Ancient urban centers have existed for at least 6,000 years worldwide, even though large, sprawling cities are undoubtedly a contemporary phenomenon. Whether due to natural disasters or human warfare, many metropolises have experienced hardships, yet their remains remain today, providing a glimpse into a society that has long since passed.
Butrint, Albania
Having been inhabited since the ancient era, urban centers, Butrint in southern Albania has a fascinating history. It has been a Greek colony, a Roman city, an ecclesiastical seat, a Byzantine outpost, and briefly a Venetian outpost. By the fourth century BC, the expanding city had a theatre, acropolis, and forum. In the first century AD, Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar added an aqueduct and a bathhouse to further enlarge the city.
A jumble of architectural styles spanning three millennia of Mediterranean history may be found at Butrint because of its violent past. As a tribute to Christianity, the magnificent mosaic from the sixth century on the floor of the Baptistery is a breathtaking sight. The settlement is situated on a peninsula in a swampy area surrounded by rich vegetation in what is now a national park.
Yaxchilán, Mexico
The spectacular sculptured stone lintels over entrances and windows of this ancient urban Mayan city in southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border, are known for their hieroglyphic writings that depict the region’s dynastic history. One Mayan language claims that the name Yaxchilán means “Green Stones.”
The builders adorned the buildings with ornate ornamentation, dating them to the fourth century AD. Outside, massive stone monoliths called stelae, which feature carved lettering or other decorations, stand next to important structures. Despite the jungle surrounding it, the advantageous location of Yaxchilán on the banks of the Río Usumacinta made it one of the most significant Mayan cities. The city’s occupation in the ninth century AD ended due to a series of wars.
Timgad, Algeria
Emperor Trajan established Timgad in AD 100 as the largest Roman settlement ever erected in North Africa, designing it for retired military people. High on a plateau, deteriorating walls, arches, and columns pepper the landscape. Even though the city is far from Rome, Trajan constructed it as a model Roman town, keeping the ancient street grid, including the Decumanus Maximus, which is still visible as the city’s principal east-west thoroughfare.
The Vandals ravaged the city in the fifth century, causing it to fall into ruin and be abandoned. The city’s massive 3,500-seat amphitheater is still mostly in one piece. The library, which was founded in the third or fourth century AD, formerly housed an estimated 3,000 papyrus rolls. After being ravaged by the Vandals in the fifth century, the city fell into ruin and was abandoned. The Scottish adventurer James Bruce discovered the ruins buried in the desert in late 1765.
Ephesus, Turkey
The most comprehensive Greco-Roman city in the Mediterranean is Ephesus, which is located on the western Turkish coast. Established in the tenth century BC, the city drew pilgrims, traders, and mariners from all over the world. Under Augustus Caesar, it became the first city in Roman Asia and a Roman province in 133 BC. According to local mythology, the Virgin Mary lived there until her death.
The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is located in Ephesus. Emperor Hadrian, during his reign, built the façade of the Library of Celsus in the first part of the second century AD. Despite not much of it being visible today, authorities still exquisitely maintain the façade. An estimated 12,000 scrolls were previously inside. In the 1970s, archaeologists reconstructed the library’s façade after an earthquake in AD 262 devastated it.
Libya, Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna, located on Libya’s Mediterranean coast, was one of the most exquisite cities in the Roman Empire. Septimus Severus was born in AD 145. He expanded and decorated the city that he founded in the 7th century BC when he became emperor in AD 193.
Using its port to sell olive oil to the rest of the empire was a major source of its prosperity.
The settlement remarkably remains intact despite centuries of being buried beneath sand. There is an amphitheater with views of the Mediterranean. A triumphal arch built by Septimus Severus stands nearby. Beautiful baths with vibrant murals of hunting scenes are also present. The tsunami destroyed the city in AD 365, leading to its decline until excavations in the 20th century.
Tikal, Guatemala
Tikal is a Mayan castle. They built it between the fourth and ninth centuries BC and AD, deep in the rainforests of northern Guatemala. Its public squares, palaces, and stone temples are all remarkably intact. Before Columbus, Tikal was one of the most significant and expansive archaeological sites in Central America.
This great metropolis used to have thousands of buildings. The Great Plaza is in the middle, with an acropolis to the north and south and two massive pyramids to the east and west. Numerous people can find temples, some of which are more than 130 feet (40 meters) high. The countryside around the city is rich in wildlife, unique plants, and hundreds of different kinds of birds, so it’s not just the city that draws visitors.
Thailand, Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya was the second capital of the Kingdom of Siam (present-day Thailand). It was one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world in the fourteenth century. Before an invading Burmese army destroyed it in the 18th century, it was a center of literature, art, and architecture for 400 years.
Its captivating ruins are located 55 miles (89 km) north of Bangkok. It bears witness to the city’s former architectural magnificence. Large Buddhist monasteries, many of which have partially restored themselves, surround tall reliquary towers. These towers offer a window into Asia’s past as a significant hub for trade and diplomacy. The city has a mysterious feel to it. It is due to the centuries-old tree roots that wind through many of its architectural features.
Herculaneum, Italy
Similar to its more well-known neighbor Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79 also destroyed Herculaneum on the southwest coast of Italy. Pompeii had superior architecture, but ash and dust from the volcano preserved Herculaneum’s buildings better. The ordinary streets, homes, shops, and brothels offer an intriguing glimpse into daily Roman life.
