Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

10 of the best ancient ruins ... that you've probably never heard of

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • 10 of the best ancient ruins ... that you've probably never heard of

    http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/apr/06/10-best-ancient-ruins-cambodia-peru-china-italy

    10 of the best ancient ruins ... that you've probably never heard of

    Koh Ker, Cambodia

    Lost to forest and abandoned for over a thousand years, you'll find
    this little-visited site in northern Cambodia. It's less than two
    hours' ride from its more famous cousin, Angkor Wat, and well worth a
    visit to see more than two dozen temples emerging from the jungle. A
    highlight is a seven-tiered pyramid, 40 metres high, which is thought
    to have been the state temple of Jayavarman IV and is often compared
    to Mayan temples. The site was the capital of the whole Khmer empire
    from 928-944AD.
    - A new road means day trips to Koh Ker are possible from Siem Reap,
    but there are also now a few basic guesthouses and an ecolodge for
    those who want to stay longer

    Choquequirao, Peru


    Photograph: Zachary Bennett/Corbis
    Little sister to the better-known Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is one of
    the most-rewarding travel destinations in the Americas. Only a few
    hundred people visit during the dry season (May to October), compared
    with thousands each day at Machu Picchu. At 3,000m, the site sits on a
    cloud-forest ridge, 61 miles west of Cusco in the remote Vilcabamba
    range. The city was built by Topa Yupanqui, son of the man who built
    Machu Picchu, Pachacuti, some time in the 15th century. It's a two-day
    trek to Choquequirao from the town of Cachora (though a cable car link
    is planned), and exploring it and the outlying sites of Capullyoc,
    Hurincancha and Casa de Cascada with a guide will take several days.
    - Buses run from Cusco to Ramal, close to Cachora, where guides and
    pack mules can easily be hired

    Ani, Turkey


    The ruined church of Saint Gregory in Ani. Photograph: Alamy
    There are some wonderful treasures in the far east of Turkey and one
    of them is the site of Ani. Capital of the Armenian Bagratid dynasty
    until the 11th century, and situated on key trade routes, it
    flourished for over 400 years and at its peak was larger than any
    contemporary European city, with a population of over 100,000. It was
    destroyed by an earthquake in 1319, and today its ruins are spread
    over a wide area, with the remains of spectacular churches, a
    Zoroastrian fire temple, palaces and city walls. Take a picnic and
    spend a day exploring the site.
    - Ani can be reached by taxi or hire car from the town of Kars, 46km
    away and served by internal flights from Ankara or Istanbul

    Conimbriga, Portugal


    Photograph: Getty Images
    This is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal - roughly
    halfway between Lisbon and Porto, near the village of
    Condeixa-a-Nova. It was a prosperous town in Roman times and, while
    not the largest Roman city in Portugal, it is the best
    preserved. Although only a small section of the site has been
    excavated, there are baths, luxurious houses, an amphitheatre, a
    forum, shops, gardens with working fountains and city walls to
    explore, with many wonderful mosaics still in situ. In its centre is
    one of the largest houses discovered in the western Roman empire, the
    Casa de Cantaber, which is built around ornamental pools in superb
    colonnaded gardens and has its own bath complex and heating
    system. There is also a good museum, cafe and picnic site. Pick up a
    guidebook from the museum and have a few euro coins in your pocket to
    make the fountains work.
    - Easyjet and Ryanair fly to Porto and Lisbon from about £50 return

    Han Yangling, China


    Terracotta figures in the Han Yangling museum. Photograph: Alamy
    A smaller version of the Xi'an terracotta warriors, this
    often-overlooked site is the the tomb of E mperor Jing Di , who died
    in 141BC, and his Empress Wang. The site, 20km north of Xi'an, is well
    laid-out, with glass panels over the burial pits so you can see
    everything in situ, and there is also an excellent museum. The warrior
    figures here have individual faces; their arms were made of wood and
    they wore clothes. Sadly, both have disintegrated now, though examples
    can be seen in the museum. The pits are filled with figurines of
    courtiers and animals, and you can see the fossilised remains of
    wooden chariots.
    - Han Yangling is easily reached by taxi, from Xi'an international
    airport (25 minutes)

