History Main / UnderCity

* Moscow has a lot of Soviet-era underground works, partly civilian (Metro) but mostly of Cold War era Soviet military origin. Urban legends tell about a whole system of special Metro for the government and underground vault-cities in case of a nuclear war, for generals and officers. Also included are older Tsarist era ruins and basements.

* Underground Seattle. This was a part of the late 19th century Seattle business district that was buried when the streets were regraded after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

* When the old SpiderMan villain, Comicbook/{{Venom}}, had his own comic released, he spent the first storyarc in a section of San Francisco that was buried and contained 1800's-era architecture (the city had simply built over it for some reason). Sadly, this was all mostly forgotten by the next miniseries.

* The Lost City in VideoGame/{{Thief}} game series.

* In the first anime of ''Anime/FullMetalAlchemist'', there is a hidden city [[spoiler:under central that has been destroyed in order to create a philosophers stone.]]

* Inverted in Creator/CSLewis's ''TheSilverChair''. The thriving kingdom of the Lady of the Green Kirtle is underneath the ruined city of the giants. [[spoiler:And there's an ''even deeper'' land beneath her kingdom]], which is abandoned but not for long.

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'', there is another city buried underneath Pyrite Town, known simply as "The Under". It is actually a full city (complete with shops, an inn, and fighting arena), rather than being just abandoned ruins and buildings.

* New York has become this in ''JudgeDredd''. MegaCity One is built on top of it and several others.

* Moscow has a lot of Soviet-era underground works, partly civilian (Metro) but mostly of Cold War era Soviet military origin. Urban legends tell about a whole system of special Metro for the government and underground vault-cities in case of a nuclear war, for generals and officers.

* Old Mournhold in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind: Tribunal''. And, as it turns out [[spoiler: the Dwemer had a settlement under Mournhold as well]].
** Part of [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion the Imperial City's]] AbsurdlySpaciousSewer are old Ayleid constructs whose purpose have been lost over the millenia.
** The city of Markarth in [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]] is built in and over an old Dwemer city.

* Old Mournhold in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls 3: Tribunal''.

* Blackreach in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', former capital of the Dwarven lands.

* Underground Seattle. This was a part of the late 19th century Seattle business district that was buried when the streets were regraded.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' [[VirginNewAdventures New Adventures]], there's the Undercity of [[MegaCity Spaceport Overcity Five]] -- or, as we would say, London. In this case, London wasn't buried: the entire Overcity floats above it on AntiGravity engines.

* [[CityOfAdventure Ankh-Morpork]] in ''{{Discworld}}'' novels: Because the city is built on soft loam, near an extremely turgid river, the ground levels of its buildings find themselves buried every generation or so. The standard remedy is to just build another level on top, so now the city descends through the earth to an unknown depth. This has caused friction between the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarfs]], who traditionally view anything underground as theirs, and the city's government, who think of those areas as sub-sub-basements and would rather not have unknown factors tunneling through them.

* in ''{{Torchlight}}'', you explore a stack of these, many layers deep.

* In IsaacAsimov's short story "Nightfall," archaeologists discover that a hill near their city is actually the ruins of several older cities, piled on top of each other. They all burned down at suspiciously regular intervals.

* Inverted in CSLewis's ''TheSilverChair''. The thriving kingdom of the Lady of the Green Kirtle is underneath the ruined city of the giants. [[spoiler:And there's an ''even deeper'' land beneath her kingdom]], which is abandoned but not for long.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_city Link]] to relevent page on TheOtherWiki.

!Examples

* Ankh-Morpork in "Discworld" novels: Because the city is built on soft loam, near an extremely turgid river, the ground levels of its buildings find themselves buried every generation or so. The standard remedy is to just build another level on top, so now the city descends through the earth to an unknown depth. This has caused friction between the Dwarfs, who traditionally view anything underground as theirs, and the city's government, who think of those areas as sub-sub-basements and would rather not have unknown factors tunneling through them.

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* Also in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', a literal inversion: the Undercity is the capital of the undead race, while the old city of Lourderon above it is the mostly-abandoned ruins.
* in {{Torchlight}}, you explore a stack of these, many layers deep.

