MARVELS FROM THE PAST

10 Ancient Cities That You Can Still Visit Today

Image: Toa Heftiba

Eventually, time makes ruins of all of humanity’s achievements, and not even the most magnificent cities are safe from decay. But not everything is lost! Luckily, many wonders from civilizations past are still standing proud. Ancient cities reinvent themselves through the ages, withstanding the test of time and connecting us to our most distant past.

Join us and explore 10 cities that are more than just historical relics, standing as living testaments to the ingenuity and resilience of humanity throughout the ages.

Image: Spencer Davis

Considered by many as the cradle of Western civilization, Athens has a legacy spanning over 7,000 years. From being the birthplace of democracy to the epicenter of art, philosophy, and literature in antiquity, Athens is one of the most enduring symbols of ancient Greek culture.

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Located in the heart of the Middle East, Damascus was founded at some point during the 3rd millennium B.C., being among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Due to its strategic location and role as a key hub for trade and culture, the city kept its relevance until today. Despite facing numerous military conflicts in the recent decades, Damascus has preserved its ancient landmarks, including the Umayyad Mosque and the historic Old City.

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Another city that can boast being continuously inhabited since times immemorial, Jericho's origins trace back over 10,000 years. Situated west of the Jordan River, its fertile lands have supported human settlement since the dawn of agriculture. The ancient city's iconic walls and archaeological sites offer a glimpse into the dawn of civilization in the region.

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Situated along the banks of the sacred Ganges River, the city of Varanasi dates back over 5,000 years. According to Hindu mythology, the city was founded by Shiva, one of the major deities of Hinduism, over 5,000 years ago. However, archaeologists now believe the city is closer to 3,000 years old.

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Located in present-day Iran, Susa was one of the earliest cities in the world, dating back to 4300 B.C. Disputed among many empires along its complex history, Susa played a major role in shaping ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Today, the modern Iranian town of Shush is located on the site of the ancient city.

Image: Nabih El Boustani

Also known as Jebeil, Byblos has a long history dating back over 7,000 years. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it was a vital center of trade and Phoenician culture, exporting many precious goods to ancient Egypt and beyond. Notably, Byblos is also known as the birthplace of the Phoenician alphabet, the ancestor of all modern Western alphabets.

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The second-largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with a complex tapestry of Thracian, Greek, Roman, and Ottoman influences. Many archaeological sites within the city are well-preserved, such as a Roman amphitheater and the remains of its medieval fortress walls and towers.

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One of the least-known ancient cities of the world, Larnaca can trace its roots back over 3,000 years. Once the site of the ancient city-kingdom of Kition in the 13th century B.C., it was also the birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Zeno. Although the island endured several devastating earthquakes throughout its history, current visitors can explore its many archaeological sites while enjoying the timeless beauty of the Mediterranean.

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Formerly known as Thebes, Luxor is sometimes referred to as the "world's greatest open-air museum," due to the amount of archaeological ruins and Egyptian constructions that stand within the modern city. With a history spanning almost 4,000 years, it saw dozens of kingdoms and empires rise and fall from its walls. While the Valley of the Kings is one of its most popular landmarks, the city has literally hundreds of historical sites worth visiting.

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Founded in the 8th century during the Idrisid dynasty, an early Muslim kingdom, Fez is one of the oldest cities in Morocco, renowned for its well-preserved Islamic architecture and vibrant cultural heritage. The Medina of Fez, a designated World Heritage site, allows visitors to travel back in time as they explore a large urban area filled with beautiful mosques, ancient streets and restored traditional houses.

A Journey Through America's Dinosaur Heritage

Ten Amazing Dinosaurs That Once Ruled America

Image: Huang Yingone

Long before baseball, apple pie, and rock 'n' roll, the land that would become America was home to some of the most incredible creatures ever to walk the Earth. These 10 prehistoric superstars roamed from sea to shining sea, leaving behind fossils that continue to amaze us today.

Image: Amy-Leigh Barnard

Meet America's most famous fossil celebrity, T. rex, whose name literally means "tyrant lizard king." This 40-foot-long predator weighed as much as a school bus and packed a bite force of 35,000 pounds per square inch—that's like getting chomped by a pickup truck with teeth!

What made T. rex truly terrifying wasn't just its banana-sized teeth, but its surprisingly keen intelligence and excellent eyesight. Recent fossil discoveries in Montana and Wyoming have revealed that these giants likely hunted in packs and may have been surprisingly good parents, staying with their young for years.

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Picture a rhinoceros crossed with a pickup truck, and you've got Triceratops, the ultimate herbivorous heavyweight of the American West. This 30-foot-long plant-eater sported a skull alone that measured 10 feet long—longer than a Smart car! Those three iconic horns weren't just for show; they were formidable weapons that could grow up to four feet long, perfect for fending off hungry T. rexes.

