Loading...It’s not every day that you decide to start building a gigantic underground secret temple. But that’s exactly what Oberto Airaudi did 1975, spurred on along with his 24 followers by the sight of a shooting star. Over the next 15 years, Airaudi and his steadily increasing number of followers built the fascinating underground temple that is Damanhur; all by hand, all done by followers none of whom were architects or construction workers. And if you take a look at Damanhur, which you will get to see in the video above, you’ll know why that’s impressive: the temple is gigantic, astonishingly intricate, and covered in murals, tiled mosaics, statues, stained glass, and more.
The video above, made by Atlas Obscura, tells the story of Oberto Airaudi, his followers, and the creation of the “Federation Of Damanhur”. If nothing else, the temple of Damanhur is an amazing feat of construction and artistic architecture, and what a bunch of people can do if they come together under a specific goal. (even if they are followers of a leader of a cult, but that’s beside the point)