Oh yes, it does. Underneath the entire city of Paris runs a gigantic maze, a labyrinth.
The Catacombes de Paris ( The Catacombs of Paris) is a labyrinth, a maze that is actually the world's largest ossuary.
An ossuary is a site where the skeletal remains of people are stored, it serves as the final resting place for those whose remains are placed there. It is used in places where burial grounds are scarce.
Initially, the Parisian catacombs were a limestone mine.
So how did a harmless quarry change into a "kingdom of death"?
For that, we have to go back in history. And by going back I mean going back a few centuries, Specifically to the 9th century.
During the norman invasions, " Saints Innocent" Became the principal burial ground since the earlier Church Notre-Dame-des-Bois was demolished by the Normans and was replaced by Saint-Opportune parish church.
By the year 1130, it was official that "Saint innocent" Was the principal burial ground of Paris.
By the end of the century, all the burial grounds were overflowing. Les Halles, a marketplace beside the burial ground was also overflowing.
To accommodate more burials, the remains of the long-dead were exhumed and stored in buildings built in the cemetery itself.
By the end of the 18th century, the cemetery could not even accommodate a single burial. The cemetery was quite literally overflowing.
A lot of useless decrees were issues but in vain.
Lastly, the government had no other choice but to dump all the remains somewhere else.
At that time, the limestone quarries under the city came to the mind of the government. All the remains were dumped in that mine making it the largest ossuary in the world. It has the remains of more than six million Parisians. Can you believe, six million?!!!
The catacombs de Paris is around 2,000 miles long with a depth equal to a five-storied building in some parts. The sheer number of tunnels and caves in the catacombs is unknown to this day.
This catacomb because one of the largest tourist sites for everybody but it started with royalty. Napoleon the third is said to have visited the catacombs with his son.
Later on, the government renovated the catacombs and decoratively placed the skeletal remains in the walls of the catacombs in such a way it feels like the entire wall is made up of skulls and bones. Although only two miles of the catacombs are open for visits, the rest of it is Off-limits. It is illegal to go further on the catacombs. It is for the safety of the people because if you get lost in the catacombs..... Oh well, let's say that will the last day you will ever see the sun.
When we are talking about the catacombs, the cataphiles are to be mentioned. The cataphiles are the people who explore the catacombs for their own enjoyment. They are like a modern cult, an underground society. They know more about what is in the catacombs than anybody else. Tracking a cataphile is very difficult and even if a cataphile is tracked they are so tight-lipped that no information will ever leave them. Some photos surface here and there, some names surface here and there but mostly nobody knows who they are. They have special maps to lead them in and out of the catacombs. Since the catacombs have tones of entrances, they have their own share of entry and exit points.

a group of cataphiles.
The largest discovery of the cataphiles was when they found pools in the catacombs and some took a nice swim in them. So swimming in a pool while remains of dead people stare at you. Remarkable, isn't it?

Alison Teal, the first person to swim in the catacombs.
A place like this is bound to have stories, right?
Let's start with a recent one.
In the year 2004, a few police officers were assigned to investigate a part of the catacombs as a training exercise. They entered through an entrance not used by the public. After walking for a little while they came across a full-fledged amphitheater. An amphitheater inside the catacombs. It was fully equipped with everything required for screening. A 20 seater Hall, with a popcorn maker and a selection of noirs to choose from.
The next Hall they found was a fully stocked bar and restaurant, complete with tables and chairs. There were three telephone lines down there too. Three days later, the officers returned with a larger force to see how they were sourcing electricity from but there was no one to be found. All the cables were cut and there was no mark of anybody ever being there, except a note. The note read "Ne Cherchez pas" Which translates as "don't search for us". So who were they? A lot of rumors say they are a part of an underground society but no one knows for sure.
Another incident takes place in the 1990s when a group of cataphiles came across a video camera on the ground of a tunnel in the catacombs. There was some disturbing footage found on the camera. The footage was of a man going crazy inside the tunnel. The man was lost and had no idea where he was and he said that he is going to die there. The footage ends when the camera abruptly falls to the ground. To this day nobody knows who the man was or if he made it out safely.
Another story takes place during the French Revolution.
A man named Philibert Apsairt who worked as a doorman in Val-de-Grâce hospital, Paris entered the catacombs by mistake while trying to go to the cellar nearby. It is said that he only had a single candle with him which out moments after him entering the catacombs. What happened to him in the catacombs is not known to anybody. What we know is that his body was not found until 11 years later when a group of cataphiles came across the particular tunnel where he breathed his last. They identified the body by the ID card hanging from his belt. His body was buried in the exact spot where he died.
Some cataphiles say that sometimes they come across a few tunnels that pull them towards it. They heard voices or whispers coaxing them to go deeper, so deep that they might get lost.
On that note, if any of you ever visit the catacombs, try not to venture off into the catacombs. It will be a shame to lose you. Haha.
I hope you guys enjoyed this blog. If you are interested in topics like this I highly suggest you subscribe to this blog.
Stay safe and I will see you guys the next time.
Love, Anisha ❤
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