Historic ruins

Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction. Natural disaster, war and depopulation are the most common root causes, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging.

There are famous ruins all over the world, from ancient sites in China, the Indus valley and Judea to Zimbabwe in Africa, ancient Greek, Egyptian and Roman sites in the Mediterranean basin, and Incan and Mayan sites in the Americas. Ruins are of great importance to historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, whether they were once individual fortifications, places of worship, houses and utility buildings, or entire villages, towns and cities. Many ruins have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent years, to identify and preserve them as areas of outstanding value to humanity.

  • 3

    Hricovsky Castle (Ruins)

    The ruins of the castle on rock in Sulovskie mountain (it’s a part of the protecte landscape area Strazovske vrchy). It was built in XIII century and had many owners until XVII.

  • 4

    Jasenov Castle (Jasenovsky hrad) (Ruins)

    Jasenov Castle is a ruined Gothic and Renaissance era stone castle above the village of Jasenov in Humenne District, Presov Region, Slovakia. Jasenov Castle (Jasenovsky hrad) (Ruins).

  • 1

    Kacs Castle (Ruins)

    Kacs Castle (Ruins) near village Kacs in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County in northeastern Hungary.

  • 4

    Kaesong Chomsongdae

    The Kaesong Chomsongdae Observatory is located in Songak-dong, Kaesong, North Korea. It was an astronomical observatory during the Koryo periodю

  • 1

    Kamenica Castle (Ruins)

    Kamenica first developed out of the castle of the same name that was built on a nearby hillock in the early 13th century in order to protect a major Polish trading route that had its terminus in Kosice to the south.

  • 3

    Kankiv Castle (Ruins)

    The castle on Chorna Hora (Black Mountain) was built over the ancient settlement of the Stanovo Culture (14th – 12th Century B.C.). When the Magyars, the predecessors to the Hungarian nation, first arrived in the Tisa and Danube River basin in the 9th Century AD they recorded a fort on this spot by the local Slavic chieftain.

  • 10

    Karnak Temple Complex

    The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom.

  • 3

    Kazimir Castle (Ruins)

    Kazimir Castle (Ruins). Ruins of the castle built in the 13th century. Nowadays only one wall exists.

  • 8

    Kerkouane

    Kerkouane is a Punic city in northeastern Tunisia, near Cape Bon. This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.), and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. It had existed for almost 400 years.

  • 10

    Kernave

    Kernave was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site (population 318, 1999). It is located in the Sirvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian state cultural reserve was established in Kernave in 1989. In 2004 Kernave Archaeological Site was included into UNESCO world heritage list.

  • 2

    Khust Castle (Ruins)

    Khust Castle - fortifications that existed in the 11. to 18. century Khust (Transcarpathian region, Ukraine). The castle was built as the Hungarian royal fortress to protect the salt from Solotvyna and to protect the border area. Its construction began in 1090 and was completed by King Bela III. In 1191.

  • 1

    Kismurany Castle (Ruins)

    Castle Ruins in village Nizna Slana is a and municipality in the Roznava District in the Kosice Region of middle-eastern Slovakia. Kismurany Castle was destroyed in 1459.

  • 7

    Konye-Urgench

    Konye-Urgench, also known as Kunya-Urgench, Old Urgench or Urganj, is a municipality of about 30,000 inhabitants in north Turkmenistan, just south from its border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Urgench, which contains the ruins of the capital of Khwarezm, a part of the Achaemenid Empire.

  • 10

    Krupa Castle (Ruins)

    Krupa Castle lies on the road from Chelm to Krasnystaw, built from the early sixteenth century. Until at least the first half of the seventeenth century. The castle consisted of a headquarters and castle grounds.

  • 2

    Lator Castle (Ruins)

    Lator Castle (Ruins). The wall stump of a former castle stands on the Latorvar from the age of the Hungarian conquest.

  • 10

    Letoon

    The Letoon, sometimes Latinized as Letoum, was a sanctuary of Leto near the ancient city Xanthos in Lycia. It was one of the most important religious centres in the region.

  • 2

    Lietava Castle (Ruins)

    The Lietava Castle is an extensive castle ruin in the Sulov Mountains of northern Slovakia, between the villages of Lietava and Lietavska Svinna-Babkov in the Zilina District.

  • 1

    Likava Castle (Ruins)

    The castle is situated in the north-western part of Liptov. The castle was bilt in 1335-1341. Its construction started with the intention to have a guarding point over the passage across the river Vah and the trade route from the Vah Basin to Orava and further to Poland.

  • 1

    Limes Gate, Dalkingen

    The Limes Gate in Dalkingen was built as an impressive memorial to Emperor Caracalla, who defended the Roman Empire successfully in a military campaign against the Barbarians. It was at this point that he crossed the Limes to fend off the warlike Teutons.

  • 1

    Liptovsky Castle (Ruins)

    Liptovsky castle (also called Sielnicky castle or Old Liptov castle) is a ruin of the castle located between the cities Liptovsky Mikulas and Ruzomberok.

  • 3

    Liptovsky Hradok Castle and Mansion

    Liptovsky Hradok Castle and Mansion. Ruins of a Gothic castle with attached Renaissance chateau stands on a small hill in the middle of the plane, from where it originally was divided moat. Located north of the city.

  • 6

    Lonyai Castle (Ruins), Mediesu Aurit

    The Lonyai Castle was built between 1620-1657, by Zsigmond Lonyai, in the purest Renaissance style. Similar castles can be found only in Slovakia.

  • 10

    Lower Agora, Xanthos

    Lower Agora (Roman Period), Ancient City of Xanthos, Kinik Village, Kas, Antalya.

  • 10

    Luxor Temple

    Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was founded in 1400 BCE. Known in the Egyptian language as ipet resyt, or "the southern sanctuary".