The fact that ancient monuments built hundreds, if not thousands of years ago, are still standing may seem incredible. Getting to such a place is like taking a trip in time and seeing what life was like here many, many years ago. From Roman baths in Britain to caves in southern countries, we’ve put together majestic ancient ruins for you to see.
- Pompeii was a thriving ancient Roman city located near modern Naples, but in 79 AD. After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the city was buried under ash. The eruption killed 2,000 people, but the city itself remained intact under ash layers until 1748 when excavations discovered it. Dozens of ash-covered villas were found – the most famous of them are in Oplontis and Stabiae. The excavations were carried out with varying intensity, were briefly interrupted during a series of wars and political upheavals, but continued to bring new discoveries that had a severe impact not only on the study of ancient antiquities but also on the entire European culture. During this time, hundreds of buildings were discovered, thousands of square meters of paintings and inscriptions on the walls of houses were located, and hundreds of thousands of finds were made.
- The legendary Stonehenge attracts over a million tourists every year. This world-famous megalithic structure consists of about a hundred mysterious boulders standing in a circle. According to the latest studies based on radiocarbon analysis, our ancestors from the Neolithic erected this mysterious monument for about 1500 years.
- The place where the famous gladiatorial battles were held – the Roman Colosseum – was built by Emperor Vespasian in 70-72. AD as a gift to the Roman people who craved “bread and circuses.”
- Although the first human settlements in the Greek city of Mycenae date back to the early and mid-Bronze Age, this particular Palace was built in the 14th century. Many artifacts and works of art have been found in the tombs of Mycenae.
- The fabulous city of Cappadocia in modern Turkey was once the seat of the Hittites empire. However, the history of this region goes back to the 6th century BC. The unique light pillars of Cappadocia served as foundations for both residential buildings and temples.
- One of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions is the Roman Baths in the English city of Bath. When getting to the place, first do not forget to find out how to get an international driver’s license. Baths were an integral part of the daily bathing ritual of the ancient Romans. In addition to visiting the baths, tourists can take a tour of the tunnels laid underneath.
- At different times in the Turkish city of Ephesus, there were several empires – Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. During its heyday in the 2nd century AD. almost 300,000 people lived in the city. Today, you can still see several columns left from the temple of the goddess Artemis – one of the seven oldest wonders of the world.
- At the very beginning, in the 7th century BC, there were Etruscan cemeteries on the complex territory known as the Roman Forum. As a result, this place became the social, commercial, and political center of the Roman Empire.
- Hadrian’s Wall is a defensive fortification, the largest structure in Great Britain left from the ancient Romans. The Wall stretches for 128 km and in some places reaches a height of 6 meters. It was built by 1,500 workers in just six years – an incredible engineering feat.
- Diocletian’s Palace was built between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. in the city of Split, on the territory of modern Croatia. The ruins of the Palace can still be found throughout the central part of the city.
There is no doubt that modern buildings are beautiful, aesthetic, and comfortable in terms of technical progress. However, nothing can compare with the buildings of the past, if only because they have stood the test of time. Many of the construction methods of ancient cities, temples, and monuments remain a mystery to us, thereby attracting tourists from all over the world.