No other continent on the planet contains so many temples as Asia. This is perhaps not surprising as Asia was the birthplace of most of the world’s mainstream religions as well as many other beliefs. A number of these, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Taoism, were the inspiration for some of the most famous… Continue Reading
10 Fascinating Cave Dwellings in the World
Cave dwellings have been found in many regions of the world. These caves served as dwellings and as places of worship and were usually combined with surface structures. After the cave cities ceased to be inhabited, the surface structures fell into ruin and only the caves remained. Not all cave dwellings have been deserted however…. Continue Reading
7 Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is one of the first travel lists in history. The idea of creating a list of architectural wonders arose following Alexander the Great’s conquest of much of the known world in the 4th century BC, which gave Greek travelers access to the civilizations of the Egyptians, Persians, and… Continue Reading
34 Lost Cities Forgotten by Time
It’s hard to imagine how an entire city can get lost but that’s exactly what has happened to the lost cities on this list. There are actually many reasons why a city has to be abandoned. War, natural disasters, climate change and the loss of important trading partners to name a few. Whatever the cause,… Continue Reading
52 Ancient Roman Monuments
What have the Romans ever done for us (quote)? Well, one of the things the ancient Romans are most famous for is their architecture. They brought a lot of new ideas to architecture including the arch, the baked brick, and the use of cement and concrete. The fact that many ancient Roman monuments are still… Continue Reading
12 Monumental Triumphal Arches
Triumphal arches are monumental structures with at least one arched passageway and built to honor an important person or to commemorate a significant event. Although triumphal arches have been built by many nations it was the Romans who started the tradition. It is unclear when the Romans first began building triumphal arches but once the… Continue Reading
10 Most Beautiful Ancient Mayan Temples
The Maya civilization was one of the great Pre-Colombian civilizations, extending throughout the northern Central American region, including the present-day nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, southern Mexico and western Honduras. During the Classic period (250–900 AD) most Mayan city states reached their peak of urbanism and large-scale construction. The most notable monuments from this… Continue Reading
10 Most Spectacular Ancient Roman Temples
Roman temples, while related to the Greek temple form in general design and use of the orders, represent a separate category of temple form. For example: Romans temples were built on an elevated plateau with a front staircase while the Greek temples were on a on a a base of three steps (a stylobate). The… Continue Reading
10 Most Impressive Ancient Aqueducts
The word aqueduct derives from the Latin words aqua meaning water and ducere meaning to lead. An aqueduct is therefore best described as an artificially structure such as a channel, tunnel, or ditch, that is used to transport water from a remote location to another.
10 Man Made Wonders of the World
The earliest lists of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were made more than 2,000 years ago by ancient Hellenic tourists. Except for the Great Pyramid of Giza those wonders no longer exist. They were destroyed by earthquakes, fires and in one case by an angry mob. Many lists of wonders have been made since… Continue Reading