15 Ancient Structures You Can No Longer Visit

from stonehenge to the great pyramid of giza to the nape of howard to the tomulus of bugon there are ancient and fascinating structures the world over giving us a tantalizing glimpse into what humanity before us was like but some of these structures are locked away from human interaction there are some you can never visit fortunately we have photos and footage hooray these are ancient structures you can no longer visit [Music] number 15 colossus of rhodes the colossus of rhodes once stood in the city of rhodes on the greek island of the same name it was a statue of the greek sun god helios erected to celebrate rhodes victory over antigonus i monophthalmus the ruler of neighboring island cyprus the statue stood 33 meters high the approximate height of the statue of liberty from feet to crown but it's believed to have collapsed during the earthquake of 226 bc after just 54 years the symbol of rhodes victory over their foes was destroyed but like any important piece of history parts of it were preserved to ensure its legacy lived on the statue that took greek sculptor chars of lindos and his team 12 years to construct took mere seconds to fall snapping at the knees and collapsing to the ground for a while there was talk of rebuilding the monument and ptolemy iii even offered to pay for it but the oracle of delphi warned against it believing the people of rhodes had offended helios for 800 years the colossus of rhodes lay on the ground in pieces with people traveling from far and wide to see them that all changed in 693 when the island was captured by muawiyah the first who sold the remains of the statue to a jewish merchant tentative plans have recently been drawn up to rebuild the colossus which may one day grace the greek skyline again guess we'll have to wait and see like this video smash the subscribe button and click the notification bell right now or this centipede will crawl on your face when you're sleeping number 14 bohemian grove united states now we've all heard the term gentlemen's club bandied about and most of us particularly those of the female variety have very little clue about what they're all about in fact truth be told we've probably all made up our own minds considering some of the sorted tales we've heard of what goes on but who's to say it's all true unless you know a member you're probably barking up the wrong tree so to speak [Applause] bohemian grove is described as the ultimate playground for men set on a 2700 acreage in monte rio california the grove plays host to the most prestigious men across the globe including u.s presidents government members business leaders artists and musicians each july selected members enjoy a two-week blowout a 14-day party if you will where no business wheeling and dealing is permitted if you are thinking of joining you might want to reconsider membership is highly exclusive so chances are you won't be accepted if you do happen to sneak your way in you will be evicted and trespassed just ask 2009 vanity fair editor alex schumatov he'll give you the lowdown number 13 duck bill rock formation a rock formation nicknamed duckbill because of its obvious bill-like appearance served as a popular tourist attraction in the u.s state of oregon for many years the sandstone structure was frequently captured by photographers across the globe from its location in the cape coanda state natural area cape cowanda is a state park in pacific city oregon it is on the three cape scenic route a route that includes cape mears and cape lookout as well duck bill was considered a hoodoo rock formation which means that it is a rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland it was formed within sedimentary and volcanic rock and consisted of relatively soft rock topped by harder less easily eroded stone once a frequently photographed formation along the oregon coast it is now just a pile of rubble after being toppled by vandals on august 29th 2016. video footage of the incident was captured and shows someone climbing over the rope fence surrounding the duck bill and destroying it the formation is said to have collapsed into the ocean below however experts believe its time had probably come anyway and that erosion had played a larger role in its demise many photographers had ignored the signs not to climb on it for years and the resulting collapse was simply inevitable sad but no doubt true number 12 jump off joe what was once an intricate rock formation reaching 100 feet high started slowly melting into the sea in 1916 completely disappearing by 1990 affectionately known as jump off joe the sea stack geological formation composed primarily of myosin concretionary sandstone is said to have formed before the 1880s and was a well-known tourist attraction before world war one it was located at nye beach in newport oregon in the united states and was a major impediment when walking on the beach so much so that early travelers would have to jump off the side to get over it hence the name jump off joe original isn't it natural forces are to blame for its demise which saw it separated from the mainland in the 1890s