Vanishing history: the most intriguing lost cities

Jun 30, 2011 7:07:16 AM

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War, weather, cosmic intervention or simply a case of purpose served…nothing lasts forever. We go exploring some of the world’s most intriguing lost cities.

1. Skara Brae, Scotland

More a village than a city, this prehistoric set of ruins in Orkney is of a small farming settlement over 5000 years old. It was discovered in 1850 after a wild storm revealed the stone remnants. Excavations (and more storms) showed the village had at least eight stone cottages, complete with beds, hearths and shelves. It seems erosion brought the village closer to the sea, until it was abandoned and left to the enshrouding sands for four millennia. Today, erosion continues to threaten the site, and visits in winter depend on weather conditions.

Orkney is connected to the British mainland by ferries and flights, some of which are seasonal. Full details can be found here.

2. Babylon, Iraq

Babylon, settled around 2500 BC, became a great centre of the Mesopotamian world 500 years later, when Hammurabi, the first king of the Babylonian empire, made it his capital. It was destroyed in the 6th century BC by the Assyrians, and then left to fall into ruin in the 2nd century BC, following the death of Alexander the Great. The ruins of Babylon conjure images of a biblical past: the great Tower of Babel; the beautiful hanging gardens…and there’s that certain disco song that just won’t leave your head…

Only the most hardened of travellers are currently visiting Babylon, 85km south of Baghdad. Babel Tours runs escorted itineraries.

3. Taxila, Pakistan

Founded by an ancient Indian king sometime around the 7th century BC, Taxila (or Takshashila) is a tale of three lost cities. The first was built on a hill, later known as Bhir Mound. In an Old Testament–style confusion of begats and political intrigue, the city was lost to a new Taxila, known as Sirkap, built by Greek invaders. It enjoyed a period of significance in the world of philosophy and the arts, which continued under the Kushans, who took over and refounded Taxila as Sirsukh. Eventually, the city was lost to the Huns in the 6th century, who destroyed it and left it in ruins. Visit the site today, about 30km northwest of Islamabad. The Taxila Museum houses all manner of artefacts, which help you get a feel for the complex history of this once-great city.

Aim for a March or November visit, avoiding the winter cold and the heat and rain of the summer and autumn months.

4. Dunwich, England

Here was a town basking in glory, a major seaport and one of the largest cities in medieval Britain, said to have been the capital of East Anglia – but all built on sand. In the late 13th century a storm blew in, demolishing a good part of the town. Coastal erosion chipped in and before you could say ‘cursed city’, only a few cottages remained (actually, a few hundred years passed as the town slipped into the ocean). Tales of haunted beaches abound, and at low tide you might well hear the muted tolling of church bells beneath the waves.

Dunwich Museum has a scale replica of the city in its heyday – without the coastal erosion.

5. Palenque, Mexico

At the foot of the Chiapas mountains in southwestern Mexico, Palenque is an archaeologist’s treasure trove. The city appears to have existed at least since 100 years BC. Five hundred years later it became a major population centre of Classic Mayan civilisation, complete with myth and legend: child kings, invasions, decapitations, court intrigue and finally the abandonment of the city.

Palenque has a jungle climate, so prepare accordingly – take sunscreen, insect repellent and plenty of water.

6. Angkor, Cambodia

Crumbling stone temples in the python grip of jungle vines, a flash of turmeric-coloured robes disappearing into the alcoves of ancient temples. Angkor has its fair share of tourists, but its size means you’ll easily find a place to get lost in the distant past. The greater city was enormous, new research suggesting it covered 3000 sq km. Built by a succession of Khmer god-kings from AD 900 to 1200, it had a population close to one million, and was the capital of the Khmer empire. It’s been suggested that climate change (affecting water supply) caused the city to be abandoned some 500 years ago.

Angkor is 20 minutes north of Siem Reap. Guided tours abound, from helicopters to tuk-tuks and elephants.

7. Wittenoom, Australia

Way out west, in the desert-dominated state of Western Australia, you’ll find a town if not fully lost, so close to being a ghost as makes no difference. Officially no longer a town, and not receiving government services, this place supported an asbestos-mining industry until the mid-1960s, when health concerns over the lung-clogging stuff spelt its demise. A handful of residents remain but it’s tough going. Some may know of it in theory (it was made famous by Australian band Midnight Oil’s hit ‘Blue Sky Mine’); it’s located a long (1100km!) drive north from the state’s capital, Perth. A lonely drive to a very lonely place.

Karijini National Park, with red rock formations, deep gorges and enticing swimming holes, might just make this epic drive worthwhile.

8. Darwin, California, USA

Darwin, like many thousands of towns in late-19th-century USA, sprung up on the back of a lucky strike, in this case, of silver. But these are flash-in-the-pan places – the town became derelict just four years from its settlement in 1878, as prospectors leapt on to the next lucky strike. It was revived in the early 20th century as copper became a commodity. You might bump into a resident today, though chances are it’ll be tumbleweed caught on a desert wind.

