Photo by @tamaramerino_photography / Mbacke, who lives in a cave for financial reasons, smokes tobacco inside his home in Granada. While Spain's Sacromonte caves are known for their large Romany community, residents come from around the globe. The rocky formations first served as a sanctuary from wild storms and predatory animals. Later they offered protection from religious and racial persecution. Now the structures are home to unique and quietly proud communities who have eschewed modern life for the peaceful solitude of the mountains. People have been living in these caves for more than 500 years, and today it's the largest cave settlement in Europe. This photo is part of my series Underland, which documents communities living underground or in caves around the world. And each of the communities I’ve documented—from Australia and Spain to the United States—have their own sociocultural, environmental, economic, or religious reason for living underground. Follow me on @tamaramerino_...