Someone once said that if everything is bad on the surface of the Earth, you can hide under the ground. Perhaps the ancient Berber tribes in Tunisia knew something we don't know. So three thousand years ago they started building their homes underground.

You come to Matmata, a city near Gabès, and your first thought is: "What can I see here? All around is a desert". Indeed, at first glance, the city looks like an endless sandy field. However, perplexity is quickly replaced by interest and delight. You walk on the hot reddish sand looking for something entertaining and notice a funnel, a huge pit, in front of you. And another one is further onward.

This is the main attraction of the city of Matmata and the whole country: cave houses. Three thousand years ago, to escape the heat of the day and the cold of the night, and to hide from enemies, the Berbers decided to dig their homes in the sand.

First, a huge pit was dug in the sand, and then the side elements, rooms, were made in a circle. If you want a large living room combined with a kitchen so that all the relatives can fit, then work with your hands. A large pit is a courtyard through which air and heat entered the houses.

Although the first houses appeared many years ago, there are still people in these sand palaces. Most of the Berbers migrated to the surface, as the caves can be easily drowned by the floodwaters. Despite the danger, some families follow the traditions of their ancestors.

Pay for the entrance and you will be allowed to go inside, treated with delicious mint tea with scones, and tell fascinating stories. The interior of the cave houses is very modest. Just everything you need for everyday life. All decorative details are outside. Although the Berbers try to live the way their ancestors did, they could not abandon some of the benefits of civilization. For example, electricity.

By the way, you can even spend the night in these houses. It is a very unusual feeling: you are not sleeping on the sand but in the sand.