Construction on the Temples of Damanhur began in 1978 and continued sporadically over 15 years, as reported by ABC News. Although the Federation of Damanhur had just 24 initiates in 1975, by the time the organization launched its temple building efforts, approximately 150 followers worked on the secret passageways and chambers of the temples.
Remarkably, the operation proved so covert that the Italian government never knew about it, let alone permitted it. Esperide Ananas, the spokeswoman for the Temples of Humankind, explains how the Federation kept their secret: "When there was maybe loud work going on, we would play records. If somebody happened to hear, they would think we were just having a party." A party, indeed! And one going on hundreds of feet beneath the ground, to boot.
Of course, even the best-kept secrets come to light, and such proved the case with the Temples of Damanhur. As rumors increasingly swirled about the mysterious group and their activities, officials finally got wind of what was happening (via Atlas Obscura). Or so they thought. In 1992, a prosecutor and the police showed up at Damanhur looking for answers. They also demanded to see the subterranean depths they'd heard so much about. After touring the expansive underground structures, they felt awestruck. Italian officials couldn't argue with the beauty of the tunnels and their temples.
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