5 MYSTERIOUS ANCIENT CITIES

We might have never heard of cities that remained mysterious and uncovered for centuries. But, this article is going to reveal the story of 5 mysterious ancient cities. 1. City of Knossos 2.City of Ophir 3. City of Troy 4. Lost city of Tikal 5. Angkor city. Years of exploration and archaeological discoveries are the reasons behind the heckling of these magnificent cities.

1. City of Knossos

The story of King Minos of Crete, who came from the city of Knossos was a popular myth of ancient Greece. He reared a monster called Minotaur with a manly look and eventually it was killed by a heroic person, Theseus. But, the place and the monster were considered as a myth by the natives. However, in 1900 Sir Arthur Evans, a historian discovered the castle of King Minos. This palace with over 1400 rooms was brought to light with incredible artistic works and it has the same structure as the myth suggested. Thus, the mythology turned to a realistic story at the end. So, Knossos was a real city ruled by King Minos.

2. City of Ophir

During the 15^th century, Portuguese sailors came to know about the land of gold, Ophir, and in between their exploration to various crowded ports and hustling cities they couldn’t find out Ophir. There were references about Ophir in Bible too that King Solomon gained abundant wealth from Ophir. Though archaeologists have tried to find its exact location, they reached nowhere. Then, certain beliefs came up that Ophir was ancient Great Zimbabwe and some others believed that it situates in the mouth of the Indus river whereas the African shore of the red sea also became the possible site. Most of the modern academicians now accept that Ophir is on the coastline of either India or Pakistan, meanwhile, Australia, Brazil, and Peru also became doubtful for holding the land of gold.

3. City of Troy

Iliad is a popular epic that depicts the story of how the prince of Troy stole the wife of the Greek king. This led to a war between Greece and Troy in which the Greeks entered Troy by hiding in a wooden horse that was assumed as a gift to the people of Troy. Thus, the Greeks burnt Troy and earned victory over them. Even though the land of Troy was considered as a myth once, later in the 19^th century, a German archaeologist uncovered the ruins of a city in Turkey that could possibly be Troy. There was also proof that the city had undergone several deterioration and reconstruction.

4. Lost city of Tikal

Tikal situating in Guatemala is the largest excavated spot in the American continent that contributed to the foundation of Mayan civilization. Around  40,000 people dwelled in this grand place that was filled to the brim with temples and painted pyramids. By 900 AD, the city was discarded without any portent and it became surrounded by dark forest. In 1840, the voyagers sighted these pyramids and temples that were veiled under the thick forest.

5. Angkor city

The forests in Cambodia are very dark and thick, likewise the capital city of the ancient Khmer Civilization of Cambodia, Angkor was too enveloped by mysterious forest for around 400 years.  It was a French naturalist, Henri Mouhot who got awestruck by the revealed magnificence of Angkor while searching out insects and birds in the 19^th century. Thus, hundreds of towers, water inlets, and the largest temple called Angkor Wat were also brought to the limelight. Later, the forest was cut down to unleash the splendor and magnificence of the city, Angkor.

 It’s awestruck that these vast cities could remain mysterious for centuries.