Discovering the Fascinating Abandoned Underground Cities of the World
Underground cities are fascinating to explore for urban explorers. These cities, which were once bustling with life and activity, have been abandoned and left to the elements over time. Some of them have been forgotten by history, while others are now popular tourist attractions. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most interesting abandoned underground cities from around the world.
1. Derinkuyu Underground City
Located in Cappadocia, Turkey, Derinkuyu is one of the largest underground cities in the world. It was built by early Christians in the 8th century as a hiding place from persecution by Muslim invaders. The city has eight levels and can house up to 20,000 people along with their livestock and food supplies.
The city features everything you would find in a typical town: churches, wine cellars, stables, kitchens and even schools! Visitors can see how residents used air shafts to get fresh air into each level.
2. Shanghai Tunnels
The Shanghai tunnels are located underneath Old Town Chinatown district of Portland Oregon USA. These tunnels were originally used for legitimate purposes like transporting goods between buildings or running telephone lines before they became infamous for their use in human trafficking.
Rumors suggest that people were kidnapped through trapdoors leading to these tunnels only then sold into slavery or prostitution overseas using ships that docked nearby on Willamette River.
Today tourists can visit this attraction on guided tours where storytellers share stories about its dark past; however no evidence supports any such claims of human trafficking having taken place here despite being popular legend.
3- Wieliczka Salt Mine
Wieliczka Salt Mine is an underground salt mine located near Krakow Poland which dates back over 700 years ago! It was active until 1996 when it was finally decommissioned after producing table salt since medieval times!
Nowadays visitors can explore its huge chambers, chapels, and sculptures made entirely of salt. The mine includes an underground ‘sanctuary’ where church services are still held today.
4- Paris Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs are a network of tunnels and chambers underneath the streets of Paris which were created in the 18th century to deal with overcrowding in cemeteries. Thousands of skeletons were moved from graveyards into these catacombs to make room for new burials.
Today visitors can explore parts of this vast network on guided tours; however, many areas remain closed off due to safety concerns as well as being illegal for urban explorers.
5- Củ Chi Tunnels
Located just outside Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, Củ Chi Tunnels played a significant role during the Vietnam War between 1955 and 1975. They provided shelter for Viet Cong soldiers who fought against American troops in guerrilla warfare style tactics.
Visitors can crawl through some sections of these narrow tunnels that are extremely small; more than enough reason why claustrophobic people should avoid them!
6- Edinburgh Vaults
Edinburgh Vaults is located under South Bridge Street Edinburgh Scotland UK built back in the late 1700s. It was originally used as storage space but later became home to taverns or pubs, shops and even homes for less fortunate people until it was abandoned in the early 19th century after flooding caused several deaths!
Today visitors can explore its eerie vaulted ceilings where ghosts sightings have been reported over time including that of an infamous serial killer Burke whose hanged body was displayed here after his execution!
7- RÉSO (Montreal’s Underground City)
RÉSO is Montreal’s extensive underground city system spanning over twenty miles beneath Canada’s second-largest city! This labyrinthine complex comprises various shopping malls, metro stations, office buildings all connecting by pedestrian walkways below ground level providing residents with a warm escape from the harsh winters above.
In conclusion, these abandoned underground cities hold a lot of history and fascinating stories behind them. They serve as reminders of how people lived in the past and can be great destinations for adventurous urban explorers. However, care must always be taken to ensure safety when exploring these places as they are often unstable, dangerous or illegal to enter without permission or supervision.