Chilling Facts About The World's Most Mysterious Ancient Cities
Like the world’s modern inhabitants, ancient humans tended to gather into large groups. They built cities to live and work in, much like we do today.
But when those cities perished, so did their citizens, taking with them almost every trace of their culture and lifestyle. Who knows what once-great civilization existed just below our modern metropolises?
We may be standing on the shoulders of giants—and, if some legends are believed, that phrase might be shockingly literal. Here are 42 facts about mysterious ancient cities.
Mysterious Ancient Cities Facts
42. Another Day at The Salt Mines
We’re not sure how salt mines became the go-to metaphor for a dull, tedious job, but clearly the medieval salt miners of Poland didn’t feel that way. They spent their downtime decorating the salt mines with elaborate friezes and sculptures.
Their idle carving and sculpting eventually evolved into the construction of a full-blown cathedral, hundreds of miles below what is now the city of Krakow.
41. Lots of Time
To carve an entire cathedral—complete with chandeliers and a life-size replica of “The Last Supper”—must have taken up a lot of lunch breaks. Luckily, the Wieliczka Salt Mine was in continuous operation from the 13th century until 2007.
40. The Bunker
The subterranean French city of Naours was built to provide refuge from invasion and enemy attack. The city’s 300 rooms, connected by 200 miles of tunnels, provided ample hiding space for besieged medieval villagers.
The city lay forgotten for hundreds of years before reprising its military role during the First World War, when Allied soldiers recovered there following the Battle of the Somme.
