The unknown has always intrigued mankind. 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 them end in the death of researchers.
There are many legends and scientific assumptions about who created these structures and why. Some suggest that these were the shelters of ancient people, others put forward the hypothesis that the underground cities were built by disappeared terrestrial or alien civilizations. After all, there are fairy tales and fantastic stories about peoples living underground, but there is no evidence that everything in them is a complete fiction.
Derinkuyu is an underground city in Turkey, the most explored and famous to date. It was opened in 1963 in Central Cappadocia. A whole network of multi-tiered cities is located on this territory,going deep into the earth. According to Turkish scientists, the lowest level of Derinkuyu open to the public reaches 85 meters. According to researchers, there are about 20 more tiers below. At the moment, 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 are still disputes. Some scientists date the origin of the VI century BC. e., suggesting that they were created by the early Christians as a refuge from persecution. Others claim that the network of cities originated over 13 million years ago and was built by an unknown ancient civilization. One way or another, not a single burial place of those who created this masterpiece of underground architecture has yet been found.
No less interesting are the underground cities built in the last century in various countries by our contemporaries. 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 1,000 square meters), it could accommodate up to 4,000 people at a time. Hospitals, railway stations, roads and a kind of tanker for drinking water were built in the city. Throughout the Cold War, Burlington was kept ready to receive the people.
Chinese leader Mao Zedong has surpassed the British. Thema secret underground city was erected near Beijing, stretching for 30 km. Although its purpose was to protect government members and their families in case of war, the city's infrastructure is quite large. Hospitals, shops, schools, hairdressers and even a roller skating stadium were built in the underground. It also built an extensive network of bomb shelters. Almost half of the population of the upper city could accommodate 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 public visits. Most of the territory is given over to youth camp sites.
