Vanished Cities. Part 4

Lost Cities

Angkor, Cambodia

The Angkor period is believed to have begun after 800 AD, when the Khmer emperor Jayavarman II proclaimed the independence of Kambujadesa (modern-day Cambodia) from Java and established his capital, Hariharalaya, north of Lake Tonle Sap.

The complex of temples at Angkor dates back to the 10th-12th centuries; during those years, it was one of the largest cities in the world, and its temples were known far beyond the borders of the Khmer Empire. In 1431, Siamese troops nearly destroyed the city, forcing its inhabitants to flee. Since then, Angkor and over 100 remaining palaces and temples have been hidden under the cover of lush tropical forests. It wasn't until the late 19th century that French naturalist Henri Mouhot published a series of works dedicated to Angkor. In 1992, the temple complex was placed under UNESCO protection.

Pasargadae, Iran

Pasargadae (Pasargadae, which translates to "Gardens of Fars") was one of the capitals of the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC - nearly 2600 years ago. The city was founded by the first great Persian ruler Cyrus of the Achaemenid dynasty in 515 BC, but Pasargadae served as a capital for a short time - shortly thereafter, just about 30 years later, Darius I built a new ceremonial capital for the country - Persepolis. The fortress of Toll-e Takht on the hill in Pasargadae survived from the time of Cyrus until the era of the Sasanian Empire in the 6th - 8th centuries AD.

Olympia, Greece

Olympia was built in the 3rd millennium BC in honor of Zeus — the chief of all the ancient Greek gods of Olympus. The city's popularity was brought by the Olympic Games held here every four years and national carnivals.

The city of Olympia declined with the victory of Christianity and was burned in 426 AD by order of Theodosius II. The few remaining buildings and statues of Olympia were destroyed in earthquakes in 522 and 551 AD. Archaeological excavations in Olympia began in 1829. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered more than 130 statues, about 13,000 bronze items, and up to 10,000 inscriptions on bronze tablets.

Karakorum, Mongolia

Karakorum was founded in 1220 by Genghis Khan (1155 or 1162, or 1167 – 1227) as a major military center. However, archaeological excavations have shown that the city was an important center of craft production, where ceramic products, agricultural tools, and weapons were made.

The ruins of Genghis Khan's capital are located in the upper reaches of the Orkhon River in Mongolia.

The location of the city of Karakorum was established only in 1890, and excavations have been ongoing since the mid-20th century.

The city of Karakorum survived two fires (in 1215 and 1268), and was destroyed by Chinese troops in 1380 and 1466. Today, on the site of Genghis Khan's capital, there is a Buddhist monastery, Erdene Zuu (16th century).

Nineveh, Iraq

The history of Nineveh dates back to the mid-5th millennium BC. Nineveh is known as a settlement starting from the mid-3rd millennium BC. Since ancient times, it has been known as the site of E-mishmish, the temple of the goddess Ishtar.

Then (in the 15th-14th centuries BC), it was under the rule of the Mitanni state, and the statue of the city's patron goddess Ishtar was sent by the Mitannian king to Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Around 1365 BC, the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit I established his sovereignty over Nineveh.

The city of Nineveh became the capital under the Assyrian kings Sennacherib (705 – 681 BC) and Ashurbanipal (669 – around 635 BC). At this time, Nineveh was the largest city in Mesopotamia by area (728.7 hectares).

The fall of Nineveh is conventionally dated between 613 and 611 BC, with 612 BC being the most commonly accepted date. An allied army composed of Medes and Chaldeans, along with Scythians and Cimmerians, revolted against the Assyrians, besieged the city, and burned 750 hectares of the city, which was then the greatest city in the world.

Mycenae, Greece

The Mycenaean-Argolid region is one of those areas of Greece that have been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by Neolithic settlements that appeared around 3000 BC. However, the Mycenaean fortress and the dramatic events surrounding it are associated with three centuries at the end of the 2nd millennium BC – a period roughly from 1550 to 1200 BC. It is called the Mycenaean period, but the term implies not only the vicinity of Mycenae but the entire Bronze Age civilization that thrived at that time in the Peloponnese.

Archaeology does not confirm and likely never will confirm the captivating plots of Greek mythology, but it reports that the earliest burials in Mycenae date back to the 18th century BC. Serious fortifications appeared in the city around 1350 BC and continued to expand until the beginning of the 12th century BC, i.e., the period of the Trojan War, shortly after which the city was burned to the ground and never revived.

Around 1200 BC, Mycenae perished in a fire. In the following centuries, the city was restored but did not play a significant role.

Mycenae was almost completely destroyed by Argos in 468 BC; however, a few inhabitants remained here throughout the Hellenistic period. By the 2nd century AD, the city was abandoned.

To be continued...
Beginning:Lost Cities. Part 3