Top 10 Mysterious Ancient Cities of the World

Ancient myths and legends tell us many mysterious cities underground and in very deep blue sea. These ancient cities are filled with secret chambers, passages shrines and tombs. Although scientists discovered them, they still have no idea who built them and for what purposes. In this article, TopAmazing has put together a list of 10 mysterious ancient worlds that remain unsolved to this day.

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1. Petra, Jordan

In 1812, a wandering Swiss Explorer in the regions of Southern Jordan stumbled upon this ancient city encircled in the Mountains. Some Millennia ago, Petra was a major caravan trade center. In 363 AD, tragedy hit the city when an earthquake struck damaging the city structures and its water system. Petra had been abandoned, by 663, only to be discovered again after nearly 1000 years.

2. Skara Brae, Orkney

Regarded as one of the best existing examples of stone age life, the remains of Skara Brae settlement was discovered in 1850 when a storm uncovered the soil that it was buried in. Until 1924, the significance of this ancient settlement, which is located on the Western Coast of Scotland’s Orkney Island, was little understood. The sunken buildings of Skara Brae that are filled with stone furniture and even working stone doors well demonstrate the craftsmanship of these ancient people.

3. Tikal, Guatemala

Considered to have been inhabited by a population of nearly 100,000 people, the city of Tikal had palaces, temples, residential estates, canals and also a prison. Owing to a disruption in the food supply chain in around 900 AD, the city was abandoned. For centuries, no enduring evidence of this once great city could be recovered apart from the weak local rumors. In the late 19th century, the site was excavated and mapped by researchers, which ensured the city ruins were preserved.

4. Angkor, Cambodia

Located deep in the forests of the Siem Reap province of Cambodia, an ancient stone city extend skyward above the extensive complex of Angkor Archaeological Park. Many capitals of the Khmer empire thrived here from the 9th to 15th centuries, while the rulers managed an empire that extended from Myanmar to Vietnam.  The newly discovered Angkor region covers more than 400 square miles- an area reasonably larger than New York City’s five precincts. In the 15th century, much of the city was in abandon, but in recent years much work is done to restore the city.

5. Lion City, China

Shicheng (dubbed the Lion City), regarded by some as China’s Atlantis of the east, was once centre of politics and economics in the eastern province of Zhejiang. In 1959, the city was completely submerged underwater when a dam was erected. The water region is known as Qiandao Lake 131 feet under which Shi Cheng rests. The structures in Shicheng which include white temples, memorial arches, paved roads, and houses were created 1,300 years ago and have remained intact removed from the wind and sun.

6. The Lost City of Honduras

In the Honduran Jungle, Archaeologists have begun excavations to unearth what they believe to be the legendary “White city of the Ciudad Blanca”. The recovered ruins, which seem to date between 1,000 and 1,500 AD are distinct from that of the Mayan Culture. Researchers after decades trying to track down this lost city have named the site the city of the Jaguar. So far, dozens of artefacts, including a vessel with vulture-shaped handles, a clay tray with a jaguar’s head and stone throne carved with a jaguar have been unearthed. The city’s name may have been derived from the white limestone rock in the area, which was originally mentioned by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.

7. Mohenjo-Daro

The City’s name which literally translates into “Mound of the Dead” was one of the largest city-settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization of South Asia. The city which lies in province of Sindh, Pakistan, was built around 2600 BC and rediscovered in the 1920s by Sir John Marshall’s team of archaeologists. The remarkable feature of this city’s design is that it follows a grid format similar to our modern cities with houses, assembly halls, markets, and wells. At its peak, the city probably had 35,000 residents. The public buildings suggest a high degree of social organization. It was mainly an agricultural city, with some defensive fortification with no city walls.

8. Troy, Turkey

The existence of this city was believed to a be a myth which spread wide by the battle of Troy and the famous Trojan Horse. The excavations of some farmland, in the 1870s, uncovered artefacts and structures which dated back to the bronze age. The archaeologists discovered evidence which suggested that the layers of city structures that rested on top of another over several years. The resemblance of these structures to the homer’s description in his Iliad swayed many to believe that this was indeed the legendary city of Troy.

9. Macho Picchu, Peru

This Peruvian gem built by the Inca tribe in 1450, was abandoned a century later owing to the Spanish conquest. Located in the mountains, the city comprised of nearly 200 building structures with roads, natural springs and terraced farmlands. The city structure was a remarkable feat for a civilization which had no heavy equipment or other sophisticated technology.

10. Pompeii- Italy

Pompeii is an ancient city of Roman Empire near Modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. It was tragically hit by a catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. The city was buried under many feet of ash and was forgotten for nearly 1,600 years before its serendipitous rediscovery. It excavation has yielded a remarkably detailed insight into the life of the city at the pinnacle of the Roman Empire. Today, it has become one of Italy’s leading tourist hotspots and is deemed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Source: TopAmazing Channel