Updated 06/14/2019
While traveling through this wonderful country, be sure to pay attention to the lost ancient cities of India. The ruins of these once majestic places are imbued with the energy of bygone times. In many ghost towns, architectural masterpieces and ancient temples have been preserved.
Fatehpur Sikri
In the 18th century, this city was the capital of the Great Mogul Empire. Fatehpur Sikri had many architectural masterpieces and its population was constantly growing.
However, the builders made a grave mistake when planning the water supply, which gradually led to an acute shortage of water in the city. People were forced to leave their homes. And in their place came monkeys. Now this city is a ghost, a real monkey paradise. .
Vijayanagara
This is the most famous of the abandoned cities. Until the mid-16th century, it was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. Beautiful Vijayanagara was captured and destroyed by Islamic warriors. Gradually, the remains of the former capital were overgrown with jungle. Today, among the ruins lies the small village of Hampi. This abandoned place is located seventy kilometers from Bellary.
Harappa
Ancient ruins of Harappa It is the oldest known city in India. It was founded more than three thousand years BC. Just imagine - when the Egyptians were just starting to build their pyramids, this nice city already existed.
Mandu
The ancient name of this city is Shadyabad, which literally means “city of joy”. It is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Now only ruins remain of it, but until the 17th century it was fairytale city with magnificent Islamic monuments. It was famous throughout Asia for its splendor. Although the city has long been abandoned, among its ruins overgrown with jungle, fortresses still remain. And his mausoleums, like palaces, are majestic and beautiful.
Read on our website:
Ancient temples of India
Lothal
The remains of this ancient city of Lothal is located in the state of Gujatat. It was discovered in 1954. Today it is a very important property of Indian archaeologists, since its age dates back to 2400 BC. It is believed that at one time it was a very large trading port.
Prayaga
The city of Prayaga has existed since the time of King Ashot, who reigned in the 3rd century BC. The city was founded at the junction of the Ganges and Jamin rivers and subsequently Allahabad appeared in its place. Ancient Hindus considered Prayag sacred. Unfortunately, history is silent about the reasons for its desolation.
Pataliputra
Pataliputra, India Pataliputra was the capital and cultural center several empires. Under the rule of the Gupta Empire, the city fell into decline. Built here today Big city Patna, however, on its outskirts you can touch the ruins of the glorious capital.
Ayodhya
At one time, Ayodhya was located in the Faizabad district and was the capital of Oudh. This ancient city was considered a center of pilgrimage, since legends announce it as the birthplace of the great Rama and the main city of the legendary Kosala. The remains of this city are considered one of the 7 sacred places Hinduism.
A lost city you must see.
Hampi is one of the oldest cities on earth. It was one of the centers of Hindu civilization 4 thousand years ago. But Hampi reached its greatest prosperity around the end of the 15th century - shortly before India was occupied by Muslims from the north.
This place is often mentioned in the Ramayana. It was here that events unfolded, as legend has it, between the gods Lakshman, Hanuman, Sita, Rama, Sugriva and Bali. Where the Anegodi citadel was located, there is now a monkey kingdom.
Hemakunta Hill, located south of the Virupaksha Temple and clearly visible from the Hampi bazaar, preserves the remains of early Jain temples and the largest monolithic sculpture in Hampi of Narasimha, one of the forms of God Vishnu, now standing alone.
Also in the Bazaar area, among the boulders, there is a monolithic statue of God Ganesha and several other temples located inside a small mandapa.
2 km. To the northeast of Hampi Bazaar is the Vittal or Vitthala Temple, built in the 16th century, and is one of the best examples of the architectural art of the masters of the Vijayanagara Empire. The outer pillars of this temple are said to produce music when carved, hence they are also known as musical pillars. In fact, the thin stone columns actually make a sound when you tap them with your palm.
On the way here and before the entrance to the temple complex on the right, you can see medieval shopping arcades, which are stone columns and stone slabs once lying on them, which allowed traders and buyers to stay here during the light and hot hours of the day.
Interior temple complex- both the temple and the dance hall are perfectly preserved, here you can see friezes and columns with figures of animals and warriors, and in between there are sculptural images of ten avatars of Vishnu.
Here is located the stone chariot that has become the symbol of Hampi, dating back to the 15th century. Stone wheels made in the shape of a lotus can rotate around stone axes.
The royal center of Hampi is so named because it was where the elite lived, it is surrounded in places by stone walls, with observation towers that can be climbed into, and contains several attractions of predominantly Indo-Saracenic type.
To the left are the elephant stalls, connected by small windows through which the elephants could communicate with their trunks.
The Lotus Palace, which is a mixture of Indian and Islamic architecture, is a pavilion of complex shape; it was never residential and was used as a place to relax during the hottest time of the day. The stone palace has a complex architectural plan, thanks to which you can always feel the breeze blowing through it; the building takes its name from the blooming lotus flower, which resembles the carved domes and vaulted ceilings.
Hampi has only been open to tourists for the last 20 years, remaining an abandoned jungle city until then.
