Empires uncovered
Legendary cities like Atlantis or El Dorado will always be mythical, but there are scores of other once-magnificent lost cities of the past that have been found. From Machu Picchu to Babylon to Troy, the ruins of these ancient metropolises remind us that no civilization is too big to fail. Here's our list of the greatest lost cities that have been found.
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1. Memphis
Truly one of history's greatest cities, Memphis was the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. It has left spectacular evidence of its past brilliance, such as the ruins of the Great Temple of Ptah, the Saqqara Necropolis and the Royal Palaces of the god-like pharaohs that once ruled there. Today these sites are preserved as a World Heritage Site along with the pyramid complex at Giza.
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2. Machu Picchu
Completely unknown to the outside world until it was discovered by the American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu is today perhaps the most famous icon of the once-great Inca civilization. The city is so well hidden high on its Andean perch that the Spanish Conquest never encountered it. For this reason, it's invaluable as a relatively intact cultural site.
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3. Petra
Petra is Jordan's most prized archaeological wonder, famed for its rock-cut architecture. Due in part to being enclosed by towering rose-coloured rocks, the ancient city remained unknown to the Western world until 1812. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.
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4. Angkor
Perhaps the most important archaeological site in Southeast Asia, Angkor extends over about 155 square miles in Cambodia and includes the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat. It served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from about the 9th to 15th centuries.
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5. Mesa Verde
This remarkable settlement of the ancient Pueblo peoples is seemingly carved right out of a cliff side. In fact, the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the world. Discovered as recently as 1874, the entire area at Mesa Verde National Park consists of some 4,400 sites.
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6. Great Zimbabwe
The reputed capital of the Queen of Sheba, Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that once was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country's Late Iron Age. Constructed by the Bantu civilization of the Shona, the great city was an important trading centre in the Middle Ages.
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7. Tikal
Tikal was not only one of the largest of the ancient Mayan cities, it was also one of largest cities in the entire preindustrial world. The metropolis reached its apogee during the Classic Period, circa A.D. 200 to 900, when it dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily. Today its temples still tower over the surrounding jungle.
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8. Troy
Immortalized by Homer in the "Iliad," the ancient city of Troy is the storied home of the Trojan War. In fact, evidence of widespread fire and slaughter around 1250 B.C., which led to the collapse of this once-great citadel, seems to confirm the events as documented by Homer.
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9. Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara translates as "City of Victory," and was the prosperous capital of the largest and most powerful kingdom of its time in all of India. The city thrived at the heart of the Hindu world until it was sacked and razed by an invading Muslim army in 1565. It has not been occupied since. The ruins today are listed as a World Heritage Site.
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10. Babylon
The remains of this once-magnificent city, which is believed to have been home to the storied Hanging Gardens of Babylon, are found in present day Iraq. Built upon the Euphrates River, steep embankments were constructed to contain the river's seasonal floods. During its peak, Babylon was undoubtedly one of the architectural wonders of the world - perhaps even once the home to the mythical Tower of Babel.
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11. Carthage
Ancient Carthage, found in modern-day Tunisia, was home to one of the greatest trading empires in the history of the Mediterranean region. The city dominated the seas for centuries, but was also renowned for its politics. In fact, Greek philosopher Aristotle considered the city to have one of the best governing institutions in the world.
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12. Caral
The most ancient city in all of the Americas, Caral was a large settlement in the Supe Valley, Peru, about 200 miles north of modern-day Lima. The ruins feature evidence of complex and monumental architecture, including six large pyramidal structures. Interestingly, the site shows no evidence of warfare. It has been proposed that Caral was at the centre of a great gentle society, built on commerce and pleasure rather than conquest.
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13. Pompeii
Once a thriving ancient Roman town-city located near modern day Naples, Pompeii was almost instantly wiped out by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The ash and pumice inundated the city so rapidly that the ruins at Pompeii represent a near snapshot in time. Today the site is protected as a World Heritage Site.
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14. Mohenjo-daro
Built around 2600 B.C., Mohenjo-daro was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. The city would have been contemporary with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Crete. The site provides early evidence of systems of town planning, and the city likely exercised a considerable influence on the subsequent urbanization of the Indian peninsula.
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