10 places of myth and legend

Feb 21, 2011 10:03:23 AM

Note: Javascript is disabled in your browser.
To see the gallery in all its glory, you'll need to enable Javascript.

View gallery

Even though we can get to the other side of the world in less than a day, there are still places that resist becoming everyday. Over the centuries they have accumulated tall stories like Manhattan accumulates tall buildings. So pack your compass, reading glasses and imagination for a journey to sites of myth and legend. Here are ten places that are caught in the imagination more tightly than on any map.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Image by phoosh

Just the name ‘Zanzibar’ conjures images of harem girls giggling behind gauzy veils, carved wooden doors opening to spice-filled rooms and other images from The Thousand and One Nights. Only in this case, they’re not fiction. Zanzibar grew into a powerful city state between the 12th and 15th centuries, sending ships laden with slaves, gold, ivory and wood to Arabia and beyond. Eventually the Sultan of Oman moved his court here – 100 concubines and eunuchs included – and started Zanzibar’s famous clove plantations. He’s long gone, but an Arabic influence and the scent of sweet spice still lingers over the sultry island.

El Dorado, Colombia

Image by *L*u*z*A*

Veiled behind vine-draped trees deep in the Amazon jungle gleams a dazzling kingdom of gold. Or so the story goes. When the Spanish conquistadors caught wind of El Dorado (literally ‘The Golden One’) after washing up on Colombia’s shores in the 1500s, they scattered like frenzied piranhas to find it. They began in the Andean highlands, and whacked through the forests of Peru, Venezuela and Guyana over the next two centuries in their savage quest. No one ever found the fabled city, perhaps because it has the ability to retreat from unworthy seekers.

Valley Of The Kings, Egypt

Image by archer10 (Dennis)

On the west bank of the Nile River, across from the city of Luxor, lies the final resting place of Egypt’s pharaohs. You know the guys – Ramses the Great, Tuthmosis, and the funkiest pharaoh of all, King Tut. They ruled between 1500 and 1000 BC, pooh-poohing pyramids for elaborate tombs carved into the valley’s rocky hills. More than 60 chambers have been unearthed so far, containing mummies in gilt sarcophagi, bejewelled statues and a curse that lands on those who dare disturb the graves. Visitors remain undeterred, as the valley ranks as one of Egypt’s top attractions.

Ys, France

Image by Aided_Eye

Celtic Princess Dahut asked her dad, King Gradlon, to build her a city by the sea. Ys sprung up, and to protect it from the high waves, the king built a dyke around it. The sole entrance was through a brass gate, and only Gradlon had the key. Meanwhile Dahut, taking advantage of her new digs, chose a different lover every night and had him killed afterward. Eventually a demon outwitted her, persuaded her to steal the key, and opened the gate. Ys flooded, and everyone drowned except Gradlon. The ruined city lies beneath the bay at Douarnenez, now a popular beach town in Brittany.

Troy, Turkey

Image by myhsu

Fans of mythology will recognise Troy as the old stomping grounds of folks like Hector, Paris and Helen, as well as one giant wooden horse. The city was ground zero for the Trojan War, sparked when Paris kidnapped Helen from her kingly husband in Greece. The Greeks ganged up and sailed straight over to Troy, determined to kick ass. And they did, especially after Odysseus Trojan Horse idea. Modern-day visitors can tromp around the walls, temples and ruins at the area, also known as Truva, in Turkey’s northwest corner.

Karakorum, Mongolia

Image by Honza Soukup

Genghis Khan set up house here in the mid-13th century, then headed out to conquer half the world. Karakorum was his Mongol capital and became known as the Empire of the Steppe. Alas, the glory didn’t last long – about 30 years, in fact – and then the city was destroyed. Current visitors will need to muster serious imagination to envisage the great walls and gates that once encircled the place. Many bits were incorporated into the nearby Erdene Zuu monastery’s long white walls and 108 stupas.

