Since then, until as recently as the 1950s, the caves were continuously inhabited.
Over time new caves were dug out to accommodate the growing population.
Some of the earliest houses looks like stone huts, but behind the house-like facades are simple caves.
There was no electricity or running water or sewage disposal facility.
The people lacked basic goods because there were no shops in the village.
A typical diet consisted of bread, oil, crushed tomatoes, and peppers.
Large families lived alongside their livestock, and in such unhygienic conditions, disease was rampant, especially malaria.
Eventually, the government had to forcibly relocate the inhabitants to the new town on top of the cliff.
Photo credit:Donato Mola/Flickr
Sources:Lonely Planet/Wikipedia
