Noosh Abad underground city adjoining the Central Desert of Iran consists of many labyrinthic corridors, rooms and wells. The history of the complex backs to pre-Islamic era and was mainly used for sheltering and defense purposes extended up to recent centuries. Entrances to the city were from population concentration points like water reservoirs, markets, fortress and also some individual houses. 

At the moment visitors can enter the city from two entrances both opened adjacent to two old water reservoirs. All the photos are taken on hand, no flash.

At least since 1500 year ago, in Sassanian period  (224-637 CE), people at this part of Iran who had the fear of being invaded by some foreigners started to think how they could escape such unwanted death. Fleeing to the mountains and shifting from settled life to nomadic life has been an option. 

The handmade complex spread under the city in thousands of sq. meters, in depth of 4 to 18 meters. 

There are many spaces within the city, each consist of interconnected, 180 cm height rooms for temporary settlement connecting through angled corridors (preventing direct sight), toilets, supply stocks and guarding place. 

Lighting was provided by fat burning lamps. The city was built in 3 stories, each part 3 to 5 meters in depth connecting via some narrow manholes. The architecture of the stories dictates upward movement providing maximum protection against invaders. Delaying any enemy penetration was performed by anticipating some physical obstacles and traps, in conjunction with darkness. Natural air conditioning and water supply of the city are among its ancient engineering wonders. 

However, once Nosh Abad inhabitants felt the threat of some invaders coming to their area, they went into some wells to get their hideouts. At the bottom, these shafts lead to the connected network of corridors, chambers, more downward wells, etc. From the top, it looked like it’s another dry well in this desert town.

The depth of the wells had been decided in a way that they didn’t reach the water tables or wet grounds, but they were deep enough to be accepted as an ordinary well. Such shafts led people to the floor -1. 

There are 3 other floors underneath such level meaning other wells had been dug as down as -4 floor to which people could go down and seek shelter.

They had to think about having food to eat and water to drink. So, there must have been some reserves of foodstuff as well. Light and air are two other important factors essential to the people who stayed down there during the hiding.

Ancient Iranians already had the know-how required to make such underground network of corridors and arrange for some temporary residence at the times of invasion. This was not a foreign concept to them at all.

When people arrived in the underground network of corridors and chambers, each had a space with their families. This is what one may conclude by looking at the structure or architecture of such dug-out corridors and recessed spaces.

From human point of view and considering the horrified life people could have lived here, one really feels sorry for the things happening to these people back in the tense history of this country. Just imagine you had to take your family with you into such holes and spend some time, short or long, into such chambers and ask them to keep quiet and pray for their lives!

The history of mankind shows a lot of such brutal invasions and loss of lots of innocent civilians’ lives who are not beneficiaries in either cases of victory or defeat. On the contrary, in both cases, they lose, suffer and go down.

From innovation point of view, once the need to survive presses upon you, you will come up with solutions. As a hard-working nation with 1000s of years of background in engineering and architecture, Iranians have managed to survive putting into action such experiences form other projects and similar occasions.

From resistance point of view, Iranians have always shown how steadfast they are in defending themselves and creating life in very unfriendly conditions. Oasis settlements in the hearts of deserts are great examples of bringing water, life, to the middle of literally nowhere. 

When you travel in Iran and come across a green patch in the middle of a vast desert, there must have been some Kariz system already dug out since several centuries ago by our ancestors to bring water to that spot.

Noosh Abad ancient underground city isn’t the only example of such resistance and ambition to survive. There are other similar networks found in other parts of Iran as well. (Source: destinationiran.com)