The edge of Death Valley seems an appropriate place to visit the remnants of a Wild West town, so grab a bottle of whisky for the picnic as you head out. There’s only one lonely road to this ghost town, spurring from State Highway 190, 75km southwest of Stovepipe Wells.

9. Herculaneum, Italy

Like nearby Pompeii, Herculaneum was lost to a river of Vesuvian lava and ash in AD 79. An upper-class town, home to members of the imperial family, it was uncovered about 250 years ago and remains a treasure trove for archaeologists. The pyroclastic flow that enveloped the city carbonised organic matter, preserving structures and human bodies. Most enticing, though, are the hundreds of scrolls found in the Villa of the Papyri, texts from the only ancient library to have survived into modern times.

Take the 25-minute Circumvesuviana train from Naples. Allow a day to tour the site.

10. Carthage, Tunisia

It’s never enough for a great city to be destroyed only once. After 900 years exerting power in North Africa and southern Europe, Carthage succumbed to the wrath of the Roman Empire (needled for so long by the elephant-led armies of Hannibal). Later rebuilt by the Romans and raised to new glory, it once again found itself at the nexus of conflict and was destroyed by Arab Muslims expanding their own sphere of control. Today, on the outskirts of Tunis, you can visit the crumbling remains of Roman baths, temples and villas being absorbed by the sprawl of the capital city.

Transport links to the capital, Tunis, are excellent. Carthage is just 15km north of Tunis; numerous day trips are on offer.

