World history is filled with incredible historical marvels that provide us with an irrefutable window into human development and culture.
From Giza Pyramids to Beijing Forbidden City, these historical places captivate our hearts by showing the human genius behind their creation. Here are five of these captivating spots!
1. Machu Picchu
Archaeologists continue to ponder Machu Picchu nearly one century since Yale professor Hiram Bingham’s rediscovery of it, still trying to understand its purpose. Constructed without using metal tools or the wheel, its temples, living quarters and stairways seamlessly fit their natural setting; according to Inca beliefs “Pachamama” (mother earth) was sacred; thus Inca architects integrated natural features into their structures as sacred.
The Intihuatana Pillar translates to “hitching post of the sun”, and could have served as an astronomical observatory. Its location at Temple of the Sun aligned with winter solstice sunrise; The Sacred Rock served as an altar for spiritual ceremonies; A network of 16 water fountains fed by rainwater and springs provided irrigation of terraces for further use.
2. Stonehenge
Stonehenge stands as one of the world’s most iconic prehistoric monuments, yet remains one of its greatest mysteries; even our ancestors may have constructed it without us knowing exactly how. It can be found at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
Around 3000 BC, people began creating a circular ditch and bank at this site before adding an outer circle with 56 standing stones topped with lintels. A horseshoe of giant sarsen (a type of sandstone) stones was later installed along with five trilithons connected by long lintels.
Scientists have tracked down the outer ring’s sarsen stone slabs to quarries near Marlborough Downs, while those comprising its inner ring, which include bluestones from Preseli Hills in Wales a distance of 250 miles, to quarries near Marlborough Downs. There have been various theories as to how this was accomplished but none can be confirmed with certainty.
3. Petra
Petra is an ancient city carved into sandstone cliffs that captured the attention of 19th-century European explorers, inspiring their curiosity with its rock-carved architecture that illuminates with sunlight both morning and dusk – garnering it the moniker “rose-red city half as old as time”.
Nabataeans began inhabiting this desert site as early as 312 BCE, creating palaces, tombs, storerooms and an amphitheater to make this formidable desert landscape habitable. The site flourished during Hellenistic and Roman periods when it served as an important caravan center bringing incense from Arabia, silk from China, spices from India as well as other trade goods.
Petra’s Treasury stands at the end of a kilometer-long chasm. Other attractions in Petra include Khazneh Tomb (known for housing an urn of treasure) and its towering facade; Monastery with its varied blend of Nabataean and Greek architectural styles; and Monastery as a massive structure which features many blends between Nabataean and Greek styles.
4. Ephesus
Ephesus gained global renown as the home of one of the seven Wonders of the World – Temple of Artemis – and later under Roman rule became one of Asia Minor’s two largest cities, serving as a hub of culture and commerce.
Legend holds that Ionian prince Androclos founded his settlement following advice from Delphi oracles – specifically that boar and fish would signal where to establish his settlement. The resultant city became one of splendor with grand processional streets, the Library of Celsus and a theater with seating capacity for up to 25,000 viewers!
In the first century AD, Christianity emerged. Paul preached here against Artemis cultism while simultaneously winning converts for Christianity.
5. Jerusalem
Jerusalem’s Old City, with its one-square-kilometer walled area, is at the epicenter of three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – making for an incredible journey of discovery. According to Jewish tradition it was here where Jesus was born, buried and raised from death; for Christians it houses the Holy Sepulchre; while for Muslims Muhammad ascended to heaven.
City history dates back centuries. Under Herod the Great’s rule in 37 BCE, palaces, stadiums and hippodromes built with Roman-influenced designs emerged within its borders.
In the 12th century, Jerusalem was captured by a Crusade and its residents were slaughtered en masse – both Christians and Muslims were massacred during its capture. After Salah al-Din’s reconquest of it in 1187 CE under Salah al-Din, many churches and palaces were rebuilt after becoming an Islamic pilgrimage destination under Mamelukes and Ottoman rule; later Catholic European powers battled over control of holy sites such as Church of Holy Sepulchre in Old City’s Old City in its Old City during 19th Century conflicts over control of holy sites such as Church of Holy Sepulchre’s holy site control battled among various Ottoman powers over control over control over Old City holy sites such as Church of Holy Sepulchre.
