Davelis Cave

Davelis cave as of 2009

Davelis Cave (Greek: Σπήλαιο Νταβέλη) is a well-known cave in Penteli, a mountain to the north of Athens, Greece.

Discovery

Davelis Cave was brought to light ca. the 5th century BC. The surrounding area was used as a marble quarry by the builders of the Acropolis, and the cave was discovered by chance, during works for the extraction of marble.

Name

The cave's name comes from the wide belief that an infamous 19th century brigand called Davelis (real name Christos Natsios) used the cave as a hideout. This fact, though, is not verifiable historically. The myth says that Davelis hid his treasure inside the cave.

The official name of the cave is simply "Cave of Pendeli".

Religious uses

In Antiquity, the cave was a place of worship for the followers of Pan and the nymphs.

During the Middle Ages, it was used by Orthodox Christian hermits, and later a small church was built at the entrance of the cave, featuring an unusual double layout: one part devoted to Saint Spyridon and one to Saint Nicholas. This unusual layout has led to the construction of the church being associated^[who?] with Gnostics.

The cave is also believed to have been (and possibly still is) used by other religious groups, mainly occultists.

Military uses

Many times during its history, the cave has been used as a shelter for civilians.

In 1977, construction works started at the cave. It was not clear who was behind it. It must have been top U.S. governmental pressures to the Greek government. The exact nature or target of those works never became known, and the works ceased a few years later, in 1983.^{[citation needed]}

A widely publicised rumour claims that the aim of the works was to create a nuclear weapon storage facility in the cave. However, the few completed parts of the works (that are deserted and easily accessible to the public, today) make this claim seem very unrealistic.

More realistic scenarios suggest that the site would be a radar base or a communication base (similar bases of the Greek Army and the US Army exist in other parts of the mountain).

One thing is for sure: Experiments took place in the cave or in the artificial tunnels around it.

Paranormal activity

The cave has been associated with paranormal activity since the ancient times, this being the main reason behind its use as a place of worship.^{[citation needed][original research?]}

The mystical character of the cave continues to fascinate people even today, and dozens of urban legends connected to the cave exist. However, no definitive proof of any paranormal activity in or around the cave exists.

Climbing

Many people visit the cave and exercise themselves in climbing. The entrance of the cave is one of the most famous climbing routes in Greece.

External links

• Pendeli at iranon.gr , a reliable and widely quoted source of information on the mountain and the cave. (in Greek)
• The Pendeli Riddle
• Daveli's Cave