Asia

Ancient places can be found all over Asia. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on Asian history. Visiting such historical places in Asia can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present the most interesting archaeological sites all over Asia, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Mari, Syria - A ziggurat near the palace.

1 January, 2017 - 14:36 ancient-origins

Nearly Lost from The Pages of History, Mari Is The Oldest Known Planned City in the World

The 7,000-year-old ancient city of Mari (known today as Tell Hariri) is one of the oldest known cities in the world, located on the west bank of the Euphrates River in what was once northern...

Drawing of the house of wisdom

1 January, 2017 - 04:11 ancient-origins

The House of Wisdom: One of the Greatest Libraries in History

Adding to the list of names among the greatest libraries of the past, the Bayt al-Hikmah (translated as ‘The House of Wisdom’) was established in Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Empire, around...

Astounding Ancient Assyria: The Grand Palace of Assurnasirpal

31 December, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

Astounding Ancient Assyria: The Grand Palace of Assurnasirpal

The grand palace of Assurnasirpal (Ashurnasirpal) II was one of the most incredible sites of ancient Assyria. Located in Nimrud, Iraq, the immense palace was richly decorated with sophisticated...

A Question of Faith: Is the Tomb of the Legendary King David Really on Mount Zion?

28 December, 2016 - 00:58 Natalia Klimczak

A Question of Faith: Is the Tomb of the Legendary King David Really on Mount Zion?

There is a famous tomb located on Mount Zion in the ancient city of Jerusalem. A part of the Diaspora Yeshiva, this tomb receives thousands of visitors every year. Many of them go to the site with...

Godin Tepe archaeological site, Iran. (anahidnews.com) Insert: A decorated vessel that was found at Godin Tepe.

24 December, 2016 - 00:47 dhwty

Catering to Trade: Hospitality in the Ancient Iranian Site of Godin Tepe

Once a lively outpost on the early Mesopotamian trade route, Godin Tepe now sits in ruins in Iran. Controversial archaeological excavations in the 1960s and 70s highlighted some of the rich cultural...

Buried Beneath the Sand, The Ziggurat of Jiroft May be Largest and Oldest of its Kind in the World

10 December, 2016 - 00:55 dhwty

Buried Beneath the Sand, The Ziggurat of Jiroft May be Largest and Oldest of its Kind in the World

The Ziggurat of Jiroft, known also as the Konar Sandal Ziggurat, is an ancient monument located in Jiroft in the southern Iranian province of Kerman, a place that some say is Iran’s cradle of...

More than Battles of Armageddon: The Forgotten Story of Megiddo, An Archaeological Paradise

7 December, 2016 - 14:52 Natalia Klimczak

More than Battles of Armageddon: The Forgotten Story of Megiddo, An Archaeological Paradise

The city of Megiddo is well-known from ancient texts, but it was overlooked for many years. Over the centuries, people had forgotten whether Megiddo was a real city, or just a legend from the past...

The Eerie Ruins of Fort Bassein That Are Now a Bollywood Hotspot

30 November, 2016 - 03:48 dhwty

The Eerie Ruins of Fort Bassein That Are Now a Bollywood Hotspot

Fort Bassein, known also as Fort Vasai, is a ruined Portuguese fort located in the Maharashtra State in the western part of India. It was built during the 16 th century, and remained in the hands of...

Arg-é Bam: An Ancient Citadel Destroyed By Nature and Reconstructed By Humanity

21 November, 2016 - 03:56 dhwty

Arg-é Bam: An Ancient Citadel Destroyed By Nature and Reconstructed By Humanity

Arg-é Bam is a citadel located in Bam, a city in the Kerman Province in the south-eastern part of Iran. This citadel was built entirely out of adobe unbaked clay bricks, and it is often regarded as...

The Colossal Statue of Shapur, Powerful King of the Sassanian Empire

16 November, 2016 - 03:48 dhwty

The Colossal Statue of Shapur, Powerful King of the Sassanian Empire

The Colossal Statue of Shapur is the name given to a carved figure of the 3 rd century AD Sassanian ruler, Shapur I. This giant statue is located in a limestone cave known as the ‘Shapur Cave’, which...

Dezful Bridge: The Oldest Usable Bridge in The World Was Built by 70,000 Roman Prisoners

11 November, 2016 - 21:51 marinasohma

Dezful Bridge: The Oldest Usable Bridge in The World Was Built by 70,000 Roman Prisoners

The city of Dezful, located in present-day southern Iran, once belonged to the ancient and powerful Persian Empire. One of its most iconic landmarks, the Dezful bridge, is the oldest still-standing...

