Discovering an underground world – under your home.
If you are looking for a unique and adventurous experience in Iran, you might want to visit the Nushabad Underground City, a 1500-year-old subterranean wonder that was built as a refuge from invaders and harsh weather, and was rediscovered recently by a local resident (in a manner not too different from how this massive underground city was discovered in Turkey).
Nushabad (or Noosh Abad) is a small town near Kashan, in Isfahan province. The name means “the city of cold tasty water”, because according to legend, one of the Sassanian kings who passed by this area was impressed by the quality of the water from a well. He ordered to build a city around it and named it Anoushabad, which later became Nushabad.
But the most remarkable feature of this town is not the well, but the underground city that lies beneath it. The underground city of Ouee (or Ouyi) is a complex network of tunnels, chambers, staircases, air ducts, water pipes, and booby traps that spans three levels and covers an area of about 4 square kilometers. It is considered a marvel of ancient engineering and architecture.
The underground city was built during the Sassanian era (224-651 CE), when Iran was frequently invaded by foreign enemies such as Romans, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks. The inhabitants of Nushabad dug underground chambers as hideouts for women, children, and the elderly in case of an attack. Over time, these chambers were connected and expanded into a city that could accommodate thousands of people for several days. The city had all the facilities needed for survival, such as storage spaces, toilets, ventilation shafts, and water wells.
The entrance to the underground city was hidden and camouflaged, and there were several ways to access it from different parts of the town. Some entrances were located inside the houses of people, and others were in public places such as the main fort.
The underground city was designed in such a way that it was easy to defend and hard to invade. The passages were narrow and curvy, allowing the inhabitants to ambush the enemies. There were also deep holes covered with rotating stones that would trap anyone who stepped on them.
The underground city was used until the Qajar era (1789-1925 CE), when it was gradually abandoned and forgotten. It was rediscovered in 2005, when a resident accidentally found a tunnel while digging a sewage ditch in his home. Since then, parts of the underground city have been excavated and opened to tourists who want to explore this hidden gem of ancient architecture.
If you are interested in visiting this amazing site, you can take a cab from Kashan, which is about 5 km away from Nushabad. You will need to pay an entrance fee and wear a helmet and a flashlight to enter the city. You will also need to be careful of the narrow and low passages, and the occasional bats that fly around.
Sources: 1, 2, 3