Lost Cities In The World

It is difficult to even imagine how an entire city can actually get lost, however that is what has exactly happened to several lost cities in the world. There are various reasons due to which a city gets abandoned; few of them are war, climate change, natural disasters, loss of trading partners, etc. Check the list of cities that was forgotten by time and was later discovered.

Memphis

The city of Memphis was established around 3,100 BC and is one of the legendary cities of King Menes, who played most important role in uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. Initially, Memphis was like a fortress and was used to control the water and land routes connecting Upper Egypt and the Delta region. Later, the Saqqara became a sizable city. It is an import religion centre was undermined by Christianity and Islam. The city ruins include royal palaces, the great temple of Ptah, and a huge statue of Rameses II.

Babylon

The capital city of Babylonia, Babylon is an ancient empire of Mesopotamia. This city was located on the Euphrates River. The city flourished as a subsidiary state of the rich Assyrian Empire after the ninth century BC. The vibrant colors and luxury of Babylon city became legendary. Today, the only remains of this famed city is a mound of broken buildings as well as debris in the fertile Mesopotamian plain.

Mohenjo-daro

The city of Mohenjo-daro was an early urban settlement in the world. It was established 2600 BC and was located in present-day Pakistan. It is also known as “An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis”. This city has a planned layout that is based on the grid of streets. The city is believed to have almost 35,000 residents during its peak days. Mohenjo-daro had advanced buildings, with structures that were constructed of same-sized bricks. The bricks were sundried and baked. They were made using mud and burned wood.

Timgad

Timgad was one of the Roman colonial towns in Algeria. It was founded by the famous Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. Initially, the city was designed for a population of almost 15,000 people. However, the city outgrew its original specifications quickly. In the fifth Century, this city was sacked by the Vandals.  Later, it was sacked again Berbers. Timgad was rediscovered during the excavation in the year 1881.

Great Zimbabwe

The city of Great Zimbabwe is a complex of huge stone ruins that spread out over a huge area in present-day Zimbabwe. The city was developed by indigenous Bantu people in the 11th century. It was inhabited for over 300 years. During its peak days, the Great Zimbabwe had around 18,000 inhabitants.

Sanchi

The site of Sanchi  has a building history of over one thousand years, which starts with the exotic stupas that were constructed in 3rd century BC. The latest structures in the city were the series of Buddhist monasteries and temples that were constructed in the 10^th or 11^th centuries.