10 Most Amazing Lost Cities

Published on Yesterday 8/31/2007

Lost Cities were real, prosperous, well-populated areas of human habitation that fell into terminal
decline and whose location was later lost. Most lost cities are found, and have been studied extensively
by scientists. Here's our list of the 1 most ama!in" lost cities in the world.
MACHU PICCHU (Peru): The Lost City of the Incas
[Wiki]
Machu #icchu $%&ld #ea'%( is a pre-Columbian )nca city located at *,+, m $-,.- ft( altitude on a
mountain rid"e above the /rubamba 0alley in #eru, near Cusco. Machu #icchu is probably the most
familiar symbol of the )nca 1mpire. )t is often referred to as %2he Lost City of the )ncas%. 2he site was
desi"nated as a 3orld Herita"e 4ite in 1.5, when it was described as %an absolute masterpiece of
architecture and a uni6ue testimony to the )nca civili!ation%.
Machu #icchu was constructed around 1+7, at the hei"ht of the )nca empire, and was abandoned less
than 1 years later, as the empire collapsed under 4panish con6uest. 8lthou"h the citadel is located
only about 7 miles from Cusco, the )nca capital, it was never found and destroyed by the 4panish, as
were many other )nca sites. &ver the centuries, the surroundin" 9un"le "rew to enshroud the site, and
few 'new of its existence. )n 1.11, :ale historian and explorer Hiram ;in"ham brou"ht the %lost% city
to the world's attention. ;in"ham and others hypothesi!ed that the citadel was the traditional
birthplace of the )nca people or the spiritual center of the %vir"ins of the sun,% while curators of a
recent exhibit have speculated that Machu #icchu was a royal retreat.
AN!"# (Ca$%o&ia): Contains the 'or(&)s (ar*est
re(i*ious $onu$ent
[Wiki]
8n"'or served as the seat of the <hmer empire that flourished from approximately the .th century to
the 17th century 8.=. More precisely, the 8n"'orian period may be defined as the period from 5*
8.=., when the <hmer Hindu monarch >ayavarman )) declared himself the %universal monarch% and
%"od-'in"% of Cambodia, until 1+,1 8.=., when 2hai invaders sac'ed the <hmer capital, causin" its
population to mi"rate south to the area of #hnom #enh.
2he ruins of 8n"'or are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the ?reat La'e $2onle 4ap(
and south of the <ulen Hills, near modern day 4iem @eap $1,A*+'B, 1,A71'1(, and are a /B14C&
3orld Herita"e 4ite. 2he temples of the 8n"'or area number over one thousand, ran"in" in scale from
nondescript piles of bric' rubble scattered throu"h rice fields to the ma"nificent Angkor Wat, said to
be the world's lar"est sin"le reli"ious monument. Many of the temples at 8n"'or have been restored,
and to"ether they comprise the most si"nificant site of <hmer architecture. 0isitor numbers approach
one million annually.
)n *- an international team of researchers usin" satellite photo"raphs and other modern
techni6ues concluded that 8n"'or had been the lar"est preindustrial city in the world with an urban
sprawl of 1,17 s6uare miles. 2he closest rival to 8n"'or, the Mayan city of 2i'al in ?uatemala, was
rou"hly 7 s6uare miles in total si!e.
M+MPHI, (+*y-t): ancient ca-ita( of +*y-t
[Wiki]
Memphis was the ancient capital of the first nome of Lower 1"ypt, and of the &ld <in"dom of 1"ypt
from its foundation until around ** ;C and later for shorter periods durin" the Bew <in"dom, and
an administrative centre throu"hout ancient history. )ts 8ncient 1"yptian name was )neb Hed9 $%2he
3hite 3alls%(. 2he name %Memphis% is the ?ree' deformation of the 1"yptian name of #epi )'s $Cth
dynasty( pyramid, Men-nefer, which became Menfe in Coptic. 8ccordin" to Herodotus, the city was
founded around ,1 ;C by Menes, who united the two 'in"doms of 1"ypt.
1stimates of population si!e differ widely. 8ccordin" to 2. Chandlerm, Memphis had some ,,
inhabitants and was by far the lar"est settlement worldwide from the time of its foundation until
around **7 ;C and from 177- to 1+ ;C. Memphis reached a pea' of presti"e under the Cth
=ynasty as a centre of the cult of #tah. )t declined briefly after the 15th =ynasty with the rise of 2hebes
and was revived under the #ersian satraps before fallin" firmly into second place followin" the
foundation of 8lexandria. /nder the @oman 1mpire, 8lexandria remained the most important city
and Memphis remained the second city of 1"ypt until the establishment of Dustat $or Dostat( in C+1. )t
was then lar"ely abandoned and became a source of stone for the surroundin" settlements. )t was still
an imposin" set of ruins in the 1*th century but soon became little more than an expanse of low ruins
and scattered stone. 2he remains of the temple of #tah and of 8pis have been uncovered at the site as
well as a few statues, includin" two four-metre ones in alabaster of @amesses )). 2he 4a66ara
necropolis is close to Memphis.