At one time, it was visited by the English writer Joseph Kipling, who wrote “The Jungle Book,” for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
The state of Karnataka is located in close proximity to one of the most famous holiday destinations in India - the Goa Islands. Tourists, fed up with the delights beach holiday, go to explore nearby attractions and explore ancient cities. They can't ignore one of the major cities Gokarnu.
Mysterious ancient cities of India
In the surrounding area there is a lot interesting places hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated. Many lie in ruins, but one place seems not to have been disturbed so much by time. This is one of the main attractions of India - the green Mirjan Fort. India is rich in such amazing places, hiding here and there in the dense jungle.
Only 22 kilometers separate the center of civilization with cafes, restaurants, clubs and hotels from the abandoned deserted fort. It is quite large, in which life has been seething for a very long time, but now only rare tourists visit it. For a person not accustomed to the special nature of India, the journey to these places with an abundance of vegetation and moist, aromatic air is surprising. In a place free of trees there stands a majestic fortress, all covered with fine moss, which creates the feeling of an unusual color scheme.
The green fort of Mirjan was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese. He performed a very important function. Large quantities of expensive spices were transported from India to Europe along the nearby river, and the fort’s task was to protect the cargo. When the need for this ceased, they began to gradually forget about the fortress. Such ancient cities are not uncommon in the country. They are reminders of the colonial past and constitute the culture of present-day India.
The beauty of an abandoned fort
The fortress was built from volcanic bricks. It has very high walls and consists of two terraces. Opens from the loopholes beautiful view into the jungle, which approaches right up to the building itself. Previously, holes in the walls served to repel unexpected attacks, but now tourists use them to look around the surroundings with pleasure.
The walls and ground are covered with fine vegetation, which gives the fort its name. From the outside it seems that a beautiful princess may be hidden in this castle, languishing in anticipation of her prince. On the most high tower flagpole installed. From the topmost platform you can see the ribbon of the river along which ships and boats loaded with spices sailed.
While enjoying the amazing nature and cultural richness of India, one should not forget about the lost cities. Despite the fact that these cities fell as a result of wars and natural disasters, their majesty has survived to this day, thanks to the surviving temples, museums and galleries that display surviving works of art. Let's enjoy traveling through time together.
The dynasties of princes Harihara and Bukka Raya founded Vijayanagara in 1336. This mighty city was the capital of the empire. The golden years of this Indian region were between 1509 and 1529. The city was surrounded by hills on three sides, and the Tungabhadra River flowed on the fourth. Like many other powerful empires, the empire eventually fell to the Deccan Sultan in 1565. Agricultural wealth brought great material benefits to the empire through international trade. The ruins of the city currently have the status World Heritage, and surround modern Hampi in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Tree in the courtyard of the Vittala Temple:
Puhar
The seven-story building in the photo now represents art gallery Sillappathikara. Puhar is a town in Nagapattinami district in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. In ancient times, this city was called the prosperous capital of kings. Situated at the mouth of the Kaveri River, the city served as a large shopping center, in which goods brought from afar were unloaded. Legendary city mentioned in many songs, poetry, and heroic epics. The history of the city is well described in the epics Silapathikaram and Manimekalai. Scientists believe that the destruction of the city was caused by a tsunami.
Muziris
Muziris is the Greco-Roman name of an ancient port city located on the Malabar coast ( South India). Excavations in 2004 proved that trade with Western Asia, the Middle East and Europe was conducted from this port. It is believed that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century AD.
Lothal
The ancient city of Lothal, or rather its remains, can be found in the state of Gujatat. Known since 2400 BC, this lost city is one of India's most important archaeological assets. It was discovered in 1954 and excavated between 1955 and 1960. The city was also a major trading port.
Kalibangan
Kalibangan is located on south coast Ghaggar in the Rajasthan region. Known as the site of the earliest system of plowing an agricultural field (c. 2800 BC). Scientists have concluded that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 2600 BC, but after that a 2nd stage of settlement occurred, which was unsuccessful due to the gradual and irreversible drying of the river.
Surkotada
Surkotada is located in Kutch district, Gujarat. The ancient mound is surrounded by sandy hills and red soil, giving the entire area a reddish-brown color. The Lost City was discovered in 1964. Among the attractions of India, these lost cities are far from the last place.
Pattadakal. Pattadakala Temple
Pattadakal is a city located on the banks of the Malaprabha River in the northern state of Karnataka. The group of ten monuments from the 8th century AD includes majestic temples, a monolithic stone pillar and a Jain sanctuary.
Fresh review
I will continue to publish photos taken German tourist in Almaty in December 2013. There will be everything about the upper areas of the city (well, or almost everything - something will be included in the next review). And without any special details: all the beautiful multi-storey buildings, everything is clean and beautiful. In general, this is what our authorities want to show tourists. And of course the Independence Monument will be detailed.
The first photo is the Television Center on Mira-Timiryazeva. The building is really very beautiful.
Random entries
Of course, if you look at the map, in the center of Sharjah there is not a lake, but a bay, connected to the sea by a long and not very wide arm. But for some reason local guides call it “lake”. There’s not much to write about, just a lot of photographs and panoramas. I came out to him by chance. The heat was 45 degrees, so it was deserted - normal people don’t walk in such weather.
