Famous Ruins
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Introduction
The achievements of ancient civilizations can be stunning. Tourists around the world flock to see the ruins of countless cultures most of whom no longer exist. Even though many of these places have been an abandoned for centuries they still inspire awe and admiration from people around the globe. Here is a list of some of the best pre industrial ruins around the globe. Some of them are considered UNESCO sites others are not but they are all amazing so therefore no labeling is needed.
Remember when adding more ruins try to keep it to one ruin from each civilization. This is collection of stunning ruins from around the world not just from one civilization. Try to choose the best ruin that represents that civilization. If multiple ruins from the same civilization are written about try to write about ruins from different time periods and styles.
Africa
Pyramids of Giza
- Where: Outside of Giza, Egypt
- Name Of The Civilization: Old Kingdom of Egpyt
- Height Of Power: 3150 to 2494 BC
- Cost Of Entrance: General Admission: LE 50, Entrance to the Interior of Pyramids: LE 30 to LE 100, The Great Pyramid: LE 100 and limited to only two batchs of 150 tickets one sold at 8 am the other 1 pm.
- How To Get There: Day trips from Giza or Cairo
Forget about the new 7 Wonders of the Ancient world, this is the only remaining ruin on the original 7 Wonders of the Ancient World list. The Pyramids of Giza have been enticing international travellers for over two thousand years since Alexander the Greats Army told the Greek world about them. The Pharaohs of the old Kingdom knew how to build a monument to their death. Unfortunately these large pyramids were magnets for tomb robbers who most likely looted them thousands of years ago. Due to the popularity of the Great Pyramid it is best to show up early to buy a ticket and since most tour groups go in the morning it is slightly easier to get a ticker for the afternoon at 1 pm. Today the pyramids continue to be one of the popular tourist spots in the world and still live up to the claim to fame of Alexander the Great.
Asia
Angkor
- Where: Near [Siem Reap]], Cambodia
- Name Of The Civilization: Khmer Empire
- Height Of Power: 802 AD to 1400s AD
- Cost Of Entrance: 1 Day for $20, 3 Day for $40
- How To Get There: Hire transport in Siem Reap
Angkor is one of the most stunning places in the world. This ancient city was huge! This city is made of thousands of ruins some just little temples or public structures others massive temples that many countries would kill just to have one. At the center of the city is the most impressive temple in the whole world Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world and its multiple floors and dark passages ways covered in carvings can be stunning. At the top is a very small shrine with incenses burning at all times. The city was abandoned after the Thai sacked the city in the 15th century. It was rediscovered again in 1860 by a French explorer although local villagers still tended to some of the more important shrines.
Great Wall of China
- Where: Across Northern China
- Name Of The Civilization: Ancient China
- Height Of Power: 400 BC to 1500 AD
- Cost Of Entrance: Depends on location.
- How To Get There: Day trips from Beijing to hiking for several days
Although it can’t be seen from space the Great Wall of China is still one of the most impressive sights in the world. The Great Wall stretches more then 6,400 kilometers and at its height during the Ming Dynasty had more then a million soldiers posted on it. The wall was originally built to keep invaders from the north out of China. With the start of the Qing dynasty, when invaders from the north took over China, the wall was slowly abandoned and left alone. There is something for everyone to do at the different sections of the Great Wall, ranging from zip lines to stunning remote hikes. Even Chairman Mao said “that a man wasn’t a man until he saw the Great Wall.”
Petra
- Where: Jordan
- Name Of The Civilization: Nabateans and Roman
- Height Of Power: 100 BC to 200 AD
- Cost Of Entrance: One Day JD21, Two Day JD26, Four Day JD31, Children Under 10 are half price, Jordanians and Residents of Jordan can enter for JD1.
- How To Get There: Bus from Amman, Taxi from Aqaba or day trip from Israel
Every see Indian Jones and the Last Crusade? The part at the end of the movie when Harrison Ford walks into that amazing building built into a cliff? That is the entrance to Petra. Petra was a major trading center in the Middle East for over 300 years and stunning architecture is mind blowing. It grew over the centuries gaining influence from the neighboring powers of Syria, Greece, Egypt and Rome. After being acquired by Rome in 106 AD Petra had a quick up shot of power and wealth in the next century then a rapid decline. The decline can be attributed to the movement of trade routes to the sea and earth quake in the mid 4th century.
North America
Mesa Verde
- Where: Near Cortez (Colorado)
- Name Of The Civilization: Ancestral Pueblo, Pueblo III
- Height Of Power: 500 AD to 1275 AD
- Cost Of Entrance: $10 or $15 per car depending on the time of year
- How To Get There: Mesa Verde National Park is located on highway 160 in southwest Colorado near Cortez
Mesa Verde National Park is home to the stunning Cliff Palace and many other alcove city ruins. Mesa Verde is a large mesa that is home to thousands of Ancestral Pueblo sites from Late Basket Maker to Pueblo III. The area was inhabitant by sedentary farming people from about 750 AD to 1300 AD when all the people in the settlements relocated, for unknown reasons, south to New Mexico and Arizona. They left behind stunning cities, rock art and pottery. Even to this day people wonder why they left this area that they lived in for more then a thousand years. Although it is hard to get to Mesa Verde, it is one of the most amazing sites in the world and well worth the visit. If you are further interested in Ancestral Pueblo sites you should plan a trip to Choco Canyon National Historical Park, which is also an amazing place but even harder to got to then Mesa Verde.
