Strange Fig Tree Growing Upside Down from the Ceiling of an Ancient Villa [Photos]

According to Saed News, citing Faradid, this extraordinary plant is a fig tree that has grown completely upside down. How it defied gravity so precisely has astonished botanists. Surprisingly, this unusual orientation has not slowed its growth—in fact, the inverted tree has even borne fruit! The location of this remarkable tree is equally intriguing. It has sprouted from the arch of a building that archaeologists believe was once part of Emperor Nero’s private villa.

The source of the tree’s nourishment is understandable: rainwater seeping through the cracks in the stone provides enough moisture for its growth. Yet, seeing a tree thriving entirely upside down remains a rare and striking sight.

A Glimpse into the Ancient Roman City of Baiae

During its peak, the ancient Roman city of Baiae was a lively, modern resort for the ruling elite. Now an extensive archaeological park, with parts submerged underwater, Baiae was once considered the Monte Carlo of the Roman era—a place where emperors like Augustus, Caesar, and Nero had residences. The city, built on volcanic land, was highly active geologically. Over centuries, shifts in the earth’s crust triggered seismic and hydrothermal activity, eventually causing large sections of the city to slip below sea level.

However, Baiae’s disappearance was not permanent. In the 1940s, a pilot near the coast of Naples noticed something unusual beneath the waves. The photographs he captured suggested apparent structures underwater, but it took researchers two decades, using submarines, to examine the area closely. Today, visitors can see the upside-down fig tree among the Roman ruins above water or explore the sunken city through glass-bottomed tourist boats.