Compiled by

Pearl Domingo

Founded by the Phoenicians in the 800s BC, Carthage became the

center of an empire that controlled most of the North African coast,

parts of what is now Spain, and several important Mediterranean

islands. Ruins of the ancient city lie near Tunis, Tunisia.

The city of Samaria, an ancient biblical settlement, was made the

capital of the northern kingdom of Israel by King Omri, who reigned

from 876 to 869 BC. Among the antiquities that still exist on the ruined

site of the old city are parts of a colonnade from the age of Herod

and remains of a temple to Augustus.

Situated on a ridge in the Andres mountains of Peru, the ruins of the

Inca city of Machu Picchu command a spectacular view of the

surrounding valleys and peaks. Machu Picchu lay abandoned for

more than three centuries until American explorer Hiram Bingham

rediscovered the site in 1911.

Known for its massive columns and statues, the ruins of the temple

complex at Luxor lie on the bank of the Nile.

The Ruins in Talisay City, Negros Occidental is what remained of the grand

mansion that Don Mariano Lacson built, following the death of his first wife,Maria Braga. Built in memory of Maria Braga, the mansion became theresidence of Don Mariano and his unmarried children.Today, it is a touristattraction for its romantic, yet strong structures. Many interesting tales andfacts lie within the walls and posts that remained of the Ruins.

In AD 79, the ancient volcano Vesuvius erupted and rained hot ash, stones, and

cinders over the city of Pompeii, located a mile away. About 4 m (13 ft) of ashcovered the city, which remained buried for more than 1500 years.Archaeologists began excavating Pompeii during the 18th century, finding theremains of people, ancient buildings, and other artifacts preserved amid thevolcanic debris. Among the structures uncovered was The Forum of Pompeii,pictured, a group of temples, courts, and palaces that served as the city’slegislative center.

The ancient city of Pergamum was an important center of Greek

culture, housing one of the most important libraries of the ancient

world. The Pergamum library is credited with developing especially

high quality parchment, a writing material made from animal skins.

Today Pergamum’s ruins surround the town of Bergama, Turkey.

Once a prosperous port and resort, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon,

endured some of the worst damage of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-

1990). Rival Christian and Muslim militias turned thousands of vibrant

apartment blocks into gutted ruins.

The ancient city of Babylon, located east of the Euphrates River near present-

day Baghdād, developed in stages and reached its peak of expansion duringthe Neo-Babylonian dynasty under Nebuchadnezzar II. The city was thecapital of a kingdom encompassing a large part of southwest Asia and wasthe largest city in the known world.

The ancient Italian port city of Ostia dates from around 640 BC. It was

the terminal for grain shipments from Sicily and Sardinia and was a

naval base for Rome. It was destroyed in the 9th century but was

active again in the Middle Ages. The well-preserved ruins make it an

important historical site.

The site of the ancient Olympic Games was a sanctuary consisting of

temples and buildings to honor the mythological gods of ancient

Greece. The games, which, according to tradition, began in 776 BC,

opened with a ceremony and sacrifice to the gods. The exedra, or

sitting area, pictured here is among the ruins at Olympia.

Nalanda, an ancient university located in the state of Bihār, India,

was a famous learning center once thought to exist during the

lifetime of the Buddha in the 5th century BC. Scholars now believe the

learning center came into being in the 5th century AD. At its height

during the 7th century, it was host to 2000 teachers and 10,000

students.

From 1963 to 1965, Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin excavated

Masada, an ancient Hebrew fortress built on a mountaintop located

southeast of Jerusalem. The Jewish Zealots, who protested Roman

rule over Judea, staged their last stand against the Romans at

Masada from AD 70 to 73.

Delphi, Greece, was considered by the ancients to be the center of the world.

Private citizens and public officials would come to consult the oracle there,who was said to speak the words of the god Apollo. The temple brought greatwealth to the town and was repeatedly attacked from as early as 595 BC.Excavations began in 1892 and many fine buildings were uncovered. Shownhere is the sanctuary of Athena Pronaos, with its remaining three columnstopped with a section of the frieze and cornice.

Byblos, an ancient settlement near present-day Beirut, Lebanon, is

one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Remains of

civilizations at the settlement date back to 5000 BC. Shown here are

ruins of an ancient temple at Byblos.