South America
Machu Picchu
- Where: near Cusco, Peru.
- Name Of The Civilization: Inca
- Height Of Power: Built in 1450 and abandoned with the Spanish conquest
- Cost Of Entrance: S/ 122, although this does not cover trasnport
- How To Get There: take the train from Cusco or hike the Inca Trail
Known as the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu is one of the most stunning places on earth. Lost to the world till 1911 it was spared the savage plundering and destruction that the Spanish brought to other Incan cities. No one knows why the city was built were it was or what it was meant for. Due to the quick destruction of the Incan Empire the city was left alone for hundreds of years. It was only found because locals showed it to Hiram Bingham. In the past it was very easy to arrange a hike to Machu Picchu but due to overuse the government has wisely has limited the number of hikers. If planning to hike the Inca trail during a busy time of the year it is best to arrange things in advance.
Easter Island
- Where: An island about 3,600 km west of Chile
- Name of The Civilization: Rapanui
- Height of Power: Around 1400 AD to around 1650 AD
- Cost of Entrance: Medium
- How To Get There: Expensive flight from the mainland of Chili
Every person in the world knows of the statues on Easter Island called Moai. Built by the native Rapanui people these elongated faces haunt and confuse people around the world. No one knows exactly when they were built but afterwards the civilization entered a massive famine. During the 18th century to the mid 19th century the Easter Island went into a period where most statues were purposely knocked over or ignored. Also the native Rapanui suffered from European exploitation and illness towards the end of this time killing most of them off or forcing them to relocate. Therefore little information is known about how the culture of the Rapanui worked except from missionaries and a few European explorers. What can be figured out is that the Rapanui had a very complex civilization that had many boom and bust cycles.
Central America
Tikal
- Where: Guatemala near Belize
- Name Of the Civilization: Mayan
- Height of Power: 200 AD to 900 AD
- Cost of Entrance: 150 GTQ
- How To Get There: From the nearby towns of Flores and Santa Elena
Tikal is the most impressive ancient Mayan city. The location was first settled in the 4th century BC and slowly grew in power over the centuries. At its height Tikal was the center of the Mayan world and had over two hundred thousand citizens. Other then a brief period, when it was conquered by a neighboring city-state, Tikal was the primary influence over Mayan culture and thought. The city sprawls over a large area and is very remote so bring plenty of food with you. Only a small fraction has been excavated and many of the pyramids are still covered in dense jungle. Getting here is difficult but worth it.
Oceania
Nan Madol
- Where: Island of Pohnpei, Micronesia
- Name Of The Civilization: Saudeleur Dynasty
- Height Of Power: 1200 AD to 1600 AD
- Cost Of Entrance: Very small
- How To Get There: Arrange a tour at the capital of Pohnpei
When people think of Micronesia they think surf, sand and sun. The idea of an ancient city built in the water of large rocks that the elite lived in to control the commoners does not come to mind. Nan Madol is an ancient city that called the Venice of Pacific and the name Nan Madol it self means the spaces in between talking about the canals. The elite rulers lived in the city and the common folk brought all their needs to them including food and water. It is believed that only a thousand people actually lived in the city. No one knows exactly when Nan Madol was abandoned but it was completely empty by the time Europeans arrived in the 19th century.
Europe
The Colosseum
- Where: Rome, Italy
- Name Of The Civilization: The Roman Empire
- Height Of Power: Construction completed in 80 AD, last recorded games around 500 AD
- Cost Of Entrance: Adults € 9 + € 2 (for Exhibitions), Free European Union residents under 18 or over 65 years.
- How To Get There: Colosseo Metro Stop
“Fight’em to the death” is what the Colosseum screams to most modern day people but the structure was much more then the ancient world death match arena. Many cities in the Roman Empire had stunning amphitheatres including Pompeii. When construction was completed in 80 AD the Colosseum was the pinnacle of engineering and technology of the Roman Empire. When it was built this amphitheatre could house over fifty thousand blood thirsty spectators and it was the largest amphitheatre in all of Rome. Its concrete and stonewalls could be flooded to create mock sea battles were little ships would battle it out. Other games included battle reenactments, beast on beast combat and of course the famous gladiator combats. Today the Colosseum is a major tourist site and must see.
Stonehenge
- Where: England
- Name Of The Civilization: Celts
- Height Of Power: first constructed in 3100BC, completed 2150BC
- Cost Of Entrance: Adults=£6.30, Child=£3.20
- How To Get There: From Salisbury take bus number 3.
Maybe one of the most recognized photos in the world Stonehenge has mesmerized people for thousands of years. Although it activity first took place at the site over five thousand years ago, and some archeologists even think maybe even further back in time, it did not look as impressive as it looks today. These massive stones were brought from over 240 miles away in neighboring Wales. It grew with the centuries and has become one of the most famous megalithic architecture sites in the world. There are megalithic sites scattered all over the Europe. Stonehenge is by far the most visted and known.
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