Nowadays, a high amount of energy is used for ventilation, cooling, and heating of buildings. Using clean and natural energy is one of the best ways to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Using the passive approach as a non-mechanical method is an effective technique to deal with high energy consumption. Also, underground and semi-underground buildings are some of the most productive Iranian traditional structures that include the category of passive cooling and are very useful in hot and dry and hot and humid areas. The range of temperature fluctuations in the depths of the earth is much lower than that in its surface layers, so the temperature is almost stable and equal to the annual mean temperature of the earth's surface at depths below 6 meters. Thus, the purpose of this study is to review the studies conducted in this field, specifically those that have investigated the types of underground structures and their cooling potentials. Also, it aims at finding the gaps in these studies and determining the underground structure that needs more detailed studies. The research method in this study is descriptive and analytical. The results revealed that passive cooling strategies and related techniques can be classified based on the performance of underground structures. These strategies are sometimes used in combination. The results also revealed that it is possible to provide the conditions for modernization for some of these structures. However, these elements such as aqueducts and Yakhchals have been further studied and developed. پرونده مقاله