this was followed soon after by the collapse of the arch which caused the structure to weaken even further years of exposure to all manner of weather conditions not to mention the water beneath it were the final straw for the well-photographed formation that was finally swept away no trace of jump off joe remains today number 11 statue of zeus the statue of zeus at olympia is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world made with gold and ivory the giant seated figure was created by philias a greek sculptor painter and architect he also designed the statues of the goddess athena the statue of zeus measured 12.4 meters high and was commissioned by the aliens around 436 bc they wanted it as a centerpiece for their newly constructed temple of zeus when completed the massive sculpture took up half the width of the isle of the temple built to house it it was an impressive sight crowned with a sculpted wreath of olive sprays and wearing a gilded robe made from glass carved with animals and lilies the residents of olympia believed that zeus the god of the gods would protect them and so the statue was constructed as a way of honoring the patron of the city unfortunately history has left us no evidence of the massive statue which is believed to have been destroyed during the 5th century aed fortunately zeus's builder phidias an athenian sculptor completed a similar work shortly beforehand this statue of olympia serves as a reference today so that's something at least number 10 the lighthouse of alexandria egypt a lighthouse like no other the lighthouse of alexandria was built by the ptolemaia kingdom during the reign of ptolemy ii philadelphus between 280 and 247 bc that support a very heavy tower above it the ptalamaya kingdom was a hellenistic kingdom based in ancient egypt between the death of alexander the great in 323 bc and the emergence of the roman empire in 31 bc the lighthouse was built on the island of pharos outside the harbors of alexandria egypt and for many centuries it was considered one of the tallest man-made structures in the world at an estimated 100 meters high it was also the third longest surviving ancient wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world the lighthouse survived in part until 1480 when the last of its remaining stonework was used to construct the 15th century defensive fortress the citadel of kate bay on the site it was severely damaged by three earthquakes between ad-956 and 1323 and became an abandoned ruin but all was not completely lost as french archaeologists discovered further remains in 1994. these remains were found on the floor of alexandria's eastern harbor and are expected to become part of an underwater museum number nine the temple of artemis in ephesus turkey this temple dedicated to an ancient local form of the greek goddess artemis was once located in ephesus near the modern town of selkuk in present-day turkey roman period now we're in the downtown and the main street of the city artemis is the goddess of the hunt the wilderness wild animals the moon and chastity and is the daughter of zeus the sky and thunder god in ancient greek religion in its final form the temple of artemis was one of the seven wonders of the world but by 401 a.d it had been completely destroyed with just its foundations and stone fragments remaining at the site the earliest version dates back to the bronze age however it was destroyed by a flood in the 7th century bc construction of its successor a much grander affair began around 550 bc funded by croasis of lydia the project took 10 years to complete this version was destroyed by an active arson by hero stratus a well-known 4th century bc arsonist in 356 bc the temple in its final form was listed as one of the world's seven wonders and was closed due to the persecution of pagans in the late roman empire this began late during the reign of constantine the great who ordered the pillaging and the tearing down of some temples it's not known to what extent the building was damaged but by 401 a.d it was no longer standing number eight the hanging gardens of babylon iraq are the hanging gardens of babylon just a figment of someone's imagination or did they exist this we may never know but for interest sake let's look at the supposed fable to see if we can find out more the hanging gardens of babylon are believed to have adorned the capital of the neo-babylonian empire built by its greatest king nebuchadnezzar ii who ruled between 605 and 562 bce one of the seven wonders of the ancient world the gardens are the only wonder whose existence is disputed amongst historians theories vary between scholars with some claiming they were located elsewhere others searching for positive proof and several believing they're merely a figment of the ancient imagination whatever the case archaeologists at babylon itself aren't prepared to confirm or deny the garden's existence but if it did exist researchers say the gardens would have contained not only flowers and plants but architectural sculptures water features mural painted walls and high stone terraces which imitated mountains the exotic nature of the gardens the mystery