{"id":670371,"date":"2019-11-07T19:35:28","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T16:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/tr\/content\/?p=670371"},"modified":"2019-11-07T19:35:28","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T16:35:28","slug":"7-incredibly-beautiful-ancient-ruins-everyone-should-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/2019\/11\/07\/7-incredibly-beautiful-ancient-ruins-everyone-should-see\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Incredibly Beautiful Ancient Ruins Everyone Should See"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Edited By: Natalia Jones <\/span><\/div>\n
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Great Mosque of Djenn\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The enigmatic and yet simultaneously humbling sight of ancient architecture is something that is bound to attract anyone\u2019s attention. Surely, it\u2019s fascinating to witness these remnants of the history of humanity and see how our ancestors used to live. This exactly why such ancient ruins as the Colosseum<\/strong>, Machu Picchu<\/strong>, Stonehenge, and the Egyptian Pyramids are all incredibly popular. And while all of these ancient monuments certainly deserve recognition, in this article we feature 7 other, probably somewhat less well known, but equally beautiful and well preserved ancient ruins from all corners of the world.<\/div>\n

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1. Fatehpur Sikri, India<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Location<\/strong>: Uttar Pradesh<\/p>\n

It’s astonishing how this 16th-century\u00a0city stayed almost flawlessly intact!\u00a0Though Fatehpur Sikri is definitely not the oldest ancient relic on this list, its unique, nearly perfectly intact architecture is definitely worth a mention, especially since it’s situated in close proximity to other major tourist destinations, such as the Taj Mahal<\/strong>.<\/div>\n
Fatehpur Sikri\u00a0(the City of Victory) is a fortified city created\u00a0by Emperor Akbar in 1571. Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, who initiated the construction of this beautiful terracotta\u00a0city to serve as a capital for the empire. During\u00a0Akbar’s rule, the Mughal Empire was thriving and he managed to enlarge its borders to include nearly all of the Indian subcontinent, so the emperor had plenty of funds to spend on extraordinary architectural projects, with\u00a0Fatehpur Sikri\u00a0definitely being a prime example.<\/div>\n
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Unfortunately, after just 14 years, the water supply to the city diminished dramatically and it was completely abandoned, standing uninhabited for centuries. Today, the city is a prime example of Mughal architecture, and tourists from all over the world visit the city to admire the multitude of royal palaces and pavilions the city contains.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
You can see pristinely preserved courtyards, gardens, towers, a mosque, ornamental pools, and royal quarters, including a\u00a0harem, all covered with\u00a0intricate decorations and unbelievably detailed carvings. It is the best-preserved collection of Mughal architecture in India. Today, the city also houses an archeological museum containing cultural artifacts from the Mughal and pre-Mughal period.<\/div>\n

2. Pula Arena, Croatia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Location: <\/strong>Pula<\/p>\n

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Image Source:\u00a0Diego Delso\/ Wikimedia Commons<\/div>\n
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A true gem, the Pula Arena in Croatia is among the largest and best preserved Roman arenas in the world, and the only one to retain\u00a0four side towers and all three Roman architectural orders. Though admittedly somewhat smaller than the Roman Colosseum, the intricate Pula Arena can seat 26.000 spectators. To this day, events such as concerts, festivals and gladiator fight re-enactments are organized at the amphitheater on a regular basis.<\/div>\n
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Image Source: Orlovic\/ Wikimedia Commons<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Apart from being one of the largest Roman arenas, the amphitheater is also the best-preserved Roman monument in Croatia. Located in close proximity to the seashore, the Pula Arena was built during 27 BC – 68 AD. The stone version was completed during the reign of emperor Claudius to hold gladiator fights and was in use until the 5th century when gladiator battles were banned.<\/div>\n
After the fall of the Western\u00a0Roman Empire, the building was\u00a0abandoned and stones from the arena were plundered by local folk until the 13th century, with even the local\u00a0Pula Cathedral containing stone from the amphitheater.<\/div>\n

3.\u00a0Longmen Grottoes, China<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Location<\/strong>: Luoyang<\/p>\n

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Image Source: Kevin Poh\/ Flickr<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Longmen Grottoes, one of the most recognized historical landmarks in China, are situated merely 12 km (7.5 miles) south of the city of Luoyang, one of the oldest cities in the world<\/strong>. The\u00a0grottoes incorporate 2,345 caves and niches scattered with\u00a02,800 inscriptions, 43 pagodas, and more than 100,000 Buddhist carvings. The earliest images on the site date back to 493 AD, but,\u00a0according to archeological\u00a0assessments,\u00a0the carvings continued to be added until 1127 AD.<\/div>\n
The Longmen Grottoes are a magnificent sight.\u00a0The myriad of small carvings and images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas\u00a0scatter the rocky exterior of the mountain, leaving every observer speechless.<\/div>\n
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Certainly, the gem of the Longmen Grottoes is Fengxiansi (672-675 AD), the most enormous, extravagant cave, pictured above. The carvings at Fengxiansi feature the impressive 17.14 meter (56 feet) tall Vairocana Buddha and many bodhisattvas. It is considered the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art, and rightfully so.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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May also interest you:<\/h5>\n