Living in a modern city everyday, it’s hard for us to imagine a city that is lost from human touch. It’s time that we appreciate the past glory and history of the lost cities.
There are legends and ruins of dozens of lost cities around the world. The following 5 are the most historically significant and famous:
5. In a blink of an eye, the community of Pompeii, Italy was sealed by the ashes, cinders and other debris of erupted volcano, Mount Vesuvius. It was not until 1748, almost 1500 years later, this lost city was discovered by a group of archaeologists when they found that the entire city was perfectly preserved by the air sealed volcano ashes.
4. The city of El Dorado, supposedly located somewhere in the northern portion of South America, was said to be chock-full of precious gems and gold. It has never been photographed, so it’s existence has never been confirmed. Many explorers have tried to find the city, but they either come back empty handed or died in the process from a variety of causes, including disease and starvation.
3. The city of Troy is most famous for the Trojan War. It was abandoned following the war and was resettled around 700 B.C. Sadly, after being captured by the Romans in 85 B.C., the civilization fizzled out and it was left in ruins until its discovery in 1822.
2. Like Troy, Carthage is a city worn-out by war. It started as a trading post, then evolved into a city of great prosperity around 800 B.C. However, its First Punic War (260-241 B.C.) and Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) with the Romans devastated the city with two great defeats. Even worse, 151 B.C., Carthage violated the terms of their peace accord with the Romans, which resulted in war lasting a few years until finally, the whole city was nearly totally destructed and thousands of Carthaginians died. Unlike Troy, which never recovered from its war with the Romans, Carthage was resettled and today, it is a wealthy suburb of Tunisia.
1. The island of Atlantis was a bustling society, filled with wealth, architectural marvels and a thriving culture – literally, a utopian society (according to the Greek philosopher Plato). While Plato’s description of the city appears to be fictional, some historians actually believe the city has existed. Many of these historians theorize that the city was sunk by a volcanic eruption and is now located underwater near the Caribbean, Ireland, South America or even Antarctica.
So, there you have it, the 5 most historically significant lost cities in the world, some that have a glorious past, and others that are nearly fictional. Regardless, tell us which one is your favourite!
