night. It's so nice to play football or golf in the cool evening. The extraordinary city is always open to tourists. Here you can even rent a house and experience all the delights of local life.

If you liked the article, read more about what secrets of the ancient civilization of the Nabataeans are kept by a lonely castle in the desert.