Carthage, Tunisia

Image by StartAgain

Located on the outskirts of modern Tunis, Carthage was a city-state superpower and the archenemy of Rome during the 3rd century BC. Its might came from a killer navy of Phoenician ships that patrolled the Mediterranean Sea, and an army of elephants that marched over mountains with a military commander named Hannibal. Despite being dubbed ‘the shining city’, Carthage couldn’t hold on for long. The Romans stormed in and razed it, ultimately building their own city on the site. It’s their baths, houses, cisterns and basilicas that visitors see today.

Timbuktu, Mali

Image by emilio labrador

A byword for ‘place that’s way the hell out there’, Timbuktu earned its reputation early on as the terminus of a rich trade route linking West Africa and the Mediterranean. All you had to do to get your gold, slaves and ivory north (or salt to come south) was join a camel caravan and plod for months across the Sahara through sandstorms, blazing heat and insanity-inducing isolation. It’s still a mighty trek to reach Timbuktu, and though salt caravans continue to pass through led by blue-clad Tuaregs, the city only hints at its 15th-century grandeur of wealthy merchants and mosques.

Avalon, England

Image by Noviewsnocomments

King Arthur rests on the enchanted isle of Avalon, sleeping off the wounds accrued during a lifetime of knights, crusades, sorcerers, Round Tables and magical swords. As Britain’s ‘once and future king’, it is said he will return wielding Excalibur and the Holy Grail to unite his country when it needs him most. Today the modern town of Glastonbury spreads over the site where Avalon once floated. True to its mystic roots, it attracts free spirits who come to buy crystals, consult with psychics, lick vegan ice-cream cones or attend crop-circle symposiums.

Shambhala, Tibet

Image by lylevincent

The kingdom of Shambhala hides somewhere deep within the snow-stained peaks of the Himalayas. An enlightened, peaceful ‘Pure Land’ of Buddhist lore, it can be reached only by individuals who have racked up the appropriate karma. Explorers in the past century have set out to find Shambhala in Tibet, which is also where James Hilton placed it in his novel Lost Horizon (under the name of Shangri-la). Since no one has yet discovered the kingdom, perhaps the next best thing is the town of Zhongdian on the China–Tibet border. It was renamed Shangri-la in 2001, claiming to be the place’s inspiration.

Also read of 10 places that don’t exist (but should)

