Buried by time, these lost cities were consigned to the realm of legend — until their locations were finally rediscovered.
Andrew Hyde/FlickrThe lost city of Santa Marta, Columbia.
The exact locations of many lost cities from history are long forgotten.
Some cities became lost due to natural disasters, war, or economic upheaval. However, others are lost with few clues leading to the cause of their decline. Yet others still are only the products of myth or legend.
European explorers searching for such lost cities in the 15th century eventually led to the application of modern archaeological techniques. Many previously lost cities have been rediscovered thanks to these scientists and adventurers.
Lost Cities Of The World: Machu Picchu, Peru
Wikimedia Commons
Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incas, located high atop a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley.
Originally inhabited in the 15th and 16th century, archaeologists believe that the mountain estate was built for the Incan emperor, Pachacuti. However, it was abandoned because of the Spanish Conquest who conquered the last Inca stronghold in 1572.
The Spanish conquistadors also likely spread smallpox to the residents of Machu Picchu, further leading to its lost city status. The actual ruins were technically discovered in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham, though he was probably not the first to see them — missionaries were.
Good Free PhotosSteps up a mountain in Machu Picchu.
Lost Cities Of The World: Petra, Jordan
Admired for its intricate rock-cut architecture and advanced water conduit system, Petra is a historical marvel. It dates back to the 6th century B.C. and was the capital city of the Nabataeans. Petra was at the center of trade routes and was used to control the water supply in the desert city.
The honeycomb of pink sandstone caves and temples lies on the slope of Mount Hor. It is four times the size of Manhattan. The raw, natural beauty of this city is always changing, as the sun glints off the stones during its journey across the sky. Sunrise and sunset in Petra are breathtaking.
In 363, an earthquake partially destroyed Petra, as well as the city’s aqueducts. Some residents stuck around, but the last of them left when the Arab conquered it around the year 663.
Petra was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Currently, archaeologists have only explored half of it, though it remains Jordan’s most popular tourist attraction. Oh, and you might recognize this quaint lost city from a little movie called Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
touncertaintyandbeyond/Flickr
Lost Cities Of The World: Pompeii, Italy
LOC/FlickrVesuvius, circa 1890.
Probably one of the most famous lost cities, Pompeii and its inhabitants were the unfortunate victims of the catastrophic volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Mount Vesuvius’ eruption spanned two days and completely buried the opulent Roman city under ash and pumice. It remained lost for over 1700 years — until a surveying engineer uncovered it in 1748.
“Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room,” wrote Pliny the Younger. He witnessed the eruption from across the Bay of Naples.
Approximately one-third of this lost city remains buried, even after archaeologists logged hundreds of years of work. Unearthing these buildings and seeing them as they stood at the time of the cataclysm must be absolutely exhilarating.
Memphis, Egypt
According to legends, around 3000 B.C. the pharaoh Menes founded Memphis – an Egyptian city located south of Cairo. It was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt and thrived as a cultural, commercial, religious and trading hub. The location at the entrance to the Nile River Valley likely made it a natural place for an early settlement.
Memphis was the seat of a far-reaching bureaucracy, enabling King Sneferu to organize the labor force necessary to build the pyramids at Saqqara. Khufu, King Sneferu’s successor, went on to help construct the Great Pyramid at Giza. Memphis grew into prominence alongside Giza, both becoming bustling necropolises.
However, the once-important city was abandoned as the Roman Empire came into prominence. The rise of Christianity around the 4th century A.D. meant fewer visitors to the temples of old Egyptian gods. Consequently, the site fell into disrepair and during the 7th century, the Arabs invaded it. the Egyptians harvested the stones from Memphis’s buildings to help build Cairo and Fustat — the first capital of Muslim Egypt.
Troy, Turkey
PixabayThe Trojan Horse of Troy, a famed infiltration device that popular culture still references.
Home of the legendary decade-long Trojan War described in Homer’s “Illiad” and “Odyssey”, Troy was the center of all ancient civilizations. The city was inhabited from the third millennium B.C. to the 4th century A.D.
It was rebuilt over 10 times, occupied by different civilizations (including the Hittite), and eventually declined during the Byzantine era. Famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann started the excavation of the lost city in 1870. Over a period of 140 years, 24 excavation campaigns have revealed many features from all the periods of occupation.
Some of the more impressive finds are the defensive walls around the citadel, temple of Athena, the central marketplace, and the concert hall. The site of Troy remains one the most famous and historically significant archaeological digs in the world.
Wikimedia CommonsThe Hadrianic Odeon in Troy IX, a small theater.
Babylon, Iraq
Located south of Baghdad — and home to the legendary Hanging Gardens – Babylon is one of ancient Mesopotamia’s first cities. It housed an advanced civilization with well-developed literature, medicine, and religion. It also employed a legal system dating back to the third millennium B.C.
The term “eye for an eye” stems from this ancient city; written by King Hammurabi who created the Babylonian empire. The city eventually collapsed in the 7th century A.D., after centuries of foreign domination.
Babylon probably owes its infamy to the many references to it in the Bible — all of which are unfavorable. However, it was these references which led to the expedition by German archaeologist Robert Koldewey. He first excavated the ruins of Babylon in 1899.
Persepolis, Iran
Founded by King Darius, Persepolis was one of the four capitals of the Persian Empire. Building began around 518 B.C. and the city reflected the wealth and grandeur of the Achaemenid Dynasty. The impressive quality of Persepolis’s monumental ruins makes it a unique archaeological site.
On a half-natural, half man-made terrace, successive kings erected architecturally stunning buildings featuring sculpted friezes and gigantic winged bulls. Kings designed Persepolis because the city needed a spectacular reception hall for their empires.
Masoudkhalife/Wikimedia CommonsRuins of the Western side of the compound at Persepolis.
Unfortunately, Alexander the Great conquered Persepolis, looted it, and finally burned it to the ground in 330 B.C. — reducing it to ruins. The historian Arrian of Nicomedia wrote that “Alexander burnt up the palace at Persepolis to avenge the Greeks because the Persians had destroyed both temples and cities of the Greeks by fire and sword.”
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