The world is full of fascinating and beautiful wonders that attract millions of visitors
every year, but there are certain places on our planet that you cannot visit for different
reasons.
Some are considered to be among the scariest places on earth, while others need to be protected
from human influence and interference.
5.
Pluto's Gate
A forbidden place located in southwestern Turkey known as the site of the Ploutonion
at Hierapolis or Pluto’s Gate, was discovered in 1965 by Italian archeologists.
It was then further explored in 2013 by another Italian team, led by Francesco D’Andrea,
who was an archeology professor at the University of Salento in Lecce.
After tracking the route of a thermal spring, the site was unearthed and it was found to
closely resemble the description of a temple to the underworld that disappeared in the
6th century after being decimated by Christians.
It is not known exactly how old the site is, but since the nearby city of Hierapolis was
founded around 190 BC; it is assumed that the gate is likely of the same age.
In Greco-Roman mythology and tradition, the cave is described as being the portal to the
underworld and was used in ancient rituals where sacrifices were made to the gods.
Historic sources describe the space to be filled with lethal vapors, with one Greek
geographer called Strabo, describing it as being so misty and dense with gases, that
it was barely possible to see the ground.
Once the site was further excavated, more ruins were discovered including Ionic Semi-columns
containing an inscription which was a dedication to Pluto and Kore, the deities of the underworld.
Above the cave, D’Andrea found the ruins of a temple, a pool and a series of steps
from where people could view the sacred rites that were performed there in ancient times.
Onlookers were not allowed to approach the area at the opening, however, as only priests
were permitted to stand in front of the portal and it is said that only the eunuchs of Cybele
(sigh bell), an ancient fertility goddess, were able to enter the gate without suffering
any harm.
It is also believed that the site was used as an area where incubation rites were performed.
Pilgrims would drink from a pool located near the temple and would sleep near the cave.
They would then receive visions and prophecies, now known to be hallucinations caused by the
toxic fumes that rise from the cave’s groundwater.
Due to its lethal nature and historical significance, the site is completely off limits to visitors.
4.
Metro-2, Russia
The existence of a highly forbidden place, the Metro-2 underground railway line, has
been speculated over for many decades and is said to have been built during Joseph Stalin’s
rule in Russia.
It is believed to still be in use and operated by Russia’s Main Directorate of Special
Programmes and the Ministry of Defense.
It is rumored that Metro-2 exceeds the public Metro line in length and that it connects
the Kremlin with the Federal Security Service headquarters as well as the government airport
and an underground town at Ramenki that can accommodate up to 30, 000 people, to name
but a few locations of national importance.
A subterranean exploration group known as The Diggers, has reported that it has not
only found the tunnels, but that they have explored the line and gotten to know their
way around it.
On the 6th of August, 2020, a popular Russian urban exploration YouTuber was arrested after
he was suspected of leaking information related to Metro-2 to the Ukraine.
When a USB flash drive, which he took with him to the Ukraine was found in his possession
containing information on Metro-2, which is considered a state secret, he was taken into
custody and faces between three and eight years in prison.
Other sources that seem to confirm the existence of Metro-2 include a report published in 1991
by the United States Department of Defense which contains a diagram of the system, superimposed
on a map of Moscow.
In 1992, the Deputy Director Broadcaster spoke about a series of tunnels and bunkers that
exist about 19 miles northeast of Moscow.
He stated that they were built at large depths in case of nuclear war, but that many of the
tunnels were now flooded and that equipment found there has become unusable due to ageing.
In 2004, several Russian officials confirmed that there is a railway line running underground
which was built due to Stalin’s paranoia of being assassinated.
3.
The Lascaux Caves
On the 12th of September, 1940, 18-year old Marcel Ravidat (rah vee datt) discovered the
Lascaux Caves when his dog, Robot, fell down a fox hole on Lascaux Hill.
He returned with three of his friends, who helped him widen the hole and with the help
of a makeshift lamp, they made their way down a 50-foot shaft which led them to the caves.
They returned on the 21st of September, accompanied by a curator at the Prehistory Museum and
a Catholic priest who made sketches of the paintings, many of which are still used today
to study the paintings, as the originals have started to degrade significantly.
Containing over 600 prehistoric wall- and ceiling paintings from around 17, 000 years
ago, the caves are situated in southwestern France.
The paintings depict mostly large animals and plant life that would have been common
at the time, as is evidenced by fossils from the same era that were found in that area.
