Touch the history and feel like a part Ancient World possible even today. In addition to relaxing in seaside resorts, walking around medieval cities and busy metropolises, excursions to ancient and mysterious cities in different parts of our planet. And so, the most interesting abandoned cities of the ancient world:
1. Petra, Jordan. This is a Jordanian city carved into the mountains by the Nabataeans thousands of years ago. To this day, the ancient city in the canyon is one of the main historical attractions of Jordan.
First of all, all tourists in Petra rush to see the famous facade "Treasuries", which lit up in the movie about Indiana Jones. Also in Petra, the castle of the Crusaders, ancient tombs, ruins of temples and Christian churches have been preserved.
2. Chichen Itza, Mexico. One of the cult sights of ancient Mexico is the city of Chichen Itza, or rather its ruins, which were left behind by representatives of the Mayan civilization.
The main celebrity of this city is the enigmatic Pyramid of Kukulkan. The uniqueness of the pyramid is that it is an astronomical calendar, the steps of all its stairs are equal to the number of days in a year. The Maya also built a temple dedicated to the snake on its top. Kukulkan.
3. Angkor, Cambodia. Approximately 800 years ago Angkor was the largest city in the world, its population was approaching the million mark, in those days it was an incredible figure. Angkor gained its popularity after the release of the film about the tomb raider Lara Croft with the participation of the inimitable Angelina Jolie.
Abandoned temples and the majestic ruins of Angkor are the spectacular backdrop for this breathtaking film. Read more about this place here here.
4. Chufut-Kale, Russia. Chufut-Kale is the most popular cave city of the Crimea, which is located on an impenetrable sheer cliff. Once upon a time, entire settlements lived here, but not in caves, as historians had previously assumed, but in houses built on the slopes of a cliff.
You should definitely come here to wander through the ancient streets, admire the abandoned dwellings and the ruins of the palace of the royal family.
5. Machu Picchu, Peru. Peru is not the most popular country for tourism, but there is one unique place here that attracts tourists from all over the world - the abandoned city of Machu Picchu.
Surprisingly, for hundreds of years, none of the scientists knew about this city, until in 1911 the explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it in the high Andean region. Now it is only known that the city was built around 1440, and for almost 100 years people lived here.
Whether this city was a religious shrine or served as the capital for the Incas, why, with the coming of the Spaniards to power, all the inhabitants of Machu Picchu disappeared - these questions still remain a mystery.
6. Teotihuacan, Mexico. The city of Teotihuacan, along with Chichen Itza, is a historical shrine of Mexico. The grandiose pyramids of Teotihuacan appeared even before the Aztec civilization, who suggested that the gods were clearly involved in their construction, otherwise it seemed impossible to explain their nature.
To date, it is still not known exactly who built the majestic pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, but one thing is clear: it was a very developed and strong civilization.
7. Ephesus, Turkey. During its centuries-old history, Turkish Ephesus managed to be in the hands of the Greeks, and then go to the Romans and become the second richest city in the Roman Empire. In Ephesus, as befits any developed city, there were baths, a theater, a library, a gymnasium and even a brothel, but its main architectural gem was the temple of Artemis.
Unfortunately, even from such a significant building today there is practically nothing left; the temple was ruthlessly burned and dismantled for building materials.
8. Lamanai, Belize. From the ancient Belizean city of Lamanai, only fragments of architectural ruins have survived against the backdrop of the jungle with exotic inhabitants. Lamanai is located on the banks of the New River, where fishermen found their refuge and created their settlement.
Not much is known about this city yet, the ruins of temples majestically rise among the thickets of the forest, and, by the way, excavations are still ongoing here.
