The unknown has always intrigued humanity. Underground cities, especially ancient ones, attract interest like a magnet. The most attractive are those that are open, but little studied. Some underground cities of the world have not yet been explored, but scientists are not to blame for this - all attempts to penetrate into them end with the death of researchers.
There are many legends and scientific assumptions about who and why created these structures. Some suggest that these were the shelters of ancient people, others hypothesize that underground cities were built by extinct terrestrial or alien civilizations. After all, there are fairy tales and fantastic tales about peoples living underground, but there is no evidence that everything in them is a complete fabrication.
Derinkuyu is an underground city in Turkey, the most explored and famous to date. It was opened in 1963 in Central Cappadocia. On this territory there is a whole network of multi-tiered cities that go deep into the earth. According to Turkish scientists, the lowest level of Derinkuyu open for visiting reaches 85 meters. According to researchers, below are about 20 tiers. Currently, 12 floors are open for tourists. On each tier you can find premises intended for housing, for keeping pets, temples, underground wells, ventilation shafts. But about who and when built the underground cities in Cappadocia, there is still debate. Some scientists date the occurrence of the VI century BC. e., suggesting that their early Christians created as refuge from persecution. Others claim that a network of cities arose more than 13 million years ago and was built by an unknown
ancient civilization. One way or another, but still not a single burial place has been found for those who created this masterpiece of underground architecture.
The underground cities built in the last century in various countries by our contemporaries are no less interesting. For example, Burlington, built in England for the British government. Its construction took place in the 50s of the last century and was intended to shelter the country's leadership from a nuclear strike. Despite the small size of the dungeon (only 1000 square meters), it could fit up to 4000 people at a time. Hospitals, railway stations, roads, and a unique tanker for drinking water were built in the city. Throughout the Cold War, Burlington was kept fully prepared for the acceptance of the people.
Chinese leader Mao Zedong surpassed the British. He built a secret underground city near Beijing, stretching for 30 km. Although its mission was to protect members of the government and their families in case of war, the city’s infrastructure is quite large. Hospitals, shops, schools, hairdressers and even a rollerskating stadium were built in the dungeon. Also, an extensive network of bomb shelters was built in it. Almost half the population of the upper city could be located in the underground city of Beijing. There are even suggestions that in many houses of the capital there are special mines that allow you to quickly descend into the dungeon. Since 2000, the city has been open to mass visits. Most of the territory given to youth hostels.