One of the most complete Triceratops skeletons ever found, nicknamed "Horridus," revealed just how powerful these gentle giants were. Its sharp beak could slice through tough vegetation like a set of prehistoric hedge trimmers.

Image: Lucas George Wendt

This 30-foot-long herbivore carried around 17 diamond-shaped plates along its back and four vicious tail spikes that paleontologists affectionately call the "thagomizer." Stegosaurus had a brain no bigger than a walnut—proving that sometimes you don't need to be Einstein to survive for millions of years.

Recent studies of fossils found throughout the American West suggest those plates functioned like solar panels, helping regulate body temperature in the Jurassic heat. With its spiky tail and built-in armor, Stegosaurus was basically the prehistoric equivalent of an armored RV, cruising the Jurassic landscape in style.

Image: Paris Bilal

Long before T. rex ruled the roost, Allosaurus was America's apex predator, terrorizing the Jurassic landscape like a 28-foot-long nightmare with a serious attitude problem. It weighed about as much as an elephant but moved with the grace of a giant cat, earning it the nickname "different lizard" for its uniquely shaped vertebrae.

What set Allosaurus apart from other predators was its combination of size, speed, and surprisingly advanced hunting strategies. Fossil evidence from Utah and Colorado suggests these predators worked together to take down massive sauropods, using their powerful arms and razor-sharp claws like prehistoric grappling hooks.

Image: J M

Imagine a school bus stretched to the length of three basketball courts, and you’ve got Diplodocus, one of America’s longest dinosaurs—nearly 90 feet from nose to tail tip. This gentle giant from Wyoming and Colorado weighed about as much as four elephants but spent its days peacefully munching on ferns and conifers with a head no bigger than a horse's.

Computer models based on fossil evidence suggest Diplodocus could crack its whip-like tail at speeds of 1,200 miles per hour at the tip—faster than the speed of sound. Recent discoveries in Montana have revealed that these sauropods likely traveled in herds, lumbering together across ancient floodplains.

Image: Bernhard Dinger

Forget what you think you know about raptors from the movies—Utahraptor was the real deal, and it was absolutely terrifying. This 23-foot-long predator from Utah was essentially a grizzly bear-sized killing machine with 15-inch sickle claws and a brain sharp enough to plan your demise.

These pack hunters worked together like prehistoric wolves, using their massive claws to pin down prey while their razor-sharp teeth finished the job. Recent fossil discoveries have even preserved evidence of their feathers, proving that this house-sized predator was covered in a coat that would have made it look like the world's most dangerous giant rooster stalking through ancient Utah's forests.

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Its name means "lizard-eater supreme," and boy, did it live up to that title. This massive predator stretched up to 43 feet long, making it one of the largest predators of the Late Jurassic in North America.

What makes Saurophaganax particularly fascinating is that it shared its Oklahoma territory with massive sauropods, creating an ancient arms race between predator and prey that would have made nature documentaries incredibly exciting. Fossil evidence suggests this super-predator had longer arms and more powerful claws than its famous cousin, Allosaurus, perfectly adapted for tackling the giant plant-eaters that roamed prehistoric Oklahoma.

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This 11-foot-long predator may have been only the size of a large wolf, but it packed more intelligence and ferocity per pound than any creature that had ever lived. Its name means "terrible claw," referring to the switchblade-like 5-inch sickle on each foot that could slice through flesh like a prehistoric box cutter.

What made Deinonychus truly special wasn't just its fearsome weapons, but what it taught us about dinosaur behavior and evolution. The Montana fossils revealed evidence of pack hunting, complex social structures, and—most shocking of all—that dinosaurs were likely warm-blooded and active, not the sluggish cold-blooded reptiles previously imagined.

Image: Beate Vogl

Long before jazz was born in New Orleans, Parasaurolophus was making music across the American West with its spectacular hollow head crest that functioned like a natural trumpet. This 31-foot-long duck-billed dinosaur could produce deep, resonant honks that carried for miles across the Late Cretaceous landscape, essentially turning the prehistoric plains into nature's first outdoor concert venue.

What makes Parasaurolophus particularly endearing is that different species—and possibly different sexes—had varying crest shapes, meaning each may have produced its own unique song. Fossil evidence suggests these musical giants traveled in herds, and adults likely cared for their young, keeping families together as they roamed the ancient landscape.

Image: Andy Cat

Meet the ultimate armored dinosaur, Ankylosaurus. This 20-foot-long herbivore lived during the final days of the dinosaurs, about 68-66 million years ago, across western North America. Weighing up to 8 tons, it was built like a prehistoric tank with armor covering even its eyelids.

Its most impressive feature was the massive tail club made of fused bones, capable of swinging with devastating force and potentially injuring even the largest predators. Ankylosaurus was basically the ultimate "don’t mess with me" dinosaur, combining impenetrable defense with a weapon that made any attacker think twice.