The most fascinating ruins

Ruins; impressive structures made by man and destroyed by time, have always fascinated me. There is something truly interesting about walking around ancient ruins and imagining what life must have been like at the time. Below are just a few of my favorites and quite frankly all ruins and the stories behind them interest me.

Timgad was a Roman colonial town in North Africa founded by the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. It is located in modern-day Algeria, about 35 km east of the town of Batna. Located at the intersection of six roads, the city was walled but not fortified. Originally designed for a population of around 15,000, the city quickly outgrew its original specifications and spilled beyond the orthogonal grid in a more loosely-organized fashion.

 

Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD. After its decline it was absorbed into the jungle, which is made up of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees, but has been excavated and restored and is now a famous archaeological site attracting thousands of visitors.

 

The Ayutthaya Historical Park covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, which was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1350 and was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767. According to historians the city rivaled even Europe's capitals at the time. So prosperous was the kingdom that Burma burned and sacked the city in jealousy.

 

Palmyra is in the heart of the Syrian desert. An ancient Syrian city, it played an important role during the age of antiquity. It had long been a vital caravan city for travelers crossing the Syrian desert and was known as the Bride of the Desert. The most striking building in Palmyra is the huge temple of Ba'al, shown here, and the theater.

 Tikal in Guatemala is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya.The ruins lie among the tropical rainforests of northern Guatemala that formed the cradle of lowland Maya civilization.

 -Tracy Smith