    Pella, Jordan


    Photograph: Corbis
    Frequently bypassed for the larger sites of Jerash and Umm Qais ,
    Pella, in the north Jordan valley, is a multi-period site, occupied
    since neolithic times. It has some stunning Roman/Byzantine remains,
    and recent excavations have unearthed a Canaanite temple dating from
    1700BC and early-bronze-age city walls dating from 3200BC. Take the
    time to climb to the top of Tell Husn, the southern mound overlooking
    the dig house, and you will be rewarded with a fantastic view across
    the excavations and the Jordan valley.
    - The site is 45 minutes by road from the city of Irbid (two hours
    from Amman). Buses run from Irbid to the present-day village of
    Tabaqat Fahl

    Vatican Necropolis, Italy


    Photograph: AGF/Rex
    Beneath the Vatican City lie the ancient streets of Rome and an
    ancient burial ground, the Vatican necropolis - originally a cemetery
    on the southern slope of Vatican Hill. Saint Peter is said to be
    buried here, after he was martyred in the nearby Circus of
    Nero. Emperor Constantine I built a basilica above the apostle's grave
    in the fourth century AD, and excavations in the 1940s did find a
    number of mausoleums. To walk at ancient street levels through the
    necropolis is an exciting experience for those who love to step back
    in time.
    - Visits must be booked with the Vatican Excavations Office. Tours, in
    groups of about 12, last 90 minutes

    Takht-e Soleyman, Iran


    Photograph: /Getty Images
    Takht-e Soleyman, meaning Throne of Solomon, is a breathtaking site
    built around a mineral-rich crater lake 30km north of Takab in Iran's
    West Azerbaijan province. The earliest remains date from the Sasanian
    period, from 224 to 651AD. Set in a vast, empty landscape 2,000 metres
    above sea level, the site includes the remains of a Zoroastrian fire
    temple complex and a 13th-century Mongol palace. It is surrounded by
    an oval wall with 34 towers and two gates. The lake is 60 metres deep
    and so filled with minerals that it contains no life and is
    undrinkable. Don't miss the small museum, housed in an Ilkhanid (a
    13th-century building), with fine examples of tile, ceramics and
    stucco decoration.
    - The site is about two hours by taxi from the city of Zanjan, which
    is served by buses and trains from Tehran

    Fatehpur Sikri, India


    Photograph: /Corbis
    This surprisingly intact walled and fortified Mughal city is 40km west
    of Agra and the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh. Built by Emperor Akbar in
    1571, it was the Mughal capital for 14 years before being abandoned
    for lack of water. A stunning royal complex of pavilions and palaces
    include a harem, a mosque, private quarters, gardens, ornamental
    pools, courtyards and intricate carvings. It is the best-preserved
    collection of Mughal architecture in India. Don't miss the Rumi
    Sultana palace, the smallest but most-elegant structure in the
    complex, and the secret stone safes in the corner of the Treasury,
    which also houses a museum opened just last year.
    - The complex is an easy day trip from Agra: take a bus or train to
    Fatehpur station, 1km from the site

    Pula, Croatia


    Photograph: Getty Images
    The amphitheatre of Pula is the only Roman amphitheatre to have four
    side towers and all three levels preserved. Built between in 27BC and
    68AD, it is one of the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the
    world, and the best-preserved ancient monument in Croatia. Overlooking
    the harbour in the north-east of the town, it seated 20,000
    spectators. In summer there are weekly re-enactments of gladiator
    fights, and it is also used for plays, concerts and the September
    Outlook festival. Look out for the slabs that used to secure the
    fabric canopies that sheltered spectators from the sun.
    - Ryanair flies to Pula from Stansted from £117 return

Working...
X