Photo Essay: 12 Lesser-Known Ruins of the World
1. Palmyra, Syria
This ancient desert oasis of a metropolis, 200km from Damascus, is at least 4,000 years old and can still be visited by camel caravan.
Photo: captain.orange
2. Borobudur, Indonesia
Borobudur was an active Buddhist temple from the 9th to 14th centuries and is located rather precariously between two Javanese volcanoes.
Photo: ctsnow
3. Teotihuacan, Mexico
Sitting less than an hour outside Mexico City, this pre-Aztec pyramid city may have been the most populous in the world during its heyday between A.D. 150 and 450.
Photo: Juls Barrett
4. Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
The unique stone formations of this region in central Turkey were made even more picturesque when homes and monasteries (and today hotels) were carved into them beginning around A.D. 300.
Photo: Nir Nussbaum
5. Khara-Khoto, Inner Mongolia
Marco Polo is said to have passed through this Mongol trading outpost before it was sacked by a Ming Dynasty army. Since then, the Gobi has slowly been taking up residence.
Photo: Ed_Stannard
6. Wat Phu, Laos
The lazy riverside town of Champasak is the gateway to these Khmer temple ruins, granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2001.
Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D.
7. Tikal, Guatemala
Though only questionably qualifying as “lesser-known,” this stop on the Maya Trail did lose out on becoming a “New 7 Wonder of the World” to its cousin farther north, Chichen Itza.
Photo: mtsrs
8. Volubilis, Morocco
The Romans sure got around, leaving behind their characteristic triumphal arches and columned temples in unlikely places — such as a few dozen kilometers outside of Meknes, Morocco.
Photo: ollografik
9. Bagan, Myanmar
This ancient Burmese capital and its 2,217 peaked-dome temples should be better known, but its location within a “rogue state” is holding it back.
Photo: jmhullot
10. Tiwanaku, Bolivia
Tiwanaku (or Tiahuanaco) is still being excavated, as funds become available, but has already revealed countless secrets about a pre-Inca empire that ruled the Altiplano until A.D. 1000.
Photo: victorsounds
11. Mesa Verde National Park, USA
The Anasazi’s cliff-carved city, built in the 11th century, is considered the largest in North America and is the centerpiece of this national park in the Four Corners region.
Photo: ..lauren..
12. El Djem, Tunisia
More evidence of the Roman presence in North Africa comes in the form of this ruined amphitheater — the ancient empire’s third largest.
Photo: skuds
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25 Comments... join the discussion!
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These are fantastic! I actually gasped when I scrolled down to see the Indonesia, Turkey, and Myanmar photos.
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My jaw was hanging open, too. BEAUTIFUL.
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I’ve got to see that site in Turkey. It looks fascinating!
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Hal, this really blew me away! I hadn’t heard of any of these sites…there’s so much to learn. Thanks!
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Wow. Bagan looks incredible.
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Phenomenal.
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I definitely need to check out Mesa Verde. It’s amazing how the spots so “close to home” slip under our radars!
Great essay!
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I saw a extrememly good photo of Borobudur in Indonesia once and have always wanted to go since seeing it, it is awesome on sunrise and sunset. I’ve actually been to Wat Phu in Laos, but the rest I’m ashamed to say are new to me!
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Goooorgeous! I wanna live in one of the pointy houses! Please!?
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Beautiful. I love the temples in Indonesia especially.
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#s 1, 3, and 8…mind-blowing!
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Love the stupas in the foreground of the Borobudur, Indonesia photo. Heck, the whole picture is awesome. It looks to be almost painted.
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Really breathtaking photos! If I could add one, I would recommend Yaxchilan on the Mexico/Guatemala border. Most incredible (and incredibly hidden) ruin I’ve ever visited.
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Thanks for the addition, Jenny!
For anyone who (like me) hadn’t heard of this one either, here’s the Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaxchilan
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Skip Tiwanaku until they finish excavations in ten years. Right now, there’s not much to look at.
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Thanks for your comment, Joe. I definitely agree that, visually at least, Tiwanaku doesn’t compare to most of the others on this list.
However, I enjoyed the museum and seeing the ongoing work at the site, and I think visiting is a good way to promote continued excavation and responsible restoration.
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What amazingly beautiful photos! Isn’t it incredible what people choose to build, and where, and how?
#4 and #9, in particular, blew my socks off…
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I love ruins! I’ve been to Mesa Verde several times and it is very beautiful and strange, there are dozens of cave palaces etched into the ruins there.
Hope to visit some more of these sites in the future!
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Great photo essay. I’ve wanted to visit the Turkey site for years. I need to finally go, damnit! And now, thanks to your post, there are 11 other must-sees.
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Amazing photographs. I hope to see at least a few of these when I get the chance.
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What a cool photo essay – I’d love to get to some of the lesser known ruins!
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stunning! this got my travel feet itching like nothing else this week! the pic of Borobudur especially!
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That’s it, I am going to Turkey!
I think the Guachimontones Ruins in Jalisco State, Mexico are also excellent.
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Thanks! They look pretty sweet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guachimontones
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