they may have been around for a while
but there is aa inspiring as ever
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
incredible ancient ruins before we begin
we publish new videos every day so be
sure to subscribe for more great content
for this list we’re exploring the most
impressive jaw-dropping ruins the world
has to offer to keep things interesting
we’re broadening our timeline of ancient
history to include sites built past the
5th or 6th centuries ad number 10 encore
Wat no trip to Cambodia is complete
without a visit to this massive
world-renowned temple in fact you’ll
want to give yourself plenty of time to
explore as this complex is the largest
religious structure on earth and is
overflowing with things to appreciate
built in the 12th century
encore Wat is a testament to the skill
of Khmer builders and architects from
its Lotus but inspired towers to the
many detailed carvings of divine figures
while its magnitude and classic symmetry
are jaw-dropping in their own right
it’s the finely detailed works of art
contained within that will really leave
your head spinning number 9 Stonehenge
while encore Wat is all about the
details this prehistoric monument found
in Wiltshire England proves that
intricate carvings are the prerequisite
for drawing crowds and filling them with
a sense of wonder set amidst hundreds of
burial mounds this arrangement of
standing stones was constructed over a
long period of time between roughly 3000
BC and 2,000 BC but given that it was
built by a people who left behind no
account of their process or intentions a
great many mysteries surround this
imposing structure the site shows the
inevitable signs of aging Plus thanks to
restoration efforts much of the
structure has been preserved for curious
minds present and future to enjoy number
8 Ephesus ancient Greece is there any
bygone civilization more romanticized or
more study while it’s sure to face
strong competition on this list the city
of Ephesus found in modern-day Turkey
serves as a strong reminder as to
why the modern world continues to obsess
over this culture of yesteryear the many
surviving ruins allow imaginative minds
to fill in the blanks to see a city of
breathtaking splendor within the city
itself one finds the library of celsus
the temple of hadrian a massive open-air
theatre and much more plus nearby you’ll
find the remains of the Temple of
Artemis one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world
number seven montezuma castle national
monument when as a visitor you simply
cannot fathom how such a structure could
possibly be constructed in the modern
age let alone hundreds of years ago you
know you’re in the presence of truly
remarkable ruins be warned the name of
this structure is incorrect on two
counts it had nothing to do with
Montezuma and it most certainly is not a
castle built by the sinaloa people
between roughly 1100 and 1425 AD near
modern-day Camp Verde Arizona this huge
structure consisting of 20 rooms spread
across five stories is built in a
natural alcove of a cliff 90 feet off
the ground
it likely protected the tribe from both
the elements and enemies number six the
Roman Forum if any civilization can give
ancient Greece a run for its money in
terms of ability to captivate modern
minds it’s the Roman Empire located at
the very center of Rome is the forum
which served as a central hub of culture
and politics however in the Middle Ages
after the fall of the Roman Empire it
began to fall into disrepair some
monuments were even broken down for
their materials but even though much of
it was lost to time the forum continues
to WoW over four and a half million
visitors each year
number five the moai of rano raraku more
popularly known to outsiders simply as
the Easter Island heads moai are the
massive human-looking stone carvings of
the Rapa Nui people and while for the
most part only the heads are visible
they actually have bodies concealed
underground a number of these impressive
stone symbols of power are positioned
along the coastline but many almost 400
in fact remain at rano raraku
the volcanic crater that served as the
quarry for most of the moai found on the
island today while all oh I are
impressive the collection around the
crater which includes incomplete
examples and the largest known moai at
71 feet in height makes for a truly
fascinating site number four for tobu
dude the largest Buddhist temple in the
world this structure which was likely
built over a 75-year period spanning the
8th and 9th centuries is an
architectural masterpiece although a
lack of documentation shrouds much of
its history in mystery this site of
pilgrimage never fails to astound today
over a millennium later even without
historical context boasting 2672
detailed pictorial relief panels 504
Buddhist statues and 72 perforated or
open-air stupas
this glowing example of Japanese
Buddhist architecture is a must visit
for anyone traveling to Indonesia
interestingly enough when viewed from
above it resembles a gigantic Buddhist
mandala number three the Roman Colosseum
found just east of the aforementioned
Roman Forum the Colosseum was another
centre of Roman culture however whereas
the forum served as a commercial and
political meeting point the Colosseum
was all about entertainment often of a
violent nature and while the gladiators
have long stopped fighting to the death
for the fifty to eighty thousand
spectators the amphitheater could hold
this testament to Roman architectural
ingenuity continues to draw big crowds
pulling in an estimated four million
tourists per year completed in 80 AD it
remains the largest amphitheatre ever
constructed
number two Petra as impressive as the
montezuma castle national monument may
be when it comes to ruins built into the
side of rock walls Petra is the gold
standard or should we say rose red
standard carved out of the red sandstone
cliffs found between the Dead Sea and
the Red Sea in southern Jordan this city
was brilliantly designed by the
Nabataean people to help manage the
area’s inconsistent water supply when
visiting one can’t help but marvel at
the seemingly in
possible ornate structures especially
the famous treasury at petra otherwise
known as al khazneh it’s built today it
would be remarkable for considering it
may date back as far as the fifth
century BC it’s downright unbelievable
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions number
one Machu Picchu alongside Petra this
Incan icon has been called one of the
new seven wonders of the world and
there’s little doubt as to why Machu
Picchu was constructed in the 15th
century but what it lacks in age it more
than makes up for in splendor perched
atop a mountain nearly 8,000 feet above
sea level and overlooking the sacred
Valley Machu Picchu truly gives visitors
the impression that they’re on another
world built by the Inca at their most
prosperous it went largely unknown to
the international community until 1911
but since then people have flocked to it
in such numbers that entrance
restrictions have been put in place to
reduce numbers and damage to the site