The amazing thing is that with such heat, which lasts here not one or two days, but almost all year round— everything around is quite green. Here is the first photo on this very topic.
According to the excursion program that we were provided with in Almaty, on the second day there should be an acquaintance with Tbilisi. But everything turned out wrong. The host party had its own considerations for organizing excursions. And on this day we went to the Borjomi Gorge. In principle, we didn’t care where to go first, so we weren’t upset. Moreover, we were not the only ones from our hotel on the excursion minibus. The guide warned that the excursion will be long and you need to have money in local currency with you, because lunch is not included in the price of this trip, and there may not be ATMs or exchangers on site. And our transport set off through the streets of Tbilisi, collecting tourists from other hotels. So our acquaintance with the city continued, at least from the bus window.
I've always wanted to see Switzerland. But after listening to friends who have already been there or even live there, and also after reading all sorts of ratings of the most expensive cities in the world (for example, according to the rating of the Swiss bank UBS in 2018, Zurich is in first place), Switzerland somehow scared me away. Well, mountains, well, architecture ... - In Almaty, there are also mountains, and in Germany, in any city - architecture. What if Switzerland is a mixture of Germany and Almaty, but for the price of an airplane? It's not interesting
But the company I work for has a contract with the University of Zurich - UZH, and since the beginning of 2018 I have been lucky enough to visit this city several times - mostly on business trips, but once I even went there as a tourist. When I started writing the article , there weren’t very many photos, because during business trips you don’t really walk around the city - from work to the hotel, and back in the morning. But over these few times they have accumulated enough for a couple of articles. So, article nummero uno.
Another notable place nearby is Carbon Canyon Regional Park. And it is notable for its grove; there is even a walking path leading to it, along which we actually walked. This park belongs to the neighboring town of Breya (that’s what it’s called in Russian). Google map, and in their name Brea). But I’ll start from the beginning, we were driven to this beginning of the trail by car, and then we set off on foot, although not everywhere it looked like a path.
I heard about it national park, or about the geological reserve, which is located near the city of Obzor, in the neighboring village of Byala, and which is called “White Rocks”. I rented a car and went to see what it was. Firstly, Byala turned out to be not a village, as everyone calls it in the Review, but a normal one tourist city, the size of the same Obzor, which became a city in 1984. Secondly, the name Byala is translated as “White” and this name, just like once, comes from this natural monument - “White Rocks”.
In this review I will tell you how to get there and what is there, beautiful or interesting. And in the next one - about the museum and about the rocks from a more scientific point of view.
In general, it is believed that Sharjah is such a not very cool emirate. Well compared to Dubai. But apparently Sharjah has recently become very smart in terms of building new beautiful skyscrapers.
Well, again, by the time we were driving around Sharjah, we had not yet been to Dubai and therefore Sharjah seemed to us quite cool in terms of development. I have seen enough multi-storey cities - this is , and , and even the new one, but in terms of the density of skyscrapers, Sharjah wins. It may be comparable to it in this parameter, but in Urumqi the skyscrapers are quite simple - in architecture they look like single-color boxes, not all, but many. But here everything is different, modern, unique.
There's not much to write about. Therefore, basically, just photographs, the bulk of which were taken from a moving car, therefore with glare.
Giebichenstein Castle was built during the early Middle Ages, between 900 and 1000. At that time it had a very important strategic importance not only for the Magdeburg bishops, whose residence it was until the castle was built, but also played an important role in all imperial politics. The first written mention dates back to 961. Built on a high cliff above the Saale River, approximately 90 meters above sea level, on the site where the main Roman road once passed. In the period from 1445 to 1464, the Lower Castle was built at the foot of the castle rock, which was intended to serve as a fortified courtyard. Since the transfer of the episcopal residence to Moritzburg, the so-called Upper Castle began to fall into decay. And after the Thirty Years' War, when it was captured by the Swedes and destroyed by fire, in which almost all the buildings were destroyed, it was completely abandoned and was never restored. In 1921, the castle was transferred to city ownership. But even in such ruined form it is very picturesque.
This review about the Review will be large, and perhaps not the most interesting, but I think it’s quite beautiful. And it will be about greens and flowers.
The Balkans in general and Bulgaria in particular are generally quite green areas. And the pastoral views here are gorgeous. But in the city of Obzor, greenery is mainly in parks, although there are also vegetable gardens, as you will see in the middle of this report. And at the end a little about wildlife in and around the city.
At the entrance to the city from Varna, there is a gorgeous flowerbed, which is very difficult to see while walking. But on foot it turns out that “Overview” is written there in flowers, and in some stylized Slavic font.
Tri-City Park is located in Placencia Township, bordering Fullerton and Brea Township. All these settlements are part of Orange County in southern California. For all the time we've been here, we haven't figured out where one city ends and another begins. And, probably, it’s not that important. They are not very different in architecture and their history is approximately the same, and parks are within easy reach. We also went to this one on foot.
