Random Underrated Historical Monuments That Should Be Wonders of the Ancient World (16 items)

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  (#12) Persepolis

  • Iran

  Persepolis was once the capital of the great Achaemenid Empire. The ancient city - located in modern-day Iran - was built around 500 BCE under the instruction of King Darius I. 

  The "Gate of All Nations," aka the "Xerxes Gate," was the ceremonial entryway to the city of Persepolis. Complete with giant winged creatures called lamassu (bulls mixed with men and birds), the self-referential "gate" led to stairs that featured a depiction of subjects coming from all over the empire to visit the King. Once visitors walked up these stairs, they would head into the audience hall, or the apadana. There, they would be wowed by 72 giant columns and the presence of the King, who would receive a really nice gifts.
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  (#5) Colosseum

  • Rome, Italy

  Now known as the Colosseum, this giant amphitheater in Rome began construction under the reign of Emperor Vespasian in the 70s CE. His son Titus finished it up a few years later, celebrating with 100 days of games and fights. The huge arena inside was covered in sand, perhaps dyed red to conceal blood, and played host to gladiatorial combats, sea battles (they flooded the arena for these), and wild animal fights. Also called the Flavian Amphitheater - named for Vespasian and Titus, whose family name was Flavius - it could seat between 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. 
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  (#4) Terracotta Army

  • Xi'an, China

  Qin Shih Huang Di, the first official emperor of a united China, was an extraordinary, yet brutal, ruler. Born Ying Zheng, Emperor Qin took to the throne at age 13 in 246 BCE. He believed in military power, and rapidly expanded China's borders with force. He is also credited for building the first part of what is now known as the Great Wall of China. 

  Through his life, Qin was on a quest for immortality and was obsessed with death. Almost immediately after ascending to the throne, he commissioned his tomb to be built in modern-day Xi'an. He employed 700,000 workers to build a personal army of 6,000 terracotta statues of soldiers and horses, each one with individualized features and insignia of rank. Uncovered in the 1970s, this "terracotta army" would accompany the king in life just as they did in life.
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  (#14) Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom

  The Koguryo dynasty was an important kingdom in ancient Korea that spanned from the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE. One of its more lasting impacts, though, were the stunning tomb murals they left behind that emphasized movement and a fierce warrior spirit. Located in stone tomb chambers, these funerary monuments also had constellation charts - demonstrating the Koguryo kingdom's knowledge of astronomy - and depictions of daily royal life. You can even see an example of a sword dance on these tomb murals.

  These murals are one of the few things that have survived in Korea from this time period. So far, 70 murals have been discovered, but archeologists continue digging for more. 
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  (#3) Angkor Wat

  • Cambodia

  Angkor Wat was the former epicenter of the Khmer kingdom in what is now known as Cambodia. This massive temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world. The temple complex and the surrounding city began construction in the 9th century (not technically 'the Ancient World,' fine) and its main temple was erected in the 12th century. Khmer King Suryavarman II transformed the temple from a monument to the Hindu god Vishnu to a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century.

  The complete complex is absolutely massive. It is about 402 acres, equipped with a 213-foot-tall tower and surrounded by a giant moat. The nearby city was also quite large at its height - nearly a million people lived there. 
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  (#1) Petra

  • Jordan

  This stunning city served as a crossroads between many different trade routes in the late 1st century BCE, but what makes this city truly unforgettable is its amazing architecture. Many of its tombs and other buildings are made with intricate stonework. While some buildings are free standing, many are carved out of the side of mountains and rockfaces. It also has a complex hydraulic engineering system throughout the city. The people that lived here during its early years were known for their skilled craftsmanship of textiles, metals, and pottery. 

  In modern times, the city is most recognized from the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The city still has gorgeous temples, including Al-Khazneh, or "the Treasury." Builders of this ancient city combined diverse cultural influences from the many travelers residing there or passing through. Because of this, Petra features a diversity of buildings, ranging from theaters to dining rooms, cut from the living rock.

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