Strange and Dangerous: What Lies at the Heart of Davelis Cave?

The Davelis Cave. Source: Violeta Meleti / CC BY-SA 4.0)

In Penteli, 40 km (25 miles) to the north of Athens, lies a cave filled with mysteries. There are stories about Davelis Cave that say that water flows uphill, that electronics seem to shut down inside it and that many explorers of the cave have never returned. These strange occurrences and many others have given the cave a reputation as a place of danger and dread.

The Cave Through History

Davelis cave was first discovered by accident in the 5th century BC. Greek workers were mining the local marble near the cave to use in the building of the Acropolis, when they stumbled across the entrance. The cave is located on the side of the Penteli Mountain, a conveniently close source of marble for the construction.

But the cave was not called “Davelis” back in the 5th century BC, this came later. In the 19th century, a bandit named Davelis chose this cave as his hideout, and it is rumored he hid a great treasure deep within it.