Most cities in the world, with their skyscrapers and small houses, wide straight avenues and narrow winding streets, are located on the surface of the earth. But sometimes there, at the bottom, at the depth of tens of meters, other cities are hidden from the eyes with their unique history, outgoing into the centuries.
Hawr, Montana, United States
Perhaps the youngest underground city was built for about 100 years ago by Chinese immigrants in the north-west of the United States. Initially, the secret system of the catacombs served for all kinds of illegal business. Opium was carried through underground tunnels, and there were made salons in branch-like caves, where the victims of the harmful habit could satisfy their desire. Gradually, at the bottom, under the city lying on the surface appeared another one with its own bars, restaurants, laundry facilities, dental clinics, and even a public house. When, in 1904, fires destroyed most of the city, its inhabitants moved to the catacombs and lived there until their homes were rebuilt. During the period of the “dry law” the catacombs again became popular, as they were the only place in the town where it was possible to try alcohol. Currently, tourists visit the underground city, and are shown the opium salon, the Chinese restaurant, the laundry and the public house.
Paris, France
Paris quarries are located in a depth of about 100 meters under the city streets and, according to a variety of data, their length ranges from 180 to 300 kilometres. They appeared due to the extraction of limestone and gypsum, which were once the basic building materials of the city. As while digging the next cluster of the tunnel and removing limestone blocks, no one was interested in what was around, at the end of the 18th century the walls of the tunnels as well as other buildings constructed above them began to collapse frequently. As a result, King Louis XVI issued a decree on the inspection of quarries in 1777, which exists up to this day, trying to maintain the Parisian underground in a safe condition. 8 years later, in 1785, the quarries began serving another purpose: the remains of six million people, buried for centuries at the city Cemetery of Innocents, were moved here. At present, tourists can take the 2.5-kilometer path through the improved tunnels and, if they desire, to look at the wall of human skulls and bones, arranged artistically near the exit of the underground. Fans of extreme should look for the community of cataphylls of Paris, who may lead you to places inaccessible to ordinary tourists. However, there are rumours that, as a way of “illumination” the guide often leaves his ward for a couple of hours in total darkness, so that he could feel respect towards the secrets of catacombs.
Cappadocia, Turkey
Cave colonies in Cappadocia, dating back to the first millennium BC, have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The scientists believe that the main reason for choosing such an unusual method of construction was the lack of wood for building houses, and at the same time the rock amenable to handling, of which the local mountains consist. As a result, a multilevel system of caves originated, in which once lived up to 20 thousand people. Then the city was abandoned and re-discovered only in the XIX century by a French priest, who, after descending into a hole in the middle of the mountain plain, suddenly found himself in a huge underground city with several storeys. The ventilation was carried out with the help of mines emerging to the surface, and the premises were not only suitable for human habitation, but also for storing grain, livestock and for wine production. In addition, many churches with rare beautiful frescos were found in the underground cities.
City of Gods, Giza, Egypt
Unlike the previous three, this city is not open to tourists and its very existence is even challenged by many. The “City of Gods, under the Giza plateau was allegedly discovered in 1978, after deciphering the data of a secret radar, which was involved initially in the study of the Egyptian pyramids. Scientists believe that it was this very underground labyrinth that was mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. The walls of the tunnels are covered with numerous drawings, and each room is trimmed with white marble. Assumptions about the purpose of the City of Gods are many. Some argue that the caves were used by the Egyptians for the transmission of secret knowledge to elected students, others – that this was some kind of an ancient subway.
