Kandovan, Iran

Perhaps nothing exemplifies the harmony of nature and human settlement more than the troglodyte and cave villages of the world. Many of these underground cities' structures were formed by natural processes such as erosion but man has taken advantage of these rock formations to carve out their own energy-efficient cave homes (they remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter) and permanent historical monuments. From ancient desert cities to modern European towns, we explore the incredible cave cities and villages that you can still visit.

Nestled in the remote northwest corner of Iran, in the foothills of Mount Sahand, the village of Kandovan is famous for its troglodyte and cave dwellings, some dating back thousands of years and still inhabited. The caves were carved from, according to Zoroastrian Heritage. The formations jut out form the earth in cone shapes, causing Kandovan's landscape to resemble giant termite colonies. The formations were said to be caused by volcanic ash and debris spewed during an eruption of Mount Sahand, which were over thousands of years, according to Iran Radio Culture.

Today,most of the cave homes of Kandovan range from two to four stories complete with living areas, a storage room and an animal shelter. Many have of the houses even have carved into the rock, according to Atlas Obscura.

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Goreme, Turkey

Turkey, particularly the region of Capadoccia, is home to a number of towns and villages comprised of incredible cave homes and dwellings. The village of Goreme, however, is one of the most striking, housing one of the world's biggest underground settlements and priceless examples of Byzantine art., but thousands of years ago humans started carving a chamber and tunnel complex into the soft rock, according to National Geographic.

The urbanized dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns of Goreme , according to UNESCO; homes, churches, stables and storehousesdug by the inhabitants into the soft stone. Unfortunately, the stunning formations of Goreme's landscape, including the cones, pillars and "fairy chimneys" that dot the landscape have had some damage from earthquakes and some vandalism by tourists have been reported. The structures will also continue to be at risk from erosion and other natural processes, says UNESCO.

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Guadix, Spain

A view of caves in Guadix, Granada, Spain, on July 31, 2012. The caves' origins date back to after the reconquest of Granada, in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs. (Jorge Guerrero/AFP/GettyImages)

Thought to be one of the oldest settlements in Spain, the town of Guadix in the province of Granada is known for its historic monuments -- the medieval Arab Citadel, the Cathedral and various Mudejar-style buildings. But Guadix is most famous for its cave dwellings that are still inhabited today. The cave homes are -- a sign on the main street of the cave district identifies the town as "Barrio Troglodyte," according to Andalucia.com. The area is known to be the l, comprised of about 2,000 dwellings housing thousands of residents, according to SpainGuides.com.

The Andalucians are known to be fond of underground living because it is the best way of escaping the summer heat, according to Andalucia.com. Most of today's cave-dwellings have been restored, and some even feature luxurious and palatial interiors, with marble floors, fitted kitchens, faxes and internet connections. Purullena, a nearby village, has a disco inside a cave, and tourists can rent a cave to spend the night in many of the region's other villages.

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Matmata, Tunisia

To escape the very hot climate and desert winds of Matmata, Tunisia, local Berber residents have built incredible underground homes, some dug 23 feet into the ground. The Berber people of southern Tunisia , according to The Age, building their dwellings into the red clay of the hills.

The origin of this extraordinary place is not known, except from tales carried from generation to generation. Tthe underground settlements remained hidden for centuries, and no one had any knowledge of their existence until 1967.The homes in the village are typically created by digging a large pit in the ground. Around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by trench-like passageways. Today, Matmata is a popular tourist destination, especially for fans of "Star Wars." Scenes from the movie was filmed in the area, and offer adventurous travelers the chance to live like a local.

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Troo, France

France has an abundance of picturesque towns and villages, but in the department of Loir-et-Cher may be the most picturesque of them all. Known as the best preserved cave village in France, Troo features beautiful terraces, paths, caves and inhabited cave homes built into the slopes of a steep hill. The caves date back to the 11th and 12th century and the village is named after "trou" (French for "hole," but incorrectly mispronounced by the occupying English, according to the official website.

The cave homes are located along the rue haute (High Street) and are locally called caforts. An underground chapel, known as St. Gabriel attracted many pilgrims to Trôo, but is now destroyed. Tourists can still visit the church's staircase that stands in its original location. Other landmarks of the village include the , the Speak Well, and a war memorial by the sculptor Bourdelle, according to France-Voyage.com. The highlights of any visit to Troo, however, are the caves. Tourists can experience a cave dwelling (without knocking on a resident's door) by visiting La Cave Yuccas, a cave dwelling furnished with antiques, or the Friends of Troo cave, an exhibition which recreates a cave dwelling.

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Rochemenier, France

The troglodyte village of Rochemenierin the French commune of Louresse-Rochemenier is of underground or cave living, according to ExperienceLoire.com. Many of the cave homes in this village are still inhabited, but tourists can also visit restaurants, shops, and at least one church in caves. The village is also home to a museum, , according to the museum's official website. At the museum, tourists can view a traditional cave dwelling, a collection of furniture and tools related to troglodyte living, and an underground chapel. The chapel was built in the 13th century, and modernized with air conditioning.

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Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain

Located in Cadiz, Spain, the town of Setenil de las Bodegas features unique homes and dwellings built in to the rock walls of a narrow river gorge. The homes were created by enlarging natural caves or overhangs and adding an external wall. Unlike in no chimneys are visible here, just rows of houses that seem to support the rock from which they have been dug. In some areas of the town, it into the buildings themselves, Spain-Holiday.com describes. According to government data, Setenil has a .

The origins of the town are believed to date back thousands of years. There has been a in the 12th century, according to Andalucia.com. Given the evidence of other nearby cave-dwelling societies, such as those at the Cueva de la Pileta west of Ronda, where habitation has been tracked back more than 25,000 years, it is possible that Setenil was occupied much earlier. It was certainly occupied during the Roman invasion of the region in the first century AD.

Aside from the cave houses and tunnels, other attractions in the town include a16th-century Gothic church, in the center of the village next to an Arab tower, and the ruins of a Muslim castle, according to Frommers. Of all the streets in town, Calle Herreria is the oldest, its houses wedged into the massive rock.

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