Let's hear about some of the most ancient structures that defy imagination!
11 - Derinkuyu Ancient Underground City, Turkey
The Cappadocia region in Turkey was once known for being a gateway location for many civilizations
that lived there.
But it’s also known for having a pretty big secret: an ancient underground city built
with large and intricate labyrinths.
In a place filled with volcanic stone chimneys that create a landscape taken out of a desert-like
epic action film, how could you not expect to find an enormous underground city?
What's even more impressive is that this secret labyrinth is only one of the possibly TWO
HUNDRED or more cities believed to exist under this region.
Although many changes have transformed these cities, Derinkuyu is the one that remains
as the icon because of its striking architecture.
Accidentally discovered in 1963 by a family who was renovating their house, the structure
of this mega-hidden city spans 11 levels.
Little did this family know, the huge attraction they would unveil would become a huge hit!
Given its stable rock structure –which is thought to have been built in the 4th century–
the mystery of who built the structure attracts thousands of archaeologists yearly.
Many theories on who built this place include the Christians, the Hittites and the Phrygians,
but even today there’s no scientific certainty about who built it and why.
Locals will continue to enjoy the success of the area, as they have so far with all
the activities, restaurants, shops and tourist-related things they’ve established inside.
10 - Puma Punku, Bolivia 45 miles west of La Paz, in Bolivia, stands
a mysterious site believed to be an alien invention.
There's no conclusive evidence about its construction date, nor about the people who built this
place– many say it was built by the Incas or Aymaras, but recent research has found
that it predates these indigenous groups.
Investigators from around the world haven't found a way to explain how a site like this,
including its precise monoliths and disposition, could've been built.
Home to some of the biggest and precise monolith stones in the world, Puma Punku stands 12,800
feet above sea level, making it even hard to decipher how anyone could've transported
these rocks into the area.
The engineering that this site required is remarkably exact: the H-shaped stones have
a perfect fit with each other, almost like a puzzle.
The cuts performed on the rocks are so astonishing, even modern engineers wouldn't be able to
perform these cuts supposedly!
Not only was the structure impressive, but the water system within the location was a
high-level endeavor– a distinctive hydraulic mechanism and sewage allocation complex were
part of this crazy place.
Talk about being ahead of its time!
9 - Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni, Malta Like many of the most astonishing places on
Earth, this ancient burial site was also discovered by accident.
In 1902, builders cut right through its ceiling and quickly tried to hide it.
But the monumental quality of this temple couldn't stay a secret for long.
Based entirely underground, it was opened to the public in 1908, when excavations were
still going on.
Its structure consists of 3 levels with carved limestone walls, connected via an elaborate
labyrinth with multiple chambers.
Visitors have said that walking into the temple feels like going into the center of the world–
the deafening silence that absorbs the inside of the place gives a sense of peace found
nowhere else.
Dating back to the year 3300 BC, it’s no wonder this UNESCO World Heritage Site is
admired as one the most exquisite burial grounds in the world.
This temple preserved the remains of over 7,000 people, including precious belongings
such as amulets, pottery and figurines.
The Hypogeum is so well protected by the Maltese government that only 80 people a day are allowed
to visit, and constant research is performed to study the acoustics of the place.
8 - Gobekli Tepe, Turkey Built around 11,000 years ago, even before
agriculture was first registered, Gobekli Tepe is revered as probably the oldest spiritual
temple IN THE WORLD.
Investigators are baffled by its size and extension, but also by the fact that whoever
built it would've had to transport 10 or 20 tonnes of stone from the closest pits located
100 and 500 meters away.
That would've required the help of over 500 people per rock.
All of this without the help of metal tools.
How was this even possible?!
According to Klaus Smith, the German archeologist responsible for the site's popularity, this
former temple demonstrates how a construction like this could've happened before the existence
of agriculture, which then was developed to help feed all the workers involved.
Formed by 6 pits, the site consists of arena-shaped rings of T-shaped stone pillars arranged in
a circular pattern.
The tallest pillar would be 17 feet tall, and most of the pillars are decorated with
carvings of wild animals.
The are where the site is located is known to have attracted a large number of hunters
and gatherers, a common trait of the Fertile Crescent area.
7 - Marib Dam, Yemen For a time Yemen was known as a place with
very little water.
But Marib was the largest and wealthiest city in all of Arabia, therefore something had
to be done.
In 8th century BC, the kingdom of Saba decided to build a dam that created and supplied a
water system capable of irrigating an area of 25,000 acres.
With an impressive extension of 2,100 feet in length, this 50-foot high complex became
the protector of the city and all the kingdom.
Although it was built to be highly resistant, there's only so much ancient engineers could've
done: at some point during the mid 6th century, the dam broke and flooded the town in what
was considered as a punishment to those who refused to pray to Allah.
Legend says rebuilding the dam became more frequent as time went by; there was a time
where it was known to require a task force of 20,000 men and 14,000 camels, especially
when the kingdom was conquered by the Himyarites.
While the dam has over 1,000 years of use and maintenance, unfortunately in 2015 it
was bombed by an air-strike suspected to come from the Saudi air force, damaging part of
the northern side of this millennial relic.
