The Seven Lost Cities Of The World

Located on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley, Machu Picchu was the ‘Lost City of the Incas’, inhabited in the 15th and 16th century. Archaeologists believe that the mountain estate was built for the Inca emperor, Pachacuti, but was abandoned because of the Spanish Conquest.

The inhabitants were also believed to have been wiped out by smallpox introduced by Spanish conquistadors. The actual ruins were discovered centuries later, in 1911, by American historian, Hiram Bingham.

The Seven Lost Cities Of The World: Petra, Jordan

Admired for its intricate rock cut architecture and advanced water conduit system, Petra is a historical marvel dating back to the 6th century BC. It was the capital city of the Nabataeans, center of trade routes and used by the civilization to control the water supply in the desert city, and was built on the slope of Mount Hor.

It was first discovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Oh, and you might recognize it from a little movie called Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.