The Ancient Wonders of the World are but seven. In truth, every country has a building, a monument, a relic of something ancient and historic that could qualify as a ‘wonder’.
Fascinating as these ruins are, every visitor will at some point start to imagine what they were like in their heyday and whether what we see now really represents the worlds they’re from, the people who used them, the lives they lived there. Visit Angkor Wat and it’s almost impossible to imagine how it originally looked encased in gold. Step into the Parthenon’s ruins and without a roof in tact it’s hard to get a real sense of what once went on there.
One thing the ruins do give us is clues. Clues to the lives of the civilizations who built them, to their technologies and approaches, and to the importance they placed on communal and religious edifices, sparing no expense or detail to make them magical. Using these clues, My Voucher Codes has recreated the interiors of some of the world’s most fascinating ruins to show what they originally looked like (as far as the experts can tell).
Domus Aurea Octagonal Court
Rome, Italy
This most opulent reconstruction stands as a mark of the indulgence and hedonism of one of Rome’s most notorious emperors, Nero. The Domus Aurea court was part of the Golden House of Nero, built between 65 and 68 AD as venue to his notoriously wild parties. Under a giant concrete dome, Roman historian Suetonius describes a ‘circular banquet hall, which revolved incessantly day and night, like the heavens.’ Gem encrusted walls, glass mosaics, mother of pearl decorations and stories of ceilings that rained flowers and perfumes onto his guests make it sound like these were parties not to be missed.
Roman Baths
Bath, England
A UNESCO World Heritage site, beautiful Bath in England’s south west was a Roman capital and benefitted from their technical and architectural prowess with some amazing buildings. Among them is a sizeable bathhouse complex that typifies the importance Romans placed on socialising and relaxing as a necessity of everyday life. Built around 70 AD, the baths were supplied with geothermally heated water from the ‘Sacred Spring’ and would originally have been covered with a spectacular 150-foot-high barrel-vaulted roof.
Parthenon
Athens, Greece
One of Greece’s most treasured ruins, the Parthenon was built atop the hill at the Acropolis in the fifth century BC to house a giant golden statue of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. The statue was reportedly 40 foot high and made of carved ivory and gold – a costly 1,140 kilos to be precise. At her feet, a basin of water aided humidity in the dry Greek heat, which helped preserve the ivory. Sat amongst the vast Doric columns, it must have been quite the sight to any visitors and was testament to the power of the Gods.
Great Kiva, Aztec Ruins National Monument
New Mexico, USA
These massive ruins occupy an impressive 27 acres of New Mexico and comprise more than 450 rooms including a fully restored kiva – an underground chamber used by Pueblo Indians for religious rites. Despite their size, the ruins weren’t discovered until 1859 and revealed this huge round kiva where indigenous peoples would gather to socialize, eat and discuss important issues of the time.
Angkor Wat
Siem Reap, Cambodia
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, Angkor Wat was only one of hundreds of temples spread across this part of Cambodia but still took around 30 years to build and even now is the largest religious monument in the world. Originally a Hindu temple to the god Vishnu, it became a Buddhist temple around the end of the 12th century. Once past the elaborate towers and balustrades, inside you’ll find a network of rooms, courtyards, porches and towers connected by a tangle of stairways.
Basilica of Maxentius
Rome, Italy
Although Italy isn’t short of an impressive ancient building or two, the Forum Romanum always stood out as the greatest of all the Roman basilicas. Occupying nearly 70,000 square feet it functioned as a commercial and administrative building as well as a popular meeting spot for local Romans. Its grand design reflects its prime position and the important role it played in public and political life and the Romans certainly weren’t shy when it came to the ostentatious. Inside it was all spectacular Corinthian columns, colorful marble floors and gilded bronze tiled walls, most of which has been lost to the ravages of time leaving only the shell to show off its former glories.
Lower Terrace, Masada
Masada, Israel
Casting its views from an isolated rocky cliff across the Dead Sea, the fortress at Masada was the spectacular home to Herod the Great. If governor of Galilee Josephus Flavius is to be believed, King Herod built his elegant residence over six years from 37 to 31 BC, and included three luxurious terraces to take in the views properly. This, the lower terrace, was specifically built for fun – entertaining guests and relaxing amid the porticos, frescos and geometric decorations. There’s even a small private bathhouse for those essential sunset soaks.