Further reading: Don’t miss these hidden gems of London’s Natural History Museum

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Comments

6 July 2011 10:40AM johncon141 Report this comment
“Nice Post. It’s really a very good article. I noticed all your important points. Thanks"
19 July 2011 11:42AM littlemissknowitall Report this comment
excuse me? No Machu Picchu???
19 July 2011 11:51AM cullosos Report this comment
Wittenoom? Darwin? Dunwich? What about the magical plain of temples at Bagan, Burma? The sand surrounded Chan Chan ruins of coastal Peru? The mysterious Stone city of Great Zimbabwe? The grand Desert blown Roman city of Palmyra in Eastern Syria? Or Erbils recently vacated ghosttown, the worlds oldest continually inhabited citadel,in Iraqi Kurdistan. Now they are truly intriguing lost cities.
19 July 2011 12:01PM 1opinion Report this comment
Good article; not every lost city has to be massively well-known, and in the case of Machu Picchu it's popular enough now to not be as lost as the others. One comment though; Alexander the Great died in the 4th Century BC, so if Babylon fell into decline in the 2nd C it can hardly be attributed to his death as the article suggests.
19 July 2011 2:20PM botsko Report this comment
No city from Turkey ???? Considering that they can place 5 cities in top 10. Ephesus, Troy, underground cities in Cappadoccia, 12000 years old settlement in Gobekli Tepe, Didyma, Hattusha. Greece not in also - Where is Mystra with its 20000 population or Mycenae or Knossos the largest city of the world oldest civilization.
Where is Memphis of Egypt, Petra of Jordan, where is India also (at least Vijayanagar could be included), Tikal is missing also.
And I totally agree with cullosos. Wittenoom? Darwin? Dunwich? Skara Brae? Are these kind of a joke?
19 July 2011 4:34PM erinmurphy74 Report this comment
Why on earth would I fly to Shetland to get to Orkney?? Is this another case of LP authors never going to Orkney in the first place?? Shetland is far away, on another island, from Orkney. You would most likely fly to Inverness and drive to John O'Groats for the 45 min ferry to Orkney, or you could fly to Aberdeen and take the ferry from there, which takes hours. Or you could do as the "author" suggests, fly to Shetland and then fly to Orkney, which is expensive, you have to fly via Aberdeen anyway and you can waste time and money. Because LP advocates wasting time and money. Amazing. Do the research part of your writing next time. Or actually go to any of these places.
19 July 2011 7:28PM melissa_m86 Report this comment
Wittenoom was so interesting to read about! Great article. I disagree with others - I loved the variety here, from ancient civilisations to modern day ghost towns. Love.
19 July 2011 9:15PM gordon_nz Report this comment
Persepolis?
19 July 2011 9:17PM gordon_nz Report this comment
Though must admit I've been luck or unlucky enough to have been stranded on the Shetland Islands (Sumburgh) and have seen something similar to Skara Brae...
19 July 2011 10:27PM doots Report this comment
Where's Petra?
19 July 2011 10:59PM arsenal4mylife Report this comment
Going to Angkoh this Sept. Can't wait for it. Too bad that have to join tour as traveling with parents :(
20 July 2011 12:09AM ckinsella Report this comment
Petra is in Jordan.
also La Cuidad Perdida in northern Columbia? - very lost given its a 3 day trek into the jungle to get there.
20 July 2011 12:49AM cataloguekid Report this comment
The Cities of Gold......?
20 July 2011 1:10AM kikaaa Report this comment
Atlantis?
20 July 2011 1:24AM jschalick Report this comment
And what about the lesser known mysteries of the city/kingdom of Meroe in the Sudan? or the yet to be uncovered Saharan area around Timbuktu? they are truly mysterious.
20 July 2011 1:34AM wickedchicken Report this comment
Great Article. Angkor is pretty famous as far as i know though, and if you're throwing it in, i'd have thrown in Tikal too :D
20 July 2011 1:49AM chickochecko Report this comment
Angkor is definitely number one. How about Borobudur in Indonesia??? And China...there are several ruined cities over 3000 years old there. And, yes, Tikal or the recently-discovered El Mirador in northern Guatemala which harbors what maybe the world's largest pyramid. Maybe "Top 20" next time...there is nothing magical about 10.
20 July 2011 2:40AM rickytripster Report this comment
Haven't actually been there, but it is said that Nan Madol on the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia is an extremely bizarre and mysterious lost city.
20 July 2011 2:48AM pontopacifico Report this comment
If Angkor is there, Petra should be too. This list is a (bad) joke.
20 July 2011 3:23AM dmcolombia Report this comment
The Lost City (Cuidad Perdida) in Colombia is a great, raw trek. The tour operator in Colombia I work for doesn't currently offer a tour to the city but I could offer information or advice to anyone interested. My personal email is justinlatino@gmail.com
20 July 2011 4:15AM giopassarelli Report this comment
I'd add Tikal, Guatemala and Ani, the ancient Armenian capital in Eastern Turkey, right on the (closed) border with Armenia.
20 July 2011 5:21AM panamarose Report this comment
Maybe not a top ten but one in the Great Lakes in the U.S. Singapore Michigan at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River on Lake Michgan was a logging town that was booming in the mid 1800's totally covered up by the sand dunes in 1870's some of the homes were moved down the river to Saugatuck in the winter when the river froze over. It happened because after the Chicago fire they supplied the lumber to rebuild Chicago and cut all the trees down for the lumber. It is said there is a 3 story hotel under the sand. A man Made lost city because they changed the whole area by cutting all the tree's.
20 July 2011 6:22AM greenbikeguy Report this comment
Not only is Macchu Pichu missing, but so is Teotihuacan! But you should still see them. Meanwhile, try Vilcabamba,the place that Hiram Bingham was actually LOOKING FOR when he found Macchu Pichu.
Also, a complete list of Mesoamerican (particularly Mayan) cities would fill out the list by itself: Monte Alban, Tikal, Chichen Itza, Tula, etc. I would, nonetheless, like to see them mention the US of A, via the Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon: Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Pueble de Arroyo, and others. More conventional "ghost towns" here might include Mogollon, Colorado (Butch Cassidy's hometown), and Rhyolite, In Nevada. The short-lived, urban follies of rulers might be worth seeing: Akehanaton's Amarna, in Egypt, and Akbar's Fatehpur Sikri, in India. Other neat, abandoned sites in Britain might be Port Quin, in England, and St. Kilda, in the Scottish Hebrides. And although it's not a "city," either, the site of Catal Huyuk deserves to be seen for its historical importance.
20 July 2011 9:42AM lja207 Report this comment
I have a feeling this list is so bad to get this kind of reaction from us! If it was a good list, everyone saying "nice work" isn`t as entertaining!
20 July 2011 12:41PM kiwivixen Report this comment
Is there some sort of formula for 'a city',? I'm thinking there must be, otherwise Newgrange at 35000 BC surely must be included.
20 July 2011 7:20PM arunasworld Report this comment
I think the most intriguing lost city is Prypiat in Ukraine. The city is near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Before the disaster (1986) there were 21 schools, 2 stadiums, 4 factories, a population of around 50 000. Today Pripyat is a chilling town.
www.arunasworld.com
20 July 2011 7:31PM herbie47 Report this comment
Dunwich there is hardly anything there, I agree with others there are much better places to include, like Bagan and Mrauk U.
21 July 2011 1:43AM pipedream47 Report this comment
To arsenal4mylife re visit to Angkor Wat: Forget the tour, rent a bicycle in Siem Reap ($1/day)or a tuk tuk and explore on your own - take a good book guide and water - leave early and you'll get away from the crowds.
6 September 2011 1:52AM anilmarya Report this comment
On the other hand there are cities that have remained into existence since time immemorial. Present day Varanasi or Benaras or Kashi on the banks of holy river Ganga in India is considered the oldest continuously inhabited city of the world (definitely of India). Similarly, the Indian capital city of Delhi has also remained inhabited at least since 6th century BC. Then there are cities of Rome and Athens which have remained in existence for centuries.