Like this? Sign up to get our best articles by email

Comments

24 March 2011 9:24PM greenkea Report this comment
Ive been to Avalon England. That place really is mythical. It was a cloudy and rainy day. Walking from Glastonbury up to the Hill of King Arthur. That hill grants high visibility of the surround area. Wind in your face, meet the spirit. ^^
26 March 2011 12:04AM kdexter Report this comment
there was no place in all of Ireland or Scotland that caught the imagination as well as these? could be, you are missing something. not that these are not all worthy places, but still...
20 October 2011 8:33PM brittanyexpert Report this comment
As so often what the legend signifies is just as interesting as the story. In Brittany the tale of the sunken city of Ys reflects a clash between the old ways and 'new' Christianity.
13 March 2012 2:48PM topchinatravel Report this comment
wow nice places, I have been to TIbet,but I didn't go to Shambhala, what a shame! next time,I will try this place definitely.
27 March 2012 9:02PM lee_ly Report this comment
I definitely recommend Castel del Monte. It's a small village in the Province of L’Aquila near the two beautiful medieval villages, Santo Stefano di Sessanio and Rocca Calascio.The legendary background about witch is definitely interesting to know.
27 March 2012 9:03PM lee_ly Report this comment
oops, i forgot to mention that i know about this town from article in www.triroute.com. I found it quite interesting :)
24 April 2012 1:10PM michinjeri Report this comment
No Machu Picchu?? Zanzibar is wonderful, but Lamu on the Kenyan coast is smaller and spectacular--without as much name recognition (and only 1 car!), slower, quieter, and more languid in a dreamy sense.
24 April 2012 8:42PM thearose Report this comment
I think I'm dreaming - no single mention to Italy?? where's Rome??? Can't believe it!
24 April 2012 9:14PM claudiatransylvania Report this comment
I deffinateley reccommend Transylvania - the realm of Dracula. Myths and legends are at home here and what better way to travel then renting a motorcycle in Transylvania and ride your horse power following the leged.
24 April 2012 9:25PM paullow Report this comment
I've spent time in Tunisia and the biggest myth about it is that it is a dangerous place. I found the people warm, friendly, courteous and pleased to have the past behind them. If you can befriend a local or a Tunisian expat in your own country. But as usual take along commonsense too!!!
24 April 2012 10:32PM honormay Report this comment
Check out Gradara in Le Marche, Italy. It's a beautiful hilltop medieval town which has been reconstructed (albeit not in a Disney way). Legend has it that Francesca and Paolo were two clandestine lovers, but Francesca was tricked into marrying Paolo's brother, Giovanni. Giovanni caught them and murdered them. Dante wrote about them in his Divine Comedy, where he compared them to Lancelot and Guinivere, and they've also been portrayed in art. Gradara is a fascinating alternative to San Marino and typical of the renaissance hilltowns in this region.
25 April 2012 2:27AM chickochecko Report this comment
Good list. By far one of your best. Might add Tikal and the Mayan pyramids of Guatemala/Mexico or Xanadu or some of the other ancient walled cities of Asia.
25 April 2012 3:07AM westriver Report this comment
Lorelei in the Rhine River in Germany? :)))
To be more serious, there are some places related to the medieval mythology that inspired Wagner's Ring further south on the Rhine...
25 April 2012 3:14AM ingelalex Report this comment
Nothing in Greece guys?? Parthenon, Delphi, the re-opened Akrotiri excavations ( village found 4000 years old?? For God s sake!!
25 April 2012 3:20AM westriver Report this comment
The myth & legend keywords: Rhinemaidens; Das Rheingold (Rhine Gold), aka, German El Dorado.
25 April 2012 7:13AM gabri2712 Report this comment
You forgot to write that Timbouctou is out of reach at the moment, being in the hands of Al Kaeda since March. Great pity! I visited it in 1998 (!!!) and I still remember it. Especially the night was fascinating, and the noise of wheels on the sand was like going on snow.
25 April 2012 10:49AM asiabill Report this comment
The new "Shangri-La is not anything like what is described or sales pitched above but just another picture perfect Chinese tourist "trap" designed the same as Yangshuo and Lijiang
25 April 2012 7:03PM kayte Report this comment
Surprised that the volcanic Greek island of Santorini is not included, given that its devastating eruption 3,600 years ago is popularly believed to be the inspiration for Plato's Lost Atlantis.
25 April 2012 8:53PM arunasworld Report this comment
I am missing Scotland and Ireland here.
27 April 2012 2:23PM balifornian Report this comment
A great list and a tough assignment. A couple exclusions could include Borobodur in Indonesia ~ http://www.balifornian.com/featured-posts/2011/4/7/borobudur-temple-your-definitive-guide-photos.html and Bali in general http://www.balifornian.com Thank you, Michael
27 April 2012 6:40PM gabitur Report this comment
I can add Perperikon
30 April 2012 6:22PM murillo_d Report this comment
Hi,
I was at Colombia 3 weeks ago and I couldn't visit el Dorado. Local people told me about Leticia and all the excurison to do across Amazonas river... wowww I can't wait to go again and go there!! :)
If you want, you can check few pictures about my trip 2.90 across colombia at my blog:
http://newsbagpacktraveller.com/
3 May 2012 4:47AM hristinab Report this comment
A wonderful article, each of these places is a compelling argument on why travelling is such a magical experience. Thanks for the ideas.
7 May 2012 12:33AM dirkhartog Report this comment
Been to all the above. The majority are disappointing. You need A Lot of imagination. Forget the hype, just explore and find your own favourate places. There's a huge world out there. Places I've been to more than once? India, Turkey, Italy, Thailand (for the beaches), African safaris. Still to see Northern lights and Galapagos so they are my next destinations over the next year.