Nowadays, we can catch a glimpse of the past in the ruins of ancient castles, palaces, and places of worship that have survived surprisingly through time and wars. Cuzco, Babylon, Pompeii, Stonehenge, and many others still stand proudly – having resisted millennia to serve, now, the era of tourism.
Discover other 5 lost cities whose ruins can still be visited!
1 – Petra – Jordan
Carved on the red, pink, and white sandstone hill, prehistoric Petra is undoubtedly one of the most amazing lost civilization sites in the world. The Jordanian city was a thriving commercial center and later became a monastery in the Nabataean Empire around 400 BC before its sophisticated culture was conquered and absorbed by the Roman Empire.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and one of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra has become a center for filming and tourism. Although the location is largely associated with the filming location for the film “Indiana Jones”, which has been transformed into a popular tourist attraction, Bedouins continue to live in the traditional lifestyle alongside tourism.
2 – Great Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe
Greater Zimbabwe is a fascinating archaeological place. The first rumors of a magnificent lost kingdom of the biblical Queen of Sheba began in Mozambique, during the Portuguese colonial era in the 16th century.
The impressive ruins with massive curved walls, raised without mortar were only discovered, at least for us Westerners, in the 19th century.
The German explorer had heard of the spectacular complex that “could never have been built by blacks” – as they were told – and decided to research the area until he found it. It took the Europeans 20 years to inspect the sacred site to conclude that the 9-meter-high curved walls, spanning 40 hectares, would have been built by Phoenicians or Egyptians.
However, no one has ever presented a single proof that this European version is true.
3.Palenque – Mexico
When Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada first encountered the temples and stone squares surrounded by the jungle of the lost city of Palenque in 1567, he had no idea that the wonderful site would one day be one of Mexico’s most visited historical sites.
The lost city was abandoned by the Maya and was ruled by many different emperors. It featured religious sites, temples, palaces, cemeteries, and sarcophagi, but archaeologists suggest that only 5% of the city’s total has been discovered and, therefore, exploration continues.
4. Mohenjo Daro – Pakistan
From 3500 BC onwards, more than a thousand cities emerged in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent extending to present-day Pakistan, part of India, and Afghanistan.
A well-planned street grid and an elaborate drainage system hint that the occupants of the ancient Indus civilization city of Mohenjo Daro were skilled urban planners with a reverence for the control of water. But just who occupied the ancient city in modern-day Pakistan during the third millennium B.C. remains a puzzle.
For a visit to Mohenjo Daro, the nearest International airport is the Jinnah International Airport Karachi in Pakistan. You can drive down from Karachi which is about 420 km.
5. Angkor Wat – Camboja
An unmissable attraction in Southeast Asia, Angkor Wat offers tourists an unforgettable trip. Located in northern Cambodia, 325 km from the capital Phnom Penh, ancient and grandiose temples, some in ruins, mix with moss and huge tree roots in the middle of the rainforest and create a unique atmosphere. Construction is of such importance to the country that it even bears the Cambodian flag.
Angkor Wat is actually the largest – and best-preserved – temple in the archeological region of Angkor, which was the center of the Khmer Empire.
As it is a sacred place, tourists must dress appropriately and show respect during the visit. To explore the entire Angkor complex, it usually takes half a day – at least.
Tantos lugares bonitos 😍 Adorei conhecê-los