Top 10 Legendary Ancient Cities Lost In The Sands Of Time

“Like humans, cities are mortal. They are born, they thrive, and they eventually die.”  are wise words penned by award-winning cultural heritage and history writer Aude de Tocqueville. You’ll realize their worth only while taking a glimpse into the past. It’s astonishing to realize that some of our greatest cities, once thriving and prosperous, now lay abandoned forgotten by time. Their derelict ruins are the only remnants of their glorious existence back in the day. Exploring these ghost cities gives a fascinating peek into history yet poignantly reminding us how easily it can all be lost. Here’s our pick of 10 incredible lost cities that must be visited at least once in a lifetime.

From AD100 through the 9^th century, Tikal was one of the most powerful Mayan kingdoms. The star attractions of Tikal are its towering, pyramid-like temples. Majestically rising above a thick cover of rainforest, these six ginormous Mayan temples continue to dominate the area just like they did centuries ago. Unfortunately, the rest of the city is lost in the forest.

Machu Picchu, also known as the lost city of the Incas, was built on top of a mountain in the Andes 2430 meters above sea level, around 1450 at the height of the Inca Empire. Sadly, within hundred years of its construction the Inca empire collapsed under the Spanish and the city was abandoned and was discovered only in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham. Although, it still remains unclear why this city was built on such a precarious height. The most popular theory claims it was an ancient sacrificial site while others claim it was a royal retreat. Irrespective of why it was built, the spectacular terraces of Machu Picchu continue to bewilder even in the 21^st century.

The magnificent scale of the rock-cut ancient city of Petra makes your jaw drop. Once the capital of the Nabateans and a trading center for silk and spices, this rose-tinted city saw its decline under the Romans in the fourth century AD. Tucked deep into a remote valley in Southern Jordan, Petra remained shielded from the outside world after its decline, known only to a few Bedouins who made it their home, until its discovery in 1812 by Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt. Shrouded in mystery, the city’s tombs, particularly The Treasury, continue to spellbind and puzzle travelers and historians alike.

140 years ago, French explorer Henri Mouhot stumbled upon the remains of one of the most fascinating cities of its time in the jungles of Cambodia – Angkor. One-time capital of the Khmer empire, the Angkor complex is home to several temples built between the 9^th and 14^th century AD. These extraordinary temples are not only important from a historical standpoint but they are also architectural showpieces. Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building, is the piece de resistance of the Khmer empire’s architectural wonders. A must visit, hands down!

Established in 518BC by Darius I, Persepolis was the flourishing capital of the First Persian Empire. Taking over a century to be built, this ancient capital was an architectural marvel and testament to the incredible vision of Darius I. In 330, the city was brutally burnt down by the Greek armies of Alexander the Great and its ruins were excavated only in the 1930s! Today, the exquisite remains of Persepolis are the biggest attraction of a trip to Iran.

At its peak (1500AD), Vijayanagar (present-day Hampi, India) was the greatest empire in India and had twice the population of Paris. Ironically, in the 16^th century, this ‘City of Victory’ was completed destroyed by a six-month long Muslim siege. All that survived are stone and brick ruins of crumbling houses, remains of a complex irrigation system, and magnificent abandoned temples.

Capital of the Roman Asia Minor, Ephesus is finest surviving cities of the Greco-Roman empire. In fact, it is Europe’s most beautiful and complete ancient city even though 80 percent is yet to be excavated! During its glory, this bustling city was home to over 250,000 inhabitants. The outstanding Temple of Artemis here, one of the biggest of its time, is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Whereas the grandiose scale of the Library of Celsus is an evidence of the riches of the city’s wealthy and powerful.

Thebes was the prosperous capital of ancient Egypt from 2040 to 1070BC. In his famed epic poem Iliad, Homer famously described the city’s wealth as “… in Egyptian Thebes the heaps of precious ingots gleam, the hundred-gated Thebes”. Dedicated to the supreme sun god Amun, the city grew rapidly thanks to wide spread popularity of the cult of Amun. The city is home to the legendary Temple of Luxor, Karnak Complex, Temple of Ramesses II and Theban Necropolis. Their stupendous scale, grandeur and splendor is still unrivalled!

Dating back to the 2500BC, the Indus Valley Civilization was one of the largest not only in the Indian subcontinent but in the world stretching across present-day India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Until its discovery in 1920, it remained buried under thousands of years of mud and dust. The remains of Mohenjo Daro, the civilization’s largest city, are found in Pakistan. This city was a great settlement of traders, fisherman, farmers and artists. Although not much is known about this civilization, it is renowned for extraordinary town planning and civil engineering. In 1900BC the entire civilization was destroyed by floods.

In its prime, the 10^th century stately Armenian capital of Ani had a population of 100,000 people rivalling Constantinople and Baghdad. Passing through several trade routes, the old capital is now situated within the disputed territory of Kars near the Armenian border. Popularly known as the ‘City of 1001 Churches’, the ruins of these churches are hauntingly beautiful even today. Successive invasions and war led to Ani’s steep decline and by 1700s the city was completely abandoned.

So, travel smart with Mihuru’s smart traveling solution and go back in time by exploring these spectacular lost cities.