10 ancient cities have disappeared completely from the world map

In the world, there exist many ancient cities with architectural beauty as well as separate culture. But due to harsh impacts from nature such as floods, droughts and volcanic eruptions, many ancient cities no longer exist.

1. Helike: The ancient Greek city once sank to the deep sea floor

If you've ever heard of the legend of Atlantis sunk deep into the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps Helike is the best proof of that story. According to Greek mythology, out of anger at the expulsion of the Ionian tribe members from the city, the supreme deity Poseidon decided to submerge all of Helike into the deep sea. In fact, Helike officially disappeared in 373 BC and sank into oblivion ever since.

It took more than 10 years, thanks to the efforts of two archaeologists who wished to discover by the trail of this city once, Helike was officially excavated again in the 1980s of the last century. Many believe that its disappearance is a consequence of the liquefaction of rock and soil from an earthquake.

2. Skara Brae: Unearthed by a big thunderstorm

Skara Brae is one of the remainder of Stone Age dwellings and is preserved intact in the United Kingdom. Although it is not large enough to be called a city, it is still an interesting place for tourists from across the globe.

It used to be buried by sea sand for thousands of years, before it appeared again in 1850 after a big storm. The works of Skara Brae are preserved intact by the giant sand layer, at first glance no one can think that these stone works have reached thousands of years old.

Based on radioactive carbon dating, it is predicted that this place was buried between 3200 and 2200 BC. The reason why Skara Brae was abandoned may be because of the sea sand invasion, plus the amount of waste from the heavily polluted residential community.

3. Dvārakā: The holy city of Lord Krishna

Dvārakā is a famous holy city of Buddhism, Ki-na and Hindu religion, recently unearthed. It used to be one of the seven spiritual cities of Islam, often referred to as the Sapta Puri. This is also the home of the famous god Krishna.

According to legend, this city was destroyed in the battle between Lord Krishna and King Salva. Intense attacks of the two sides made the city devastated. Soon the city was abandoned and gradually disappeared from the country map.

It took thousands of years, in the 1980s, for scientists from Italy to unearth the ruins of the urban area based on the description in the legends. It was estimated that it was built 9,000 years ago. If this is true, Dvārakā deserves to be considered the oldest city the world has ever known.

4. Caral: The oldest municipality ever existed in the Americas

Considered the oldest city in the Americas, Caral, known as Caral-Chupacigarro, was a forgotten city in the Super Valley, Peru region, about 200 from the capital Lima. km to the north. Recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 2009, this place is believed to have a population living in the period from 2600 to 2000 BC.

With an estimated population of more than 3,000 people, Caral is considered the most populous metropolis of the Norte Chico civilization. In 1948, Caral was officially excavated again by Dr. Paul Kosok and his colleagues.

5. Timgad: Once a flourishing city under the domination of the Roman Empire

Timgad was once a flourishing city in Algeria, under the domination of the ancient Roman empire. It was built by Emperor Trajan around 100 AD.

The location of this ancient metropolis lies in the Aures Mountains and is named in honor of the ancestor of the Trajan emperor, Marcia. It became an abandoned place after the Vandals and Berbers tribes continuously destroyed and plundered in the 5th and 7th centuries, before being permanently buried by sand from the Sahara desert.

Fortunately, archaeologists still find and unearth one of the ancient remains of this ancient city. Today this place is still known as a typical illustration of the great urban planning capabilities of the ancient Romans. Timgad was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1982.

6. Great Zimbabwe: A part of the mighty Zimbabwe Kingdom

Located in the southeastern mountains of Zimbabwe, near the town of Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe is the name of an abandoned medieval city from ancient times. In the last years of the Iron Age, this was the mighty capital of the Zimbabwean Kingdom.

The Batu people built this city between the 11th and 15th centuries, and they were also the first to master Zimbabwe for 300 years. It is estimated that the highest population this city has ever recorded is up to 18,000 people.

Later, this place became an abandoned place for many different reasons, from trade problems with many disadvantages, political unrest, persistent hunger and especially scarcity of fresh water. becoming more serious. The city was first recognized and officially excavated again in 1871.

7. Hattusa: The capital of the ancient Hittite empire

The capital of Hattusa of the ancient Hittite empire near the city of Boğazkale, Turkey had been forgotten for millennia. Along with the end of the Bronze Age, the city was subjected to constant looting, followed by the collapse of the Hittite empire in 1200 BC. The people known as the "Sea People" are the culprits behind this invasion, and they themselves are the archenemy with the ancient Egyptians.

Since that event, the city of Hattusa has become an abandoned place and gradually falls into oblivion. The most flourishing period of his time, Hattusa used to be home to more than 45 thousand people. By the 20th century, German archaeologists had to unearth the city. What they found was a fortune of clay stones, which depicted the content of law until literature.

8. Taxila: Once belonged to Darius the Great before falling into the hands of Alexander the Great

Taxila, also known as Takshashila, is a recently unearthed ancient city in Pakistan. This historic site is not far from the city of present-day Taxila in Punjab province, Pakistan, about 35km northwest of Rawalpindi.

Darius the Great was the first person to take Taxila in 518 BC, before being offered to Alexander the Great. Through various generations of leadership and domination, Taxila gradually became a sacred place for Buddhists.

Many people believe that this place was officially built around 1000 BC, and became the most important urban area in the area thanks to its favorable geographical location, close to the East trade road. -West.

After a period of recession, Taxila was eventually devastated and plundered by the Hungarians in the 5th century AD. By the middle of the 19th century, it was re-excavated thanks to the efforts of Alexander Cunningham.

9.

Sigiriya is a city in Sri Lanka that dates back to the 5th century AD. A special feature is that it is located on a giant stone up to 200 meters high. Built by King Kasyapa, the only way to get to this city is through the gate made of bricks and plaster shaped like the mouth of a lion.

According to ancient Sri Lankan legend, King Kasyapa wanted to find a new place to build the capital and he decided to put his palace on top of a large stone. Surrounding this stone will be decorated with frescoes of different shapes.

Sigiriya's prosperity did not last long, as it was constantly occupied and harassed by many hostile forces. In the next few years, it was once a Buddhist monastery before being abandoned and sunk into oblivion. Fortunately archaeologists from Europe have rediscovered the ruins of this ancient city.

10. Gordium: The capital of King Midas

Gordium, or Górdion in Turkish, was the capital of the ancient Phrygia empire. Located in the area of ​​Asia Minor, this place is 75 km from Ankara to the southwest. This place is famous for being once ruled by a legendary donkey emperor, King Midas. The city was devastated by the Cimmerians before becoming a desolate place in 800 BC.

According to legend, Alexander the Great visited this ancient town to solve the famous Gordian knot problem. Anyone who can remove this knot will have the right to rule over Asia. For Alexander, he simply chose to withdraw the sword and cut the knot into two halves.

The city was unearthed the first time by Gustav and Alfred Korte in 1900, before being discovered by the team of scientists from the Pennsylvania Museum during the 1950s to 1973.