The capital of France, known also as the City of Lights, serves as home to one of the most famous underground complexes in the world — the Paris Catacombs.
The catacombs are a part of a much larger ancient network of tunnels known as the Mines of Paris.
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© AP Photo / Francois Mori
In this photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, skulls and bones are stacked at the Catacombs in Paris, France
The origins of this underground network can be traced to the limestone quarries dating back to the times of the Roman Empire.
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© AP Photo / Michel Euler
A man's shadow is seen against one of the walls of the Paris Catacombs.
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© AP Photo / Francois Mori
The catacombs serve as a resting place for the remains of hundreds of thousands of the city's inhabitants.
People visit the section of Paris Catacombs that is open to the public.
In the late 18th century the Parisian city authorities began using the catacombs to rebury the remains of the people previously interred at the overpopulated cemetaries within the city limits.
Members of French special police squad "Brigade d'intervention de la compagnie sportive" walk in the Dragon room of the catacombs of Paris. August 20, 2009.
Only a small fraction of the catacombs network is open to the public, though it doesn't stop thrill-seekers and amateur spelunkers from exploring the subterranean complex illegally.
The Catacombs of Paris.
Approximately 300 Cataphiles - urban explorers who illegally tour the Mines of Paris - enter the network each week via hidden entrances, according to some estimates.
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© AP Photo / Francois Mori
Skulls and bones are stacked at the Catacombs in Paris, France. October 14, 2014.
The Catacombs of Paris.