P+T#A: stone structures car.e& into rocks
[Wiki]
#etra $%@oc'%( lies on the slope of Mount Hor $>ordan( in a basin amon" the mountains which form
the eastern flan' of 8rabah $3adi 8raba(, the lar"e valley runnin" from the =ead 4ea to the ?ulf of
86aba. )t is famous for havin" many stone structures carved into the roc'. 2he lon"-hidden site was
revealed to the 3estern world by the 4wiss explorer >ohann Ludwi" ;urc'hardt in 151*. )t was
famously described as %a rose-red city half as old as time% in a Bewdi"ate pri!e-winnin" sonnet by
>ohn 3illiam ;ur"on. ;ur"on had not actually visited #etra, which remained accessible only to
1uropeans accompanied by local "uides with armed escorts until after 3orld 3ar ). 2he site was
desi"nated as a /B14C& 3orld Herita"e 4ite in 1.57 when it was described as %one of the most
precious cultural properties of man's cultural herita"e.%
1nclosed by towerin" roc's and watered by a perennial stream, #etra not only possessed the
advanta"es of a fortress but controlled the main commercial routes which passed throu"h it to ?a!a in
the west, to ;osra and =amascus in the north, to 86aba and Leuce Come on the @ed 4ea, and across
the desert to the #ersian ?ulf. #etra's decline came rapidly under @oman rule, in lar"e part due to the
revision of sea-based trade routes. )n ,C, an earth6ua'e destroyed buildin"s and crippled the vital
water mana"ement system. 2he ruins of #etra were an ob9ect of curiosity in the Middle 8"es and were
visited by the 4ultan ;aibars of 1"ypt towards the close of the 1,th century. 2he first 1uropean to
describe them was >ohann Ludwi" ;urc'hardt in 151*.
PALM/#A (,yria): the 0ri&e of the 1esert
[Wiki]
#almyra was in the ancient times an important city of central 4yria. )t has lon" been a vital caravan
city for travellers crossin" the 4yrian desert and was 'nown as the ;ride of the =esert. 2he earliest
documented mention of the city by its pre-4emitic name 2admor, 2admur or 2udmur, is recorded in
;abylonian tablets found in Mari. 2hou"h the ancient site fell into disuse after the 1Cth century, it is
still 'nown as 2admor and there is a small newer settlement next to the ruins of the same name.
n the mid-first century, #almyra, a wealthy and ele"ant city located alon" the caravan routes lin'in"
#ersia with the Mediterranean ports of @oman 4yria and #hoenicia, came under @oman control.
=urin" the followin" period of "reat prosperity, the 8rab citi!ens of #almyra adopted customs and
modes of dress from both the )ranian #arthian world to the east and the ?raeco-@oman west. 2admor
is mentioned in the Hebrew ;ible $4econd ;oo' of Chronicles 5E+( as a desert city built by the <in"
4olomon of >udea, the son of =avid. #almyra was made part of the @oman province of 4yria durin"
the rei"n of 2iberius $1+F,-(. )t steadily "rew in importance as a trade route lin'in" #ersia, )ndia,
China, and the @oman empire. )n C,+ the first Muslims arrived in #almyra. 2he city was ta'en by the
Muslim 8rabs under <halid ibn 3alid in C,C. )n the Cth century, Da'hreddine al Maany castle was
built on top of a mountain overloo'in" the oasis. 2he castle was surrounded by a moat, with access
only available throu"h a drawbrid"e. 2he city of #almyra was 'ept intact. 8fter year 5, people
started abandonin" the city.
P"MP+II (Ita(y): %urie& %y the .o(cano
[Wiki]
8lon" with Herculaneum, this @oman city near modern Baples was destroyed and completely buried
durin" a catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount 0esuvius spannin" two days on *+ 8u"ust year
-.. 2he volcano collapsed hi"her roof-lines and buried #ompeii under many meters of ash and
pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1- years before its accidental rediscovery in 1-+5.
4ince then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insi"ht into the life of a city at the
hei"ht of the @oman 1mpire. 2oday, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions of )taly and a
/B14C& 3orld Herita"e 4ite.
PAL+N2U+ (Me3ico): one of Mayan)s $ost e34uisite
cities
[Wiki]
#alen6ue is an ancient Maya city near the /sumacinta @iver in the Mexican state of Chiapas. )t
contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvin"s the Maya
produced. 2he ancient Mayan city of #alen6ue, with its superb 9un"le settin" and ex6uisite
architecture and decoration, is one of the marvels of Mexico. Dirst occupied around 1 ;C, it
flourished from about C to - 8=, and what a "lorious century that was. 2he city rose to
prominence under #a'al, a club-footed 'in" who rei"ned from C17 to C5, 8=, represented by
hiero"lyphs of sun and shield, he is also referred to as 4un 4hield or 3hite Macaw. =urin" #a'al's
rei"n, many pla!as and buildin"s, includin" the superlative 2emplo de las )nscripciones $his
Mausoleum(, were constructed in #alen6ue, characteri!ed by very fine stucco bas-reliefs.
