From the 8th - 13th centuries, it is believed that such caves provided refuge for the monks from Eastern Anatolia

Old Town, Matera

Unfortunately, by the 1950s the Sassi district was overtaken by squalor and poverty

The Sassi (cave) district of Matera

The town of Matera is perched on the edge of a deep ravine

It is divided into a bustling upper district and the quieter lower Sassi district

The people of Matera used to live in these cave dwellings

Peasants took over the caves in the 15th century[Matera - Italy]

By the 18th century some of these caves had evolved into fairly grand mansions and convents

Inhabitants were then forcibly rehoused

Today the streets and steps of Sassi lie empty and silent