Sassi di Matera the oldest cave city in the world

Formed from the Stone Age and is one of the first settlements of people in Italy, until now, residents are still living in the city Sassi di Matera cave.

Sassi di Matera is located in the province of Matera, Italy, the city built from rock dating back at least 9,000 years ago. Currently, residents are still living in this ancient city.

"Sassi di Matera" means "stone of Matera". As the name implies, the entire house in this ancient city on the formation of caves deep in the mountains. In 1993, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Sassi di Matera recognized as World Heritage in the category of historical and cultural world.

The researchers identified history, Sassi di Matera can be one of the first settlements of Italy, in existence since the Stone Age. The first residents using iron tools, and to cut the mountain, building multi-story homes feature deep canyons and stairs lost in the maze.

Sassi di Matera is the city's oldest cave inhabited world constantly. This day, the stone house has been renovated in line with modern life. Each house has its own drainage system.

In 1950, the government Sassi di Matera Italy planned to restaurants, hotels serving tourists.

With seemingly only scene in the cartoon, Sassi di Matera attract large foreign tourist. It is also the world's filmmakers preferred to use as a backdrop in the movie.

At night, scenery adds to the magical by countless candles lit simultaneously in more than 150 churches in the city.

The interior of the stone house.

However, to obtain scenic Sassi di Matera history as today, the people living here had to go through the arduous days. Prior to the late 20th century, this is not more slum conditions such as lack of water struggling, lack of electricity, waste treatment systems. Consequently, disease outbreaks, not to mention the worst malaria epidemic.

After World War II, people with the condition to the apartments built according to modern architecture, just stay poor. Sassi di Matera until UNESCO, the new people's lives improved.