They are thought to be the combined effort of generations of people who recorded their
successful hunts and the animals that they saw while living in the area and contain depictions
of horses, deer, ibex, bison and a number of large cats.
The caves were opened to the public on the 14th of July 1948 with archeological investigations
starting during the following year.
The caves would see up to 1,200 visitors a day, but this caused a rise in humidity, carbon
dioxide and heat which allowed fungi to thrive, causing serious damage to the paintings.
Consequently, the caves became highly forbidden places in 1963 and the paintings were restored
to their original states.
Replicas of the caves have been created to give people the chance to experience the paintings
for themselves, but the original caves remain closed to the public and are monitored for
air quality on a weekly basis.
2.
Ise Grand Shrine
The Ise Grand Shrine, which you cannot visit, is located in the middle of an ancient forest
in the Mie Prefecture of Japan.
It is a shrine that is dedicated to Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun.
First built in 4 BCE, it is considered to be the most important shrine in the country
along with a separate shrine dedicated to the goddess of food.
Although the site attracts as many as 6 million pilgrims and visitors each year, members of
the public are not permitted beyond an area where the shrine’s thatched roofs can be
seen.
They are, however, allowed to explore the surrounding forest and walkways which date
back to the Meiji period.
The chief priest or priestess, who is responsible for overseeing the shrine, must be a part
of the Imperial House of Japan.
According to the second oldest book of classical Japanese history, the shrine was established
when the daughter of Emperor Suinin wandered through the regions of Omi and Mino for 20
years in search of a permanent place to worship Amaterasu.
When she arrived in Ise, she is said to have heard the goddess’ voice saying: “This
is a secluded and pleasant land.
In this land I wish to dwell" and she took it as a sign to build the shrine.
Every 20 years, the shrine is dismantled and rebuilt on an adjacent site according to exact
specifications and a construction technique that uses cypress wood and no nails, relying
instead on joints in the wood to keep it upright.
This is done due to the Shinto belief of the passing and rebirth of nature, as well as
the impermanence of all things and as a gesture to the deity who is said to dwell within.
The current iteration of the shrine, which is the 62nd version, was built in 2013 and
it is scheduled to be dismantled and rebuilt again in 2033.
Although the shrine was not originally decorated with gold and copper adornments, these were
added over time as technology advanced and Buddhist influence started to take hold.
Since power tools are not allowed during the construction of the shrine, building teams
need to have a very particular and ancient set of skills with preparations starting around
6 years before the rebuilding date.
1.
Dulce Base
Dulce Base is rumored to be one of 130 Deep Underground Military Bases that exist in the
United States.
Geologist and explosive expert, Phil Schneider, claims that he worked at 13 of these scary
places, including Dulce Base where he and his team helped with its excavation in 1979.
It is said to be located near the town of Dulce on the Colorado-New Mexico border and
that it is ground zero for extraterrestrials that are working side-by-side with the US
government.
Schneider stated that, during excavation, they drilled holes on top of an alien city,
resulting in a battle with alien “grays” that ended the lives of 66 Secret Service
Agents, FBI Agents and others.
During the battle, he received a beam-weapon blast from one of the extraterrestrials which
caused the loss of several of his toes and fingers and later caused cancer in his body.
He would later show the scar on his chest as proof during lectures on Deep Underground
Military Bases.
He further claimed to have knowledge of the Grenada Treaty which was established in 1954
between “gray” aliens and the US government as a mutual cooperation pact and of stealth
aircraft technology that has been developed thanks to reverse engineering performed on
alien craft.
In the same year, businessman, Paul Bennewitz became convinced that he was picking up electronic
communications from an unknown source and when he investigated further, discovered the
underground base at Dulce and that the signals originated from there.
Many people believe that the base is constructed in various levels that include areas where
genetic; mind control and cryogenic experiments are carried out.
It is also said that the base serves as a hub for an underground transportation system
which connects a number of other bases, one of which is situated in Taos.
Tim Anderson, who was a 14-year police veteran in Dulce, reported that he saw a strange,
flying object while working in a nearby canyon in the 1990s.
He stated that the craft lit up the entire valley before disappearing into the rocks
on the mountain, as if retreating underground.
However, political scientist, Michael Barkun, has said that Cold War underground missile
installations in the Dulce area have given these rumors superficial plausibility.
He claims that tales of experiments on abductees and firefights between aliens and humans have
caused reports of the Dulce underground base to be seen as “well outside even the most
far-fetched reports of secret underground bases".