surrounding their location and their disappearance has made the hanging gardens of babylon the most captivating of all the seven wonders number seven mausoleum at halicarnassus a tomb built for masolus by his sister and widow artemisia ii of cariot was built between 353 and 350 bc in halicarnassus present-day bodrum turkey mausolus was the eldest son of hekatomnus an early 4th century bc ruler of karia he also ruled carrier and participated in the revolt of the sat traps led the siege of adremidium against arieo barzanis and conquered a great part of licia around 360 bc the mausoleum at halicarnassus was adorned with sculptural reliefs and was created by leading greek sculptors and artists leoshares briaxis scopus of peros and timotheus each was responsible for a single side standing 45 meters high the tomb was identified as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and an aesthetic triumph for that period the building was designed by the greek architects phidias and satiros and according to roman author pliny the elder it was almost square its construction included 36 columns and the top formed a 24-step pyramid surmounted by a four-horse marble chariot it is believed the mausoleum was probably destroyed by an earthquake between the 11th and 15th century ce with fragments preserved in the british museum other stones from the construction were reused in local buildings including the castle at halicarnassus sections of polished marble from the tomb can still be seen there today number six wider falls the guaira falls or seven falls were permanently closed to visitors in 1982. they were made up of a series of 18 giant waterfalls on the parana river situated along the border between brazil and paraguay once a major tourist attraction and a favorite with the locals the falls were completely submerged under an artificial lake created by the etaipu dam the dam which was highly contested by argentina prior to its construction is the linchpin of the world's largest hydroelectric project to date authorized by a 1973 bilateral agreement between the brazilian and paraguayan governments the dam marked a new era of cooperation between the countries [Music] although both brazil and paraguay had claimed ownership of the guaira falls neither country sought to preserve them from certain destruction thousands of visitors flocked to the area to see the falls one last time before the construction of the dam progressed many tourists were also there when a suspended footbridge that accessed a particularly spectacular view of the falls gave way on january 17 1982 sadly dozens were killed said to be named after a guarani indian chief the falls had a total drop of about 114 meters and were formed when the parana river was forced through canyon walls and narrowed abruptly from a width of 381 meters to just 61. the falls were believed to have represented the greatest volume of falling water in the world what a shame they had to be sacrificed for a damn number 5 el gato de dios a sea stack believed to have been formed over time by wind and water was once considered one of the most beautiful natural monuments in the world the vertical column of rock was considered a symbol of grand canaria and lay near the village of agate in the atlantic ocean el dero or god's finger was a 30 meter high sea stack admired by tourists for many years they made the pilgrimage each year to come and admire the most famous finger of the canaries but tropical storm delta got to the magnificent natural site in 2005 when high winds broke off the upper part leaving it merely a clump of rock effectively fingerless the finger may have fallen into the sea but the landscape is still spectacular the rock has been renamed roque partido and although not nearly as intriguing as it once was it is still well worth a visit number four pioneer cabin tree the pioneer cabin tree also known as the tunnel tree was once considered one of the us's most famous trees a giant sequoia in calaveras big tree state park california the tree attracted thousands of visitors every year its trunk was said to be 10 meters in diameter at its widest point and the tree believed to be more than 1 000 years old an unusual treat it had a distinctive hollow trunk that was the result of a lightning strike and resulting forest fire it looked very much like a log cabin fashioned by a hunter in the woods with its burnt core acting as a chimney sadly as with all trees it became weaker as the years went by and it was topped around the mid-1800s to ensure its safety at that time the tree was said to be completely hollow window on the past in the early 1880s the tunnel was also cut through by a private landowner so that tourists could pass through it initially only pedestrians were allowed to do so however for many years the pioneer cabin tree formed part of the big trees trail and was one of several drive-through trees in california a powerful winter storm in california on january 8 2017 brought down the ancient tree which shattered when it hit the ground fortunately no one was hurt except for the poor tree with a life expectancy of as much as 3 000 years our friend the pioneer