The rich elite of the city resided in exquisite villas adorned with multicolored marble and exquisite mosaics. That day in late summer AD 79 marked the beginning of life as usual. It ended with the sad eradication of the urban center and the majority of its inhabitants. This eerie time capsule has preserved a great deal of the city, including the bones of some of its residents.
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
A granite peak towering 600 feet (182 meters) from verdant lowlands in central Sri Lanka is home to the magnificent city of Sigiriya. Reaching the summit requires a demanding 1,200-step ascent up the steep rock edge. The city, which means “Lion Rock,” was constructed as the capital of King Kashyapa’s dominion circa AD 477.
The original entrance was a lion with paws, head, and shoulders carved into the stone on a plateau about halfway up the rock. Sadly, the head and shoulders are now gone. The complex consists of a palace area surrounded by fortifications, ramparts, paved pathways, and landscaped gardens with ornamental pools.
Frescoes honoring female beauty adorn the sheer walls of the rock. “Graffiti dating back centuries may be seen on the so-called Mirror Wall, made of smooth glazed plaster.” is already in active voice. People said that King Kashyapa liked to see himself on the exquisitely polished surface of the wall. The city deteriorated after the king’s passing. They turned it into a Buddhist monastery and abandoned it in the fourteenth century.
Volubilis, Morocco
In the third century BC, the exquisitely preserved ruins of this ancient metropolis in northern Morocco served as the capital of the Mauretanian kingdom. In AD 44, the emperor Claudius merged it into the Roman Empire, and it expanded in size and prosperity. The city exported gladiatorial animals, olive oil, and corn. The city had 20,000 residents at one point. Its location on the periphery of the empire made it vulnerable to attacks from foreign tribes.
Encompassing approximately 100 acres (42 hectares), builders adorned Volubilis with magnificent homes decorated with stunning mosaics. They built an aqueduct around AD 80 to supply water to the city. In AD 271, they built a magnificent arch in commemoration of Emperor Caracalla. Muslim peoples inhabited the city for centuries. They abandoned it by the fourteenth century after the fall of Rome.
Ostia Antica, Italy
Ostia Antica, located 10 miles (17 km) from Rome, became Rome’s commercial harbor in the fourth century BC. This development led to the discovery of the city’s earliest archaeological remnants. To ensure that Rome had grain, Julius Caesar made the city a significant trading hub. To facilitate the transportation of products to Rome by barge, archaeologists have found a massive canal that connected the port to the Tiber River. The builders initially constructed the magnificent amphitheater depicted here in 12 BC.
In the second and third centuries, Ostia Antica’s population increased to 50,000 and 100,000, respectively. In addition to residential buildings, pubs, and public restrooms, the city featured a lighthouse, a theatre, baths, and the oldest synagogue ever discovered. They referred St. Augustine to the city in the late 4th century. The city was already in decline due to the port’s silting up. Arab pirates repeatedly assaulted trade, which merchants entirely abandoned by the ninth century.
Hampi, India
Hampi’s stunning ancient ruins span an enormous area of more than 10,000 acres (4,100 hectares) in Karnataka, southern India. The ruins include temples, pavilions, and palaces, alongside striking natural scenery of rice paddies, rocks, and banana trees. In addition to this, it also features striking natural scenery of rice paddies, rocks, and banana trees. Around 1,600 buildings make up this Hindu compound. Modern European explorers of the 16th century regarded them as opulent and rich. UNESCO now recognizes it as a World Heritage Site.
Hampi served as the capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The elaborately carved ornaments and palaces witness the city’s previous splendor. An advanced irrigation system distributed water throughout the city. With their eleven domed chambers, these magnificent Elephant Stables are a superb example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Machu Picchu, Peru
The Andean highlands of southern Peru situate the most renowned Inca site in the world. It is located atop a ridge that is 1,000 feet high. Workers built the 150 structures in this city using fine, dry stone walls. Stonemasons constructed these walls in the fifteenth century without using mortar. The purpose of the citadel is currently unknown. However, people believe that it served as a place of worship and residence. One interpretation of the name Machu Picchu is Old Mountain.
Less than a thousand individuals lived in the city, and they might have been members of a royal dynasty. After only a century of construction, they abandoned the site. Around the time of the Spanish conquest of Central America, they abandoned the isolated city, though there is no proof that they ever discovered it. The numerous stone steps that connect temples, storehouses, palaces, spas, and 700 agricultural terraces attest to a lost but highly developed civilization.
Jordan, Petra
Petra, Jordan
Known as the Rose City, Petra is located in southern Jordan. The Nabataeans carved it in the first century BC into the pink sandstone cliff sides of arid valleys. Cliffs that rise to a height of 262 feet (80 meters) enclose the city. The city’s entry leads to the Al Khazna, also known as the Treasury. With its Corinthian columns and freezes, builders most likely constructed this 40-meter (131-foot) structure in the first century BC.
They carved the enormous theatre out of solid rock in the first century AD. It features seven stairways and three horizontal sections of seats divided by passages. In AD 106, the Romans conquered the city and seized the entire region. An earthquake destroyed numerous buildings, which ended their hold on power by the fourth century.
The Byzantines acquired control of the city, leading to its abandonment in the eighth century.
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