but there is aa inspiring as ever
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
incredible ancient ruins before we begin
we publish new videos every day so be
sure to subscribe for more great content
for this list we’re exploring the most
impressive jaw-dropping ruins the world
has to offer to keep things interesting
we’re broadening our timeline of ancient
history to include sites built past the
5th or 6th centuries ad number 10 encore
Wat no trip to Cambodia is complete
without a visit to this massive
world-renowned temple in fact you’ll
want to give yourself plenty of time to
explore as this complex is the largest
religious structure on earth and is
overflowing with things to appreciate
built in the 12th century
encore Wat is a testament to the skill
of Khmer builders and architects from
its Lotus but inspired towers to the
many detailed carvings of divine figures
while its magnitude and classic symmetry
are jaw-dropping in their own right
it’s the finely detailed works of art
contained within that will really leave
your head spinning number 9 Stonehenge
while encore Wat is all about the
details this prehistoric monument found
in Wiltshire England proves that
intricate carvings are the prerequisite
for drawing crowds and filling them with
a sense of wonder set amidst hundreds of
burial mounds this arrangement of
standing stones was constructed over a
long period of time between roughly 3000
BC and 2,000 BC but given that it was
built by a people who left behind no
account of their process or intentions a
great many mysteries surround this
imposing structure the site shows the
inevitable signs of aging Plus thanks to
restoration efforts much of the
structure has been preserved for curious
minds present and future to enjoy number
8 Ephesus ancient Greece is there any
bygone civilization more romanticized or
more study while it’s sure to face
strong competition on this list the city
of Ephesus found in modern-day Turkey
serves as a strong reminder as to
why the modern world continues to obsess
over this culture of yesteryear the many
surviving ruins allow imaginative minds
to fill in the blanks to see a city of
breathtaking splendor within the city
itself one finds the library of celsus
the temple of hadrian a massive open-air
theatre and much more plus nearby you’ll
find the remains of the Temple of
Artemis one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world
number seven montezuma castle national
monument when as a visitor you simply
cannot fathom how such a structure could
possibly be constructed in the modern
age let alone hundreds of years ago you
know you’re in the presence of truly
remarkable ruins be warned the name of
this structure is incorrect on two
counts it had nothing to do with
Montezuma and it most certainly is not a
castle built by the sinaloa people
between roughly 1100 and 1425 AD near
modern-day Camp Verde Arizona this huge
structure consisting of 20 rooms spread
across five stories is built in a
natural alcove of a cliff 90 feet off
the ground
it likely protected the tribe from both
the elements and enemies number six the
Roman Forum if any civilization can give
ancient Greece a run for its money in
terms of ability to captivate modern
minds it’s the Roman Empire located at
the very center of Rome is the forum
which served as a central hub of culture
and politics however in the Middle Ages
after the fall of the Roman Empire it
began to fall into disrepair some
monuments were even broken down for
their materials but even though much of
it was lost to time the forum continues
to WoW over four and a half million
visitors each year
number five the moai of rano raraku more
popularly known to outsiders simply as
the Easter Island heads moai are the
massive human-looking stone carvings of
the Rapa Nui people and while for the
most part only the heads are visible
they actually have bodies concealed
underground a number of these impressive
stone symbols of power are positioned
along the coastline but many almost 400
in fact remain at rano raraku
the volcanic crater that served as the
quarry for most of the moai found on the
island today while all oh I are
impressive the collection around the
crater which includes incomplete
examples and the largest known moai at
71 feet in height makes for a truly
fascinating site number four for tobu
dude the largest Buddhist temple in the
world this structure which was likely
built over a 75-year period spanning the
8th and 9th centuries is an
architectural masterpiece although a
lack of documentation shrouds much of
its history in mystery this site of
pilgrimage never fails to astound today
over a millennium later even without
historical context boasting 2672
detailed pictorial relief panels 504
Buddhist statues and 72 perforated or
open-air stupas
this glowing example of Japanese
Buddhist architecture is a must visit
for anyone traveling to Indonesia
interestingly enough when viewed from
above it resembles a gigantic Buddhist
mandala number three the Roman Colosseum
found just east of the aforementioned
Roman Forum the Colosseum was another
centre of Roman culture however whereas
the forum served as a commercial and
political meeting point the Colosseum
was all about entertainment often of a
violent nature and while the gladiators
have long stopped fighting to the death
for the fifty to eighty thousand
spectators the amphitheater could hold
this testament to Roman architectural
ingenuity continues to draw big crowds
pulling in an estimated four million
tourists per year completed in 80 AD it
remains the largest amphitheatre ever
constructed
number two Petra as impressive as the
montezuma castle national monument may
be when it comes to ruins built into the
side of rock walls Petra is the gold
standard or should we say rose red
standard carved out of the red sandstone
cliffs found between the Dead Sea and
the Red Sea in southern Jordan this city
was brilliantly designed by the
Nabataean people to help manage the
area’s inconsistent water supply when
visiting one can’t help but marvel at
the seemingly in
possible ornate structures especially
the famous treasury at petra otherwise
known as al khazneh it’s built today it
would be remarkable for considering it
may date back as far as the fifth
century BC it’s downright unbelievable
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions number
one Machu Picchu alongside Petra this
Incan icon has been called one of the
new seven wonders of the world and
there’s little doubt as to why Machu
Picchu was constructed in the 15th
century but what it lacks in age it more
than makes up for in splendor perched
atop a mountain nearly 8,000 feet above
sea level and overlooking the sacred
Valley Machu Picchu truly gives visitors
the impression that they’re on another
world built by the Inca at their most
prosperous it went largely unknown to
the international community until 1911
but since then people have flocked to it
in such numbers that entrance
restrictions have been put in place to
reduce numbers and damage to the site
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