Lost cities and the trails they left behind

The disappearance of cities sure sounds unimaginable. But there have been such cities which were lost and forgotten with time, and their loss can be attributed to a lot of factors like war, epidemic, catastrophes that destroy the city and make it uninhabitable.

Timgad, Algeria

Timgad was a town in Algeria founded around 100 AD. It was attacked by Vandals in the 5th century but later regained importance to become a centre of Christian life. But a second major sacking in the 7th century by Vandals led to the complete abandonment of the city. It was rediscovered in 1881.

Getting there: The place of ruins is located at a distance of 35 km from the town of Batna. It takes a 2 hour drive from Algiers. Alternatively, it is accessible by tour or bus from Batna.

Petra, Jordan

This ancient city in Jordan has been uninhabited since the pre historic times and is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. Petra was once a trading centre and the capital of the Nabataean empire from 400 B.C. till 106 A.D. Frequent change in the ruling Kingdom and earthquakes brought about the decline of the city which did not have occupants for about 9000 years. It is now considered as one of the wonders of the world.

Getting there: Flying in from Amman airport, it’s a four-hour drive. Alternatively, you can go on guided tours that takes you on a minibus, to explore the archaeological site of Petra, via the Desert Highway.

Troy, Turkey

Troy is a city which existed almost 4000 years ago and was uninhabited soon after the Trojan War. It was later discovered in the 19th century and the excavation took 20 years. Once you get there, you can also visit other interesting places in Turkey tourism.

Getting there: The remains can be accessed from the main centre of Çanakkale, by taking a mini bus or a drive of 2 km from the the highway should take you to the site.

Palenque, Mexico

Palenque is an ancient city of the Mayan Civilisation, with some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and carvings. The city flourished from 600 to 700 AD. The reason for the city being abandoned later was the Toniná attack on Palenque in 730. It then remain undiscovered till the 18th century. When in Mexico, try the adventurous cliff dives in Acapulco.

Getting there: Palenque is located in Chiapas, the southern most state in Mexico. It takes a 2 hour drive from Villahermosa airport to reach the city.

Persepolis, Iran

Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire and was embellished with precious artwork of which only very little survives today. In 331 BC, Alexander the Great burnt Persepolis down to the ground as a revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens, in the process of conquering the Persian Empire.

Getting there: The closest Airport is Shiraz International Airport, and best way to get to the city from the Airport is to take a cab.

Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor is a city in Cambodia with the remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, including the world’s largest single religious monument – Angkor Wat temple and the Bayon temple. After the year 1431, Angkor was invaded by Ayutthaya invaders when the city underwent it’s declining phase. It was eventually abandoned. For more, check out some of the best places to visit in Cambodia.

Getting there: Angkor can be reached in a 20 minute drive from central Siem Reap. Alternatively, guided tours are available to walk you through the important temples in Angkor.

Machu Picchu, Peru

It is one of the most famous lost cities and it stayed latent for centuries above the Urubamba Valley. Largely unknown of existence, it was discovered only in the year 1911. The city was abandoned, but there is no definite reason. Did you know Peru housed one of the scariest catacombs?

Getting there: Hiking the Inca trail is one of the best ways to get to the lost city. If that is strenuous, one can opt for the trains that connect from Cuzco or Ollantaytambo.

rome, Image Credit: www.maxisciences.com

Pompeii, Rome

Pompeii was an ancient city in Rome, near Naples. It was during the year 79 AD that the entire city was engulfed in white ash resulting from the explosion of a volcano. Thousands of people died instantly and the city remained lost for over 1700 years. It is now an archaeological site with more than 2 million visitors every year. When in Rome, you could also travel to the Amalfi Coast.

Getting there: There are trains operating from both Rome and Salerno and buses are available from Naples.

Heracleion, Egypt

The city of Heracleion is known to have flourished before 331 BC, with extraordinary wealth and glory, but was later lost as it sunk entirely into the depth of the Mediterranean Sea. The remains of this city was found 1200 year later by divers who explored the sea and recovered long lost treasures.

Getting there: The lost city remains can be found 6.5 km off the coast line, under 10 m of water. The research area, covering about 11 km is found in the western part of Aboukir Bay.

Loulan, China

Loulan was an oasis town in China, once a rich and fertile kingdom. The kingdom was established in the year 176 AD, and was a place of thriving business for 800 years. The city was however lost to sandstorms that dried up the oasis, making it dry and uninhabitable, by the end of the 7th century. If you wish to explore the ancient city, you should know that the country is one of the places you can visit under the price of an iPhone.

Getting there: The Milan 36 Tuanchang, located 74 km to the west of Ruoqiang is the best place to start from and it takes a 222 kilometres drive to get close to the ruins of the city. Further, it requires a long walk along the desert to reach the site of ruins.

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