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* Underground Seattle. This was a part of the late 19th century Seattle business district that was "buried" when the streets were regraded.

This isn't just any [[BeneathTheEarth underground system]], it must have been a real city at some point. Related to GhostCity and sometimes AbsurdlySpaciousSewer.

Literature: in IsaacAsimov's short story "Nightfall," archaeologists discover that a hill near their city is actually the ruins of several older cities, piled on top of each other. They all burned down at suspiciously regular intervals.

* I think Ankh-Morpork from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' has this. I think it's said something like "you can travel from one place of the town to another just by breaking the walls".
** To expand on Ankh-Morpork: because the city is built on soft loam, near an extremely turgid river, the ground levels of its buildings find themselves buried every generation or so. The standard remedy is to just build another level on top, so now the city descends through the earth to an unknown depth. This has caused friction between the Dwarfs, who traditionally view anything underground as theirs, and the city's government, who think of those areas as sub-sub-basements and would rather not have unknown factors tunneling through them.

* The ruins of ancient Pompeii in Italy buried under whatever the city now on top of it is called. IDK if it's still called Pompeii or not.
* Heck, Rome is like this, and likely many other cities in Europe.

@ Chicagomel: Napoli, (Naples) Italy was constructed on top of the buried ruins of Pompeii.

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TruthInTelevision: Underground Seattle. This was a part of the late 19th century Seattle business district that was "buried" when the streets were regraded.

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I think Ankh-Morpork from {{Discworld}} had this. I think it's said something like "you can travel from one place of the town to another just by breaking the walls".

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New York buried under New New York in {{Futurama}}

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* ''StarWars'' has [[CityPlanet Coruscant]], where the ground is always buried under at least five layers of ancient skyscrapers.
* Cities in ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' almost invariably have such an "undercity". They're considered the natural consequence of being established for as long as ''any'' [=WH40K=] city.

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* Metru Nui in Bionicle, under the island of Mata Nui.
* SaintsRow 2 has Old Stilwater, an earthquake-ruined underground district from approximately 1940-1965, inhabited by hobos, accessed by entering the old mission house.

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* The Undertown in ''TheDresdenFiles'' is located under Chicago, consisting of old buildings that sank into the ground under their own weight. It is populated by various supernatural nasties.
* The Undercity in ''BaldursGate'' is an ancient settlement located in a cave underneath the eponymous city. It is apparently big enough to house an enormous temple of Bhaal and many supporting structures.

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The 2003 TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles had a lost alien city below New York, as well as a rotting system of abandoned mining tunnels where some of The Shredder's mutates lived.

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[[AC:Anime]]
* In the first anime of Anime/FullMetalAlchemist, there is a [[spoiler:hidden city under central that has been destroyed in order to create a philosophers stone.]]

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Another TruthInTelevision one is the ruins of ancient Pompeii in Italy buried under whatever the city now on top of it is called. IDK if it's still called Pompeii or not.

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Heck, Rome is like this, and likely many other cities in Europe.

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To expand on Ankh-Morpork: because the city is built on soft loam, near an extremely turgid river, the ground levels of its buildings find themselves buried every generation or so. The standard remedy is to just build another level on top, so now the city descends through the earth to an unknown depth. This has caused friction between the Dwarfs, who traditionally view anything underground as theirs, and the city's government, who think of those areas as sub-sub-basements and would rather not have unknown factors tunneling through them.

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@ Chicagomel: Napoli, (Naples) Italy was constructed on top of the buried ruins of Pompeii.

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Thanks for all your examples! What should I do next? This is the first time I'm writing a trope article from scratch.

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Old Mournhold in TheElderScrolls 3: Tribunal.

TruthInTelevision: Moscow has a lot of Soviet-era underground works, partly civilian (Metro) but mostly of Cold War era Soviet military origin. Urban legends tell about a whole system of special Metro for the government and underground vault-cities in case of a nuclear war, for generals and officers.

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{{Berserk}} has a massive prison tower built on the ruins of an older city.

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[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* ''DungeonsAndDragons''
** Judges Guild module ''Dark Tower''. In the BackStory, a small village grew up around the White Tower of Mitra. When the Black Tower of Set appeared nearby, the village was buried by the landslides caused by the battle between the two towers. Within a decade a new village of treasure seekers called Mitras's Fist was established on the ground where the old village had stood. When the new villagers began digging down to find the old village, imagine their surprise when they found someone digging ''up'' to meet them...