Ruins in Ancient City of Ava (Innwa)

5 November, 2016 - 02:50 Kerry Sullivan

Inwa: Magnificent Ancient Capital of Burmese Kings Left to Crumble

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Myanmar is the capital of the Imperial Burmese. In a 3-mile (5km) circuit, usually traveled by horse cart, bicycle, or motorbike, visitors can see the...

Behistun Inscription, The Rosetta Stone of Persia

2 November, 2016 - 20:46 dhwty

Behistun Inscription, The Rosetta Stone of Persia

The Behistun Inscription is an engraving located on the cliff of Mount Behistun (said to have had the meaning of ‘place where the gods dwell’ in antiquity). This inscription was written in three...

A Hellenistic Eden: One Ancient King’s Attempt to Create the Perfect City on Earth

24 October, 2016 - 03:54 Carly Silver

A Hellenistic Eden: One Ancient King’s Attempt to Create the Perfect City on Earth

Sixteen hundred years before Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia , describing a near-ideal society, a Hellenistic king attempted to create his own real-life paradise. The monarch? Aristonicus, also known as...

Why Did 2,400-Year-Old Stone Idol in Siberia Undergo Racial Realignment to Look Less European?

20 October, 2016 - 14:49 ancient-origins

Why Did 2,400-Year-Old Stone Idol in Siberia Undergo Racial Realignment to Look Less European?

By Tamara Zubchuk / Siberian Times The 2,400-year-old Ust-Taseyevsky idol 'underwent racial realignment early in Middle Ages', losing his European looks. But why this medieval plastic surgery? And...

The White Temple and the Great Ziggurat in the Mesopotamian City of Uruk

17 October, 2016 - 14:43 marinasohma

The White Temple and the Great Ziggurat in the Mesopotamian City of Uruk

The Egyptian pyramids are not the only ancient mystery of the old world; the ziggurat also sustains a substantial position of wonder. The ancient land of Uruk was once located in southern Mesopotamia...

The Powerful Assyrians, Rulers of Empires

9 October, 2016 - 14:49 ancient-origins

The Powerful Assyrians, Rulers of Empires

Much of Assyria's history is closely tied to its southern neighbor, Babylonia. The two Mesopotamian empires spoke similar languages and worshipped most of the same gods. They were often rivals on the...

Tughlaqabad Fort and the Curse of a Sufi Mystic

21 September, 2016 - 21:54 dhwty

Tughlaqabad Fort and the Curse of a Sufi Mystic

Tughlaqabad Fort is a medieval stronghold located in Delhi, India. The fort was built during the 14 th century, and once served as a symbol of the might and power of the Tughlaq Dynasty, a Muslim...

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan

23 August, 2016 - 14:49 dhwty

The Hot Spring Hotel of Honshu is Still Open After 1,300 Years of Operation

The concept of hotels has been in existence since antiquity. The ancient Greeks, for example, are recorded to have developed thermal baths so that travelers could rest and recuperate after a long day...

From left- Mount Tai (Public Domain), Mount Hua (CC BY 2.5), Heng Shan (CC BY-SA 3.0), and Mount Song

18 July, 2016 - 03:49 dhwty

Breathtaking Scenery and Fascinating Traditions Connected to the Five Great Mountains of China

There are numerous mountains in China that are considered to be sacred and the key locations may be divided into several groups. One of these groups is known as ‘Wu Yue’ - roughly translated into...

Ruins from the Kingdom of Tuwana

10 July, 2016 - 03:42 dhwty

The Ancient Kingdom of Tuwana: A Bridge that Aided the Flow of Culture

Tuwana (spelled also as Tyana) is an ancient city that existed since the time of the Hittite Empire. This city is now known as Kemerhisar, and is located in what is today the Niğde Province, Central...

Karaftu Cave

4 July, 2016 - 03:52 dhwty

The Ancient Caves of Karaftu and its Historical Treasures

The Caves of Karaftu are a series of chambers that were carved into the cliff face of a mountain in the Kurdistan Province of Iran. The caves were formed naturally, but were modified by inhabitants...

Incredible Megaliths of India: Menhirs, Temples and Sky Religion

13 June, 2016 - 14:50 Chris Morgan

Incredible Megaliths of India: Menhirs, Temples and Sky Religion – Part II

[Read Part I here] Indian menhirs occur in large alignments, orientated North-South or East West, and spaced at regular intervals, probably following a schema not yet fully understood. Some major...

Incredible Megaliths of India: Star Maps and Headless Goddesses

13 June, 2016 - 03:45 Chris Morgan

Incredible Megaliths of India: Star Maps and Headless Goddesses – Part I

That India has many thousands of megaliths is something that deserves to be more widely known. These monuments include Menhirs (tall standing stones), alignments, avenues, stone circles, cysts,...

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