In the world, there used to be many ancient cities with unique architectural beauty and cultural features. But due to the harsh effects of nature such as floods, droughts to volcanic eruptions, many ancient cities have ceased to exist.
If you have ever heard of the legend of the city of Atlantis sinking deep in the Atlantic Ocean, then perhaps Helike is the most authentic proof for that story. According to Greek mythology, because of anger at the expulsion of Ionian tribe members from this city, the supreme god Poseidon decided to drown all Helikes into the deep sea. In fact, Helike officially disappeared in 373 BC and has been forgotten ever since.
It took more than 10 years, thanks to the efforts of two archaeologists who wanted to discover with traces of this once-city, Helike was officially excavated back in the 80s of the last century. Many believe that its disappearance is the result of a liquefaction of rocks caused by an earthquake.
Skara Brae is one of the most well-preserved and extant Stone Age densely populated areas in Great Britain. Although it is not large enough to be called a city, it is still an interesting place for tourists from all over the world.
This place was once buried by sea sand for thousands of years, before reappearing in 1850 after a big storm. The works of Skara Brae are preserved intact by the huge sand layer, at first glance no one would think that these stone works are thousands of years old.
Based on radiocarbon dating, it is estimated that the site was buried between 3200 and 2200 BC. The reason why Skara Brae was abandoned may be due to the erosion of sea sand, plus the amount of garbage from the residential community causing heavy pollution.
Dvārakā is a famous city sacred to Buddhism, Kinas and Hinduism, which has been recently excavated. It was once one of the seven spiritual cities of Islam, commonly known by the name Sapta Puri. It is also the hometown of the famous god Krishna.
According to legend, the city was destroyed in a battle between Lord Krishna and King Salva. The fierce attacks of the two sides caused this city to be severely damaged. Soon the city was abandoned and gradually disappeared from the map of the country.
It took thousands of years, in the 1980s, for scientists from Italy to unearth the ruins of the urban area based on the descriptions in the legends left behind. It is estimated that it was built 9,000 years ago. If this is true, then Dvārakā deserves to be considered the oldest city the world has ever known.
Considered the oldest city to have existed in the Americas, Caral, the city known as Caral-Chupacigarro, was once a forgotten metropolis in the Super Valley region of Peru, about 200 miles from the capital, Lima. km to the north. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, it is believed to have been inhabited between 2600 and 2000 BC.
With an estimated population of more than 3,000, Caral is considered the most populous city of the Norte Chico civilization. In 1948, Caral was officially excavated again by Dr. Paul Kosok and his colleagues.
Timgad was once a flourishing city in Algeria, under the domination of the ancient Roman empire. It was built by emperor Trajan around 100 AD.
The location of this ancient town is located in the Aures Mountains and is named in memory of the mother of the emperor Trajan, Marcia. It became an abandoned place after the Vandals and Berbers continuously ravaged and plundered in the 5th and 7th centuries, before being permanently buried by sand from the Sahara.
Fortunately, archaeologists still found and unearthed one of the remaining ancient cities in the world. This place is still known today as an example of the great urban planning ability of the ancient Romans. Timgad was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1982.
Located in the mountains of southeastern Zimbabwe, near the town of Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe is the name of an abandoned medieval city from ancient times. During the last years of the Iron Age, it was the capital of the powerful Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
The Batu people built this city between the 11th and 15th centuries, and they were also the first to rule Zimbabwe for 300 years. It is estimated that the highest population this city has ever recorded is up to 18,000 people.
Later, this place became an abandoned place for various reasons, from unfavorable trade problems, unstable political situation, constant hunger and especially scarcity of fresh water. becoming more and more serious. The first time this city was recognized and officially excavated again was in 1871.
The ancient Hittite capital Hattusa is located near the city of Boğazkale, Türkiye, which has been forgotten for millennia. With the end of the Bronze Age, the city suffered from constant plunder, which led to the fall of the Hittite empire in 1200 BC. The people known as the “Sea People” are the culprits behind this invasion, and they are also the sworn enemies of the ancient Egyptian people.
Since that event, the city of Hattusa became an abandoned place and gradually sank into oblivion. At its peak, Hattusa was once home to more than 45,000 people. By the 20th century, German archaeologists had publicly excavated the city. What they found was a whole fortune containing clay tablets, on which were depicted the contents of law to literature.
Taxila, also known by its full name Takshashila, is an ancient city recently excavated in Pakistan. This historic site is located not far from the present-day city of Taxila in Punjab province, Pakistan, about 35km northwest of Rawalpindi capital.
It was Darius the Great who first captured Taxila in 518 BC, before being presented to Alexander the Great. Through many different generations of leaders and rulers, Taxila gradually became a sacred place for Buddhists.
Many people believe that this place was officially built around 1000 BC, and became the most important city in the region thanks to its favorable geographical position, close to the Eastern trade route. -West.
After a period of decline, Taxila was finally ravaged and plundered by the Xiongnu in the 5th century AD. In the middle of the 19th century, it was excavated again thanks to the work of Alexander Cunningham.
Sigiriya is a city in Sri Lanka that dates back to the 5th century AD. A special feature is that it is located on a giant stone slab up to 200 meters high. Built by King Kasyapa, the only way to enter the city is through a gate made of brick and plaster shaped like a lion’s mouth.
According to ancient Sri Lankan legend, King Kasyapa was looking for a new place to build his capital and he decided to place his palace on top of a large stone slab. Around this stone will be decorated with frescoes with different shapes.
Sigiriya’s prosperity did not last long, as it was constantly occupied and harassed by many hostile forces. For a few years, it was once a Buddhist monastery before being abandoned and forgotten. Fortunately, archaeologists from Europe have found the ruins of this ancient city.
Gordium, or Górdion in Turkish, was once the capital of the ancient Phrygia empire. Located in Asia Minor, it is 75 km southwest of Ankara city. This place is famous because it was once ruled by a legendary donkey-eared emperor, King Midas. The city was devastated by the Cimmerians before becoming a desolate place in 800 BC.
According to legend, Alexander the Great once visited this ancient city to solve the famous Gordian knot problem. Whoever can undo this knot will have the right to rule all of Asia. With Alexander, he simply chose to draw his sword and cut the knot in half.
The city was first excavated by Gustav and Alfred Korte in 1900, before being discovered by a team of scientists from the Pennsylvania Museum between 1950 and 1973.