# @natgeo on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CK9MADoLAoD
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11686306-natgeo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/8d9ea30743.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-02-06T15:38:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Geographic (@NatGeo) — https://gondola.cc/NatGeo

## Caption

Photo by tamaramerino_photography / The front door of a cave protrudes slightly out of a rocky wall in Sacromonte. Many of these caves exist in a legal gray area, allowing for easy, and occasionally illegal, occupation. Though the Sacromonte caves are known as for their large Roma community, residents of the caves come from around the globe. In southern Spain, 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. 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_photography for more photos from Underland. #caves #undergroundhouse #underland

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 152,999
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- **Comments:** 372

## Tags

underland, caves, undergroundhouse

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