6 - Teotihuacan, Mexico Many questions come up anytime people start
talking about these pyramids, such as who the creators were to why these pyramids were
abandoned.
The mystery involving this Mexican monument seems to be timeless.
There are clues leading us to think it was founded around the year 200 BC, which means
it was established well before the Aztec Empire.
All the cultures that have found themselves living there ever since have kept it as a
portrayal of their faith, as it was considered a sacred site for praying.
That comes as no surprise, given how its central figure, the Pyramid if the Sun, is the third
largest pyramid in the world.
Historians unveiled details hidden within the grounds of Teotihuacan– one of the most
complex and organized societies of the era.
This society's political and economical power was so influential, the civilizations that
came afterwards maintained some of its characteristics, both in terms of construction and organization.
There was a period in which 100,000 people lived in this city.
But certain things remain uncovered: although many investigations have been performed since
the Spanish presence in the Americas, not one research has been able to deduce what
exactly happened to the inhabitants of the area, and why it was abandoned.
Some point to an extreme drought that forced people to move elsewhere; others say it was
the creation of new cities around Teotihuacan, making this destination less popular than
before.
5 - Baalbek, Lebanon Located on the outskirts of the Roman Empire,
this vast and sophisticated structure was the most respected temple of its era.
The construction of this complex took TWO whole centuries, making it one of the most
elaborate endeavors during Roman times.
Pilgrims from all over the empire would gather here to worship the gods Jupiter, Venus and
Mercury.
The architectural variety of this site is immense: its main temple, the Temple of Jupiter,
was known for having 20 meter high columns and other gigantic stones in its terrace.
The whole acropolis of Baalbek comprises of over 24 monoliths.
And even when its main buildings were ready, construction never stopped.
Further temples were added to its ensemble over the next 2 centuries.
The amount of detail these new sites only added to Baalbek's beauty and distinction–
it’s regarded as one of the most interesting combinations of Phoenician and Roman culture
because of the exquisitely elaborate stonework found on its columns and walls.
4 - Nan Madol, Micronesia Spreading over a hundred tiny isles in the
Pacific, this outstanding network of buildings remains a real mystery– to this day, there’s
no clue as to who built it or how it came to be.
Totaling an area of 80 acres, this widespread monument was built on a base of corals.
Like many other ancient ruins, megaliths are to be expected: over 400,000 blocks of basalt
were used to create this outstanding stone columns.
The elaborate architecture makes many researchers question how these ruins came to be.
Some of the most popular structures include an ancient burial site that’s composed of
3 different buildings, with engineering work that’s as good as modern times.
Legends surrounding this site are so enigmatic, that archaeologists have officially recognized
there hasn't been found any explanation how it was constructed!
3 - Longyou Caves, China Located in the Zhejiang province, this Chinese
architectural masterpiece has become the most talked about site of ancient Asia.
After all, the mystery of this 30,000 square meter compound lives on.
Like many other structures on this list, there’s no clue as to who built this place and why.
Based on a system of 36 grottoes spread over 5 caves, this location is believed to have
been built over 2,000 years ago.
The amount of rock used for its construction is over three and a half MILLION cubic feet
of rock.
That amount of rock makes it even harder to guess how on Earth anyone could've transported
that much rock and built something underground with it!
The walls of the complex are completely covered in an intricate pattern of lines believed
to have been done manually.
As impressive as it is, there’s no trace of any kind of hard construction to have taken
place.
Given the lack of tools during that time and the precision of the site, it makes matters
even harder to understand– there’s not one single historic document referring to
the existence of these caves.
How is that even possible?!
2 - Eastern Islands Statues, Chile Surrounded by a veil of mystery, the Eastern
Island statues, known as 'Moais', have stood the test of time.
Located 3700 kilometers from Chile's coast, the motive behind these impressive structures
is still unknown to this day!
Many investigators have suspected that the Rapa Nui people –the locals of this South
Pacific island– built the statues as an homage to notorious characters from the island.
But then again, that's only a theory.
Standing 13 foot tall and weighing about 15 tons, these stone creations are recognized
worldwide for their distinctive anatomy– an elongated face with no eyes, buried in
the middle of the ground.
But it doesn't stop there.
Investigators from UCLA have dug up another layer to its enigma: all statues were discovered
to have a full body hidden underneath the ground!
As time went by, sediments and rock buried the statue's bodies into oblivion.
It’s believed that between the 10th and 16th centuries the Rapa Nui people created
around 900 statues, developing a specific architectural style that became widely notorious.
1 - Stonehenge, United Kingdom Ok, so this was obvious.
How could there be a list of mysterious ancient structures without Stonehenge?
The popularity of this site is unprecedented, as it’s known to be the most visited prehistoric
monument in the world.
Built in several stages, the oldest one being around 8000 BC, this compound is believed
to have been used as a burial site.
Whoever built Stonehenge left no written record of its construction.
It’s believed that, due to its position, it was built to receive the sunset of the
winter solstice.
Many supernatural theories have also been given, trying to explain how the megaliths
could've been moved.
Many believed that because of the rocks' acoustic properties, they possessed mystical healing
powers that made them easy to transport.
Okayyyyyy…...
Here's what's next!