The Dhaka Times Desk The name of the place is Coober Pedy. It is the only underground city in the world. Coober Pedy is located in the north western desert about 800 km from the famous city of Adelaide in Australia. The most amazing thing is that Coober Pedy was once 100% uninhabited. It is still uninhabitable. Because the temperature here rises to 50 degrees Celsius in summer. Again in winter the temperature drops below zero degree. It is really difficult for people to adapt in such a situation.
Along with all this, there are also dust storms, water problems etc. So it was unimaginable that people would live in Coober Pedy. The unimaginable became a reality. Against all odds, Coober Pedy has grown into a modern city. The city is not above ground but below ground. Coober Pedy with its modern urban amenities includes restaurants, bookstores, churches, entertainment centers, clubs, banks, art galleries, market complexes. There is everything to compete with any modern city in the world. But this splendor here was not built in a day. There is an interesting story behind it. Mixed with the rocky terrain of this Coober Pedy was a special kind of gem. The name of this gem is Opal. The peculiarity of this place was first discovered by a fourteen-year-old boy named Will Hutchison. The incident was in 1911. Before this interesting discovery, the inhabitants were desert snakes, poisonous insects, lizards and emu birds. But the discovery of opal began to change Coober Pedy.
After the discovery of opal, many gem seekers migrated here. The search for gems began. Gradually the commercial importance of Coober Pedy began to increase. There is also a little history behind the naming of Coober Pedy. The indigenous people here named the place Kupa City after seeing the miners' excavations in their language. Which means the white man's hole in the ground. With the evolution of time it changed and became Coober Pedy. All deserts are scorching hot during the day and bone-chillingly cold at night. Once you go a little underground, everything becomes different. Earth itself is like a natural air conditioner. Therefore, an average tolerable temperature is obtained under the soil throughout the year. Digging on the other hand requires miners to spend most of the day underground. So what's wrong with making a living room there!
If it is under the ground, it can be saved from dust storms. The construction of underground settlements began. This is how Coober Pedy was formed. Not only a place to stay, electricity system has been created, solution to the water problem. The people of Coober Pedy are very water conscious. Because of the scarcity of water in the desert, they recycle the water used for bathing and washing for other purposes. But despite these difficulties, today's Coober Pedy is so crowded that many tourists from Australia visit for a glimpse. And the local residents have no say. A number of Coober Pedy residents have returned to Coober Pedy after spending some time away, having decided to live elsewhere. This strangely beautiful underground city will fascinate anyone.
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