cabin tree was cut down in its prime that's sad number three letting cake rock a rock suspended 25 meters above sea level has been creating quite the fuss among tourists to the royal national park in new south wales [Music] wedding cake rock also known as white rock is a sandstone rock formation that appears to almost levitate from its scenic location the area is popular with bushwalkers and tourists and particularly attractive to photographers but the landmark has seen significant damage since a sudden spike of interest back in 2015. the rock has been vandalized and visitors have been witnessed displaying dangerous behavior all in the name of the perfect selfie to upload to their social media accounts no doubt the new south wales national parks and wildlife service decided they weren't putting up with it for a moment longer and the rock was closed to the public in may 2015. sadly the rock is so unstable that the possibility of it collapsing into the tasman sea within the next decade is a very real possibility others around it have with one man killed nearby and several others rescued after falling from wedding cake rock itself there is now a 1.6 meter fence around the rock but people continue to ignore the danger signs at their own peril [Music] a new barrier is expected to be erected soon but whether it will deter people is anyone's guess i don't think so do you number two cave of altamira this cave is located near the historic town of santiana del mar in cantabria spain it is approximately 1 000 meters long and home to a series of twisting passages and chambers many with prehistoric artwork on their walls these artworks include charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands with the earliest believed to date back around 36 000 years the site was only discovered in 1868 but the find led to a bitter controversy over the origins of the prehistoric paintings many believed that humans who lived in that time period were incapable of such talented artworks and this controversy continued until 1902 where reports of similar findings confirmed the original paintings were authentic there are 17 decorated caves of the paleolithic age and these act as an extension to the altamira cave these caves are all very well preserved due to their isolation from external influences particularly weather each is its own masterpiece of creative genius and a fine example of humanity's earliest accomplished art altamira itself was once opened to visitors but was permanently closed in 2002 as the paintings were being damaged by the carbon dioxide and water vapor in their breath a replica cave and museum has since been built nearby and features some of the sculptures that are no longer able to be visited in the real cave number one the original wembley stadium the original football stadium in wembley london was opened to the public on april 28 1923. it stood on the same site now occupied by its successor which was built in 2007 the original wembley stadium annually hosted both the fa cup final and the league cup final it also hosted five european cup finals the 1966 world cup final and the final of euro 96 named the cathedral of football by brazilian footballer palais who considered it the capital and heart of football it is the world's best known football stadium as well as football games the stadium played host to numerous other events including the 1948 summer olympics rugby league's challenge cup final the 1992 rugby world cup finals and music events like the 1985 live aid charity concert the stadium cost 750 thousand pounds and was built by sir robert mcalpine specifically for the british empire exhibition after the exhibition it was supposed to be demolished however it was saved at the suggestion of sir james stevenson the chairman of the organizing committee for the empire exhibition the stadium closed in october 2000 and demolition commenced in december 2002 in time for redevelopment to start in 2003. the top of one of the twin towers was saved from the wrecking ball and was erected as a memorial in the park on the north side of overton close in the sane raphael's estate although travel plans may be a little up in the air at the moment there's one bonus to it all you have plenty of time to plan your next adventure and if this list is anything to go by there are plenty of locations still shrouded in intrigue and mystery that remain unexplored also check out our other cool stuff showing up on screen right now see you next time

Channel: Factsopedia

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Keywords: history, travel, ancient, architecture, ruins, ancient ruins, documentary, ancient buildings, ancient structures, archeology, ancient architecture, history channel, building, history shows, lost historical structures, science, ancient civilizations, ancient history, full documentary, lost cities, strange, places, explore, discover, lost places, discoveries, cities, abandoned, unbelievable, abandoned places, exploration, archaeological, ancient artifacts, mysterious buildings, no longer visit

Id: t8OIGFqZSBE

Length: 25min 36sec (1536 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 23 2020