cataphile

A type of urban explorer who visits the ancient catacombs and quarries linked by tunnels beneath Paris, France.

At a time when being "in" has meant staying in at night, the city's catacombs, the Gallo-Roman-vintage quarries from which Paris was built, have managed to lure le tout Paris, now known as cataphiles, troglos, and nouvelles taupes ("moles")—and la salle Z, fifteen chambers in the 250 kilometers of vaulted tunnels, has become the endroit of the moment. A stroll from la salle Z brings the cataphiles, by clearly marked street signs, to the underground bunker used by the Germans during the Occupation, or to the underground crystalline fountain of Sainte Marie for a midnight splash, or to the outlying ossuaries where flea-market dealers get the skulls they sell for 300 francs.

Philip, who uses only his first name, said: "This world is divided into two races, the tourists and the cataphiles. The tourists are a hated race. … You have to do everything to chase them out." […] "There have always been cataphiles, but perhaps in the past they were more respectful," [Michel] Laroche said. "It is not a sacred place, but it is our patrimony."

An individual who explores subterranean catacombs, mines, or quarries.

Urban exploration has many subcultures, each with its own fetishes and slang. There are rooftoppers, builderers, cataphiles and those with a taste for "ruin porn" – artfully lit photos of decaying masonry and Rorschach water stains.