Ancient Cities

Another ancient city that has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site is the ancient city of Sirigaya.

Located in Sri Lanka, Sirigaya is the home of the ruins of the capital made by King Cassapa. The ruins contain steps and galleries that seem to emerge froma lion made out of bricks and stone. This is one site that’s a must-see!

The fact that these ancient people were able to make a lion out of stones, bricks and their primitive tools is an architectural wonder.

Sirigaya is only one of the ancient cities in Sri Lanka and must not be missed out if you find yourself in the area.

Perhaps the most famous ancient city in the world is Athens! What’s even more amazing is that some of its remains have survived and have become part of the modern city that we know today! Because of Athen’s structural remains, we are able to catch a glimpse of the magnificence of the old city!

Athens was primarily famous as the resource center for students. It was the educational hub, the city of wisdom! There, students could go and learn about art, architecture, archeology, languages, philosophy and history.

Athens was known for its philosophers, teachers, tutors and scholars.  They left the fame of brute strength and warfare to their neighbor Sparta, and chose to concentrate on intellectual pursuits instead.

This is evident in Athens many surviving statues, sculptures, and architecture. There was such thought, work and intricacy put into everything!

It must have been a sight to behold during the ancient times!

For many many years, people thought that the ancient city of Troy only existed in stories and not in real life. That was proven wrong when Troy was found lately!

The 4000 year old city was known as the center of civilization. It had great powers during its time because of its prime location. The city was located between Europe and Asia. It also gained popularity  many years later as a cultural center.

Troy was abandoned for a time after the great Trojan war. In about 700 B.C., Greek settlers began to occupy it once gain and it was named Ilion.

Upon the establishment of Constantinople, Troy eventually lost its place in power.

Anuradhaoura is Sri Lanka’s first ever capital, located about 205 kilometers away from Colombo. Buddhist chronicles say that the city, which has been around since the 4th century was made from great planning.

Present were precincts,  hotels, hospitals and low and high caste cemeteries. Reserviors made sure that water was always in ample supply.

This ancient city was supposedly established in the spot where Buddha’s tree of enlightenment once stood. It remained a capital for 600 years and was sadly abandoned because of political strife and warfare.

It has only recently been found again, with some of its palaces, monuments and monasteries still intact.

I’ve always dreamed of going to Damascus.

Damascus is one of the oldest cities of the Middle East, having been around since the third century. It was well known for its crafts of sword and lace during the Middle Ages.

With about 125 monuments that range throughout all the different historical periods, Damascus is truly a sight to behold! Apparently, the greatest and most spectacular is that of the Great Mosque of the Umayyads . This monument hasbeen standing since the 8th century and is built on the site of an Assyrian sanctuary.

Has anyone been to Damascus? Please share your experiences! I would love to hear your adventures in this truly ancient city!