Catacombs of Paris

Under the magnificent view of Paris, there is another world that is as dark as it’s glorious. The Catacombs of Paris, which contains bones of more than 6 million bodies, was used as a mine in the 15th century. It means that these mine tunnels have existed since the Roman Empire. The catacombs of Paris are so huge that some tunnels are 320 kilometers long, and they are located 20 meters below ground. The use of these abandoned stone mines as graveyards came to the fore towards the end of the 18th centuries.

There were two main reasons for this decision at that time. The first reason was that poorly preserved tombs contaminated drinking water, thus unhealthy conditions spread disease. Further, it was thought that the quality of milk and wine, the most sacred drinks of the period, decreased for this reason. The second reason was related to the Saints-Innocents cemetery, which was closed in 1780 after nearly ten centuries of consecutive use. For this reason, the bones of many tombs were evacuated and transferred. They were mostly transferred at night to prevent hostile reactions from the people of Paris and the Church. It is also thought that the bones of some important people like  Charles Perrault (poet), Jean de La Fontaine (poet), Simon Vouet (painter),  Salomon de Brosse (architect), and François Girardon (sculptor) who were buried in crowded graves before, were later moved to the Catacombs.

The Catacombs, which have existed for a long time and have witnessed various periods of history, were strategically important for both sides of the war in the Second World War. French soldiers were actively using the underground tunnel system to hide during the war and plan attacks against the Germans. The Catacombs also helped them not to be seen by German spies. Likewise, there are a lot of shelters created and used by the Nazi soldiers in the tunnels.

From The Underground Cemetery To The Art Gallery

The Catacombs became a center of attraction for royal families and noble people, and in 1867, the area was opened to the public. Despite the huge field of the tunnel, only the 2 kilometer field is open to the public. Although it is called a catacomb, it is also seen as an art gallery due to the carefully piled human bones.

The Catacombs can be accessed from different points, such as sewer canals and subway tunnels. These entrance points are kept as a secret for any possibility of abuse. First, in the 1980s, a team gathered to explore the tunnels. During this exploration, a movie theater and many other hidden meeting places were found in the tunnels. With a later incident, it became clear that these tunnels were also used for secret events and parties. To prevent such illegal entrances, the French police formed a police team solely responsible for this duty.

You can visit the Catacombs of Paris online at this address;

https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/visite-virtuelle/

Sources;

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