Ruins are described as remains of structures that were once complete but have fallen into a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction because of war or natural disaster.
Here are 10 ancient and spectacular ruins from around the world.
Lost Empire of Khasar
The author is in the middle of writing an article about this topic when Associated Press published the news today about this new archeological discovery and decided to include it in the list.
AP photo/Dmitri Vasilvev
Recent photo of a typical house recently excavated by archeologists in Itil, a Silkroad city near Astrakhan that once served as the capital of Khasar located about 800 miles south of Moscow. It was reported that this archeological discovery was part of the lost empire of Khasar, a powerful medieval state in Eastern Europe whose territory used to stretch from northern shores of the black sea to Central Asia. The structure is made of hard burnt brick that was believed to be constructed in the 11th or 12th Century.
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a Temple of the Greek Goddess Athena and built with classical style architecture during the 5th century BC. The Parthenon is an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and considered as one of the most popular cultural monuments in the world. The Parthenon has been used as Treasury building, Christian church and as Mosque in the early Greek civilization. It was severely damage when some explosives and ammunitions were ignited by Venetian bombardment causing the destruction of its important sculptures. Part of the damaged sculptures are now stored in the British Museum where it was sold in 1816. The Greek government is presently working on the return of these sculptures to Greece but with no success so far.
Patara Lighthouse-Turkey
Ruins of the oldest lighthouse in the world were discoveredrecently by Prof. Havva Iskan Isik of the Akdeniz University in Turkey. It is believed that the archeological find is more than 2000 years old. The lighthouse which stands 60 meters above the sea was built around 60 A.D.
Colosseum
The Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in Rome and the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Construction of this famous amphitheatre started in 70 A.D. and completed in 80 A.D. This structure is capable of seating 50,000 spectators and was used for staging gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It remained in used for 500 years. It is estimated that close to 500,000 people and over a million animals have died inside the coliseum as participants in spectacular games and shows.
Trajan's Market
Trahan's Market is a part of the spectacular ruins of Rome. It was built during the time of Emperor Trahan by Architect Apollodoros of Damascus during the year 100-110 A.D. Emperor Trahan was best known for his extensive building program that shaped the metropolitan landscape of Rome.
Castle Sant Angelo
This structure is actually built as a mausoleum during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian. He ordered its construction for the purpose of using it to store his remains when he dies, including the remains of his family and loved ones. The tomb was destroyed when it was converted into a military fortress in year 403 and most of its contents were lost. It was later converted into a castle,
and it was used to protect Rome. It has an underground passage that links Vatican.
Hoovenweep Castle
This Castle is located in Montezuma, Colorado, San Juan County, Utah. The castle is believed to have been constructed in the 13th century but was discovered in 1854 by W.D. Huntington and a group of colonist from the Church of Christ of the Latter Day Saints of European descent. But the Ube and Navajo tribes already new the Hoovenweep ruins. Hoovenweep which means “deserted valley” in Ute language was adapted by photographer William Henry Jackson in 1874. The name is apt as a description of the desolate canyons and barren mesas and the ruins of ancient communities.
Aztec Ruins
Aztec Ruins is located in northwestern New Mexico, close to the town of Aztec. The ruins date back to 11th - 13th centuries and its existence was attributed to the Aztec civilization that is traced back to the early American settlers in the mid 19th century.
Cagsawa Ruins
Cagsawa is a town of Legaspi City in Albay province, Philippines. This town is host to an ancient church that was buried by mud and volcanic materials during the eruption of Mayon volcano in 1814. The topmost bell tower is what remains of the church. At the background is the famous perfect-coned Mayon Volcano in Albay, Philippines.
A' Famosa Ruins
A' Famosa or “The Famous” is a fortress built by the Portuguese in the early 1500 in Malacca, Malaysia. It is the oldest surviving European Architectural remains in Asia. Because of neglect by concerned authorities, only a small gate is left of the once mighty fortress. Recently the government of Malaysia bowed to restore the ruins to its original state.
Photos by wikipidia