#a'al's son Chan-;ahlum )) continued #alen6ue's political and economic expansion and the
development of its art and architecture and presided over the construction of the ?rupo de la Cru!
temples, placin" si!able narrative stone stelae within each. &ne can see the influence of #alen6ue's
architecture in the Mayan city of 2i'al. 2he rival Mayan city of 2oninG's hostility was perhaps the
ma9or factor in #alen6ue's precipitous decline after Chan-;ahlum ))'s death in -*. 4ources spea' of a
devastatin" 2oninG attac' on #alen6ue in -,. 8fter the 1th century #alen6ue was lar"ely
abandoned. )n an area that receives the heaviest rainfall in Mexico, the ruins lay undiscovered until
the 15th century. Drans ;lom, an early-to-mid-*th century investi"ator remar'edE '2he first visit to
#alen6ue is immensely impressive. 3hen one has lived there for some time this ruined city becomes
an obsession.'
5I6A/ANAA# (In&ia): ca-ita( of one of the (ar*est Hin&u
e$-ires
[Wiki]
0i9ayana"ar, the capital of one of the lar"est Hindu empires ever, was founded by 4an"ama dynasty
princes Harihara and ;u''a in 1,,C. )ts power pea'ed under <rishnadevaraya $17.-*.(, when it
controlled nearly the whole of the peninsula south of the <rishna and 2un"abhadra rivers.
Comparable to =elhi in the 1+th century, the city, with an estimated population of half a million,
covered ,, s6 'm and was surrounded by several concentric lines of fortification. )ts wealth derived
from the control of spice trade and the cotton industry. )ts busy ba!aars, described by travelers such as
#ortu"uese Bune! and #aes, were centers of international commerce. 2he empire collapsed after the
battle of 2ali'ota in 17C7 when the city was ransac'ed by the confederacy of =eccan sultans $;idar,
;i9apur, ?olconda, 8hmedna"ar and ;erar(, thus openin" up southern )ndia for Muslim con6uest.
2he ruins are set in a stran"e and beautiful boulder strewn landscape with an almost ma"ical 6uality.
2he undisputed hi"hli"ht, the 1Cth century 0ittala 2emple, is a 3orld Herita"e Monument. 4tarted by
<rishnadevaraya, it was never finished or consecratedH its incredible sculptural wor' is the pinnacle of
0i9ayana"ar art. 2he outer pillars are 'nown as musical pillars as they reverberate when tapped. 8n
ornate stone chariot in the temple courtyard containin" an ima"e of ?aruda.
+PH+,U, (Turkey): one of the $ost i$-ortant cities of
ear(y Christianity
[Wiki]
1phesus was an )onian ?ree' city in ancient 8natolia, founded by colonists from 8thens in the 1th
century ;C. 2he city was located in )onia, where the Cayster @iver $<IJI' Menderes( flows into the
8e"ean 4ea, and was part of the #anionian Lea"ue. 1phesus hosted one of the seven churches of 8sia,
addressed in the ;oo' of @evelation $*E1F-(. )t is also the site of a lar"e ?ladiator "raveyard.
1phesus was an important center for early Christianity. #aul used it as a base. He became embroiled
in a dispute with artisans, whose livelihood depended on the 2emple of 8rtemis there $8cts 1.E*,F+1(,
and wrote 1 Corinthians from 1phesus. Later #aul wrote to the Christian community at 1phesus.
,ANCHI (In&ia): the %est7-reser.e& *rou- of 0u&&hist
$onu$ents
[Wiki]
8 /B14C& world herita"e site in central )ndia near the ;etwa @iver, 4anchi is on a flat-topped
sandstone hill, .m above the countryside, and stands the best-preserved "roup of ;uddhist
monuments in )ndia. Most noteworthy is the ?reat 4tupa, discovered in 1515. )t was probably be"un
by the emperor 8so'a in the mid-,rd century ;C1 and later enlar"ed. 4olid throu"hout, it is enclosed
by a massive stone railin" pierced by four "ateways on which are elaborate carvin"s depictin" the life
of the ;uddha.
2he stupa itself consists of a base bearin" a hemispherical dome representin" the dome of heaven
enclosin" the 1arthH it is surmounted by a s6uared rail unit, the world mountain, from which rises a
mast to symboli!e the cosmic axis. 2he mast bears umbrellas that represent the various heavens.
&ther remains include several smaller stupas, an assembly hall $caitya(, an 8so'an pillar with
inscription, and several monasteries $+thF11th cent. C1(. 4everal relic bas'ets and more than +
epi"raphical records have also been discovered.