I really enjoy seeing ancient sites and ruins because they are a glimpse into the past. They give us a hint of the civilization that may have lived in isolation from other parts of the world.
Some of these sites truly are in ruins and leaves much of our knowledge to speculation but other sites are in excellent condition and are very similar to the way the site looked when it was occupied. When the sites are well preserved then we are able to get a better picture of how people lived in that time period and in that culture.
The posts that will be shown under this category are the ancient sites and ruins that I have been able to photograph in my travels around the world. I hope that you will enjoy seeing these places and that I will be able to communicate how these place look through my photography.
The Colosseum is a massive ancient Roman amphitheater that is famous for showcasing large-scale entertainment events like gladiator battles, hunts pitting humans against wild animals and executions of prisoners of war and criminals. The construction of the Colosseum began in 72AD under Emperor Vespasian but he died before it was complete. His two sons, Emperors…
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Greek legend says that Delos Island is the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Delos Island is a tiny island that is only 5 km x 1.3 km and is no longer inhabited by residents. It is located just a short 20 minute boat ride from Mykonos, Greece. Because of its mythological significance, the ancient…
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Ancient Ephesus is thought to be Turkey’s most important archeological site and one of the world’s most well preserved Greco-Roman cities. Ancient Ephesus is one of the largest and most impressive ancient cities in the world. The remains of the city is located just 80 km inland from the seaside city of Izmir, Turkey. Ephesus…
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Wat Chaiwatthanaram was a royal monastery where the king and his descendants performed religious rites. Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple located within the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Thailand. It is located on the bank of the Chao Phraya River about 80 miles north of Bangkok. The temple was commissioned in 1630 by King Prasat…
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Visiting Minh Mang Tomb feels more like being in a park than a Mausoleum. Nguyen Phuc Dam (known as Minh Mang) became Emperor of Dia Nam (the former name of Vietnam) in 1820. Construction of his royal tomb began in 1840 but he passed away in 1841 and the tomb was not completed. Construction on…
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The Chiang Mai ancient city walls distinguishes the old city that is now a functioning part of the new city. The city of Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mangrai and the city was built inside a rectangle shape that was bounded by the walls and a moat. This fortress was built to…
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Many of the legends of Ancient Greece have Mycenaean origins. Mycenae is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece. The citadel is located near the seashore in the northeast Peloponnese Peninsula. Mycenaean is the culture that dominated mainland Greece, the Aegean islands and the shores of Asia Minor during the late Bronze Age…
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The meaning of Wat Ratchaburana is “the temple of Royal Restoration” Wat Ratchaburana was built in 1424 and is located adjacent to Wat Maha That in the center of the old city in Ayutthaya, Thailand. It was built by King Boromaraja II as a memorial to his two elder brothers. At the center of the…
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Teotihuacan is a vast archaeological complex that predates the Mayas and Aztecs which was home to more than 150,000 people and covered an area of 12 square miles (20 sq. km). The abandoned city was discovered by the Aztecs in the 14th century and they gave it the name of Teotihuacan which means “The place…
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The Nazca Lines are a collection of about 300 designs in the shapes of living creatures, plants and geometric figures that are scratched on the surface of Peru’s arid coastal plan. They are located about 400 kilometers south of Lima between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. The Geoglyphs are created between 300 B. C….
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The Temple of Hephaestus may be the best preserved ancient temple in Greece. It is located about 500 meters northwest of the Acropolis in Athens and was dedicated to Hephaestus, the ancient god of fire and Athena, the goddess of pottery and crafts. It is believed to have been built around 450 B. C. …
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The Museum of Cham Sculpture is located in Da Nang, Vietnam and is the only museum in the world completely dedicated to the Champa era. The museum was founded in 1915 and displays almost 300 works of art ranging from the 7th to the 15th centuries. This post is a follow-up to my post on…
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