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Also from {{Discworld}}, the mine-city of the Low King of the Dwarfs is built mostly under the surface town of Bonk.

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I'd say start by editing the examples listed in the comments into the body of the entry.

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PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor has the ancient city buried under Rogueport.

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* NeilGaiman's {{Neverwhere}} has a London Below which consists largely of places buried and forgotten by London Above.

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In AvatarTheLastAirbender, Old Ba Sing Se is buried under Ba Sing Se.

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* ''Cities of the Underworld'' is a documentary series that aired on the History Channel and explored subterranean structures under various cities and historic sites around the world.

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* TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons, naturally.
** TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms has cities built this way, particularly big and old ones like Westgate. In another way, Waterdeep stands on the still active Undermountain complex and [[NotSoSafeHarbor Skullport]] city and Ravens Bluff stands above an abandoned dwarven city under which there's in turn an abandoned drow city.

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{{Futurama}} has Old New York (where all the {{mutant}}s live) underneath New New York.

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UndergroundCity for the name? Or just UnderCity?

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I pondered that but remember there was already a series of that name... but now that I checked, it is 'The Undercity', so yes, Under City might be better. :)

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[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* ''Dark Dungeon'' RPG, supplement ''Samaris, Island of Adventure''. At one time the entire island of Samaris was covered by a giant city, which was also called Samaris. The city was destroyed in a war between the North (led by the demonic wizard king Acecerax) and the South (led by the demon witch empress Vekna) two hundred years ago. Southport (the largest city on the island), Northport, Eastport, Westport and Zentrumstadt are smaller cities built upon its ruins.

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RealLife examples:

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There is something under several cities in {{Eberron}}. I believe there are the ruins of a city under storm reach. i think there is a forge or something under Sharn. I am sure this trope exists somewhere in canon eberron.

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Inverted in CSLewis's ''TheSilverChair''. The thriving kingdom of the Lady of the Green Kirtle is underneath the ruined city of the giants. [[spoiler:And there's an ''even deeper'' land beneath her kingdom, which is abandoned but not for long.]]

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* VagrantStory has an Undercity area, notable for its high density population of undead.
* Blackreach in {{Skyrim}}, former capital of the Dwarven lands.

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* Fritz Lang's ''{{Film/Metropolis}}'', one of the first sci-fi movies ever made, may be one of the oldest cinematic examples.

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[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_city Link]] to relevent page on TheOtherWiki.

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Old Ironforge, located under the dwarven capital Ironforge in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''.

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Also in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', a literal inversion: the Undercity is the capital of the undead race, while the old city of Lourderon above it is the mostly-abandoned ruins.

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In PokemonColosseum, there is another city buried underneath Pyrite Town, known simply as "The Under". It is actually a full city (complete with shops, an inn, and fighting arena), rather than being just abandoned ruins and buildings. It is, however, permanently buried between the game and its sequel.

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I think this only needs some more hats...

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* In ''[[TheRiftwarCycle A Darkness at Sethanon]]'', the titular Sethanon was built right on top of an ancient [[{{Precursors}} Valheru]] city.

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This is part of BeneathTheEarth.

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Naples wasn't built on top of Pompeij - it's on the other side of Vesuvius, actually. So that example isn't valid.

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Hats were given. Now JustLaunchItAlready.

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* When the old SpiderMan villain, Comicbook/{{Venom}}, had his own comic released, he spent the first storyarc in a section of San Francisco that was buried and contained 1800's-era architecture (the city had simply built over it for some reason). Sadly, this was all mostly forgotten by the next miniseries.

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^ Probably because the older buildings had been ruined by the earthquake of 1904. More or less happened in Real Life, although it's more like "they used the rubble to fill in parts of the bay and make more space".

VideoGames: in {{Torchlight}}, you explore a stack of these, many layers deep.

Literature: in IsaacAsimov's short story "Nightfall," archaeologists discover that a hill near their city is actually the ruins of several older cities, piled on top of each other. They all burned down at suspiciously regular intervals.

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