Top 12 MUST SEE Natural Wonders Around the World Travel Video

Exploring ancient places allows our imagination to run wild with ideas about the people and things that came before us. Preserving our history is not only a sign of respect for culture, but it also connects us to a deeper sense of identity as human beings and all that we have accomplished in the past. Learning about world history through archaeological places like this The places in this video are inspiring because they were created by our ancestors and for me they make me feel like I'm a part of something so much bigger than myself. While wandering around these ancient grounds of a lost city in Cambodia, I also want to transport you to a few other ancient places that should be on your bucket list, starting in South America. In the year 1911, an Indiana Jones-like archaeologist named Hiram Bingham climbed to the top of a ridge in the Andes Mountains of Peru and encountered one of the most extraordinary sets of ruins on earth, Machu Picchu. Bingham's adventure to Machu Picchu popularized this place and turned it into what we see today as one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of South America. Historians believe Machu Picchu was built at the height of the Incan empire and the reason behind why Machu Picchu is so well preserved, in spite of being more than 550 years old, is due to the extreme preventative measures the Incas took to avoid its discovery. The Incas left Machu Picchu only a hundred years after they built it in fear that the Spanish invaders would find and destroy it. The Incas considered Machu Picchu a sacred place and that is something you can truly feel when watching the sun set over the mountains. Many of these ancient places remain shrouded in mystery since it can be difficult to determine exactly how and even why they were created in the first place. And there's another location that continues to draw these kind of perplexing questions located all the way in northern Ethiopia. In this remote mountainous region of Ethiopia, 11 medieval churches were each carved from a single block of stone. These monolithic churches were built for King Lalibela whose ambition was to create a new Jerusalem after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy land in the 12th century. Legends say that men worked through the day and angels through the night to get these churches built. They also say that the 11 churches were all built in just 24 years, but archaeologists have said that even with today's technology, this time frame would be hard to accomplish. The most incredible experience you can have in Lalibela is during the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Easter, which in Amharic is called Fesika. Dressed in white shawls, pilgrims flock to the churches at night bearing candles. From the rocks above, you can get a glimpse of the rituals below which illuminate the churches in candlelight. Many of the ancient world's most beautiful ruins were once places of worship, one of the most iconic being the mythical home of the Greek gods, the Parthenon. More than 2,500 years ago, the Acropolis of Athens became the birthplace of democracy. The crown jewel of this ancient citadel is the Parthenon. The temple was dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena and its purpose changed many times over the course of history depending on who was in power, yet experts agree that early on the Parthenon was used as a treasury. The Parthenon is one of the best archaeological sites in the world, yet my favorite part of the Acropolis has to be the Erechtheion. This beautiful temple sits in the shadow of the Parthenon and holds the porch of the maidens, an iconic symbol of Greek architecture. The six female statues were crafted from a single block of marble. It never ceases to amaze me that temples like this have stood the test of time. While the Parthenon may be some of the most amazing ruins we have today, it's definitely no secret there are millions of tourists flooding the Acropolis every year, so if you want a more secluded glimpse into the ancient world, look no further than Tikal. Deep in the rainforests of northern Guatemala lies ruins of what was once the beating heart of the Mayan empire, Tikal. Although we can't know the exact population size, this Mayan city was once home to 100,000 people. This archaeological wonder was the capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient empire. There's evidence of everything from schools to a sports stadium. The civilization here thrived for over a thousand years before its mysterious demise. The city was most likely abandoned due to drought and deforestation, however, these are still only theories. It just started absolutely pouring rain in the middle of filming this video, but nonetheless one of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the fact that so many ancient civilizations were able to build things that truly lasted the test of time, and one of my absolute favorite examples of this can be found deep in the desert in Jordan. The city of Petra has been called the Rose City because of the unique colors of the stones from which the architecture was carved. The geographical location of Petra, between Jerusalem and the Red Sea, made this a buzzing trading post in the ancient world. The city was built by an indigenous Bedouin tribe called the Nabateans, the most famous of their work being the treasury. When Petra was largely abandoned at the end of the 8th century, the remains were used for shelter by nomadic shepherds for several centuries, and even until this day. Ah, the treasury. It really is one great big beautiful wall, and speaking of walls, there's a pretty great one in China. I'm sorry. The Great Wall of China stretches like the back of a dragon over 13,000 miles of desert, plateaus, and mountains in northern China. The longest man-made structure in the world took around 2,500 years and hundreds of thousands of workers to build. Although the Great Wall of China never effectively prevented outside invasion, it became a symbol of China's strength, especially along the lucrative Silk Road trade routes. Over time, many sections of the wall have fallen into disrepair, but the well-preserved sections still attract 10 million visitors a year. While the myth that you can see the Great Wall from space may not be true, the mythology of this next base is truly terrifying. I gotta get better at these. Gladiator battles to the death were the popular form of entertainment at the next place on our list, the Colosseum. During the height of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum was constructed to hold 50,000 spectators under a giant retractable awning to shield them from the sun. The entertainment in the venue ranged from hand-to-hand combat, battle between men and animals, and even naval battle recreations. Today, the Colosseum is most symbolic reminder of the sheer ingenuity and brutality of the once-powerful Roman Empire. While no one disagrees that the Colosseum was once home to the gladiators of the Roman Empire, the same cannot be said about the conviction of the true purpose of the next place on our list, Stonehenge. Sorry guys, the scientific research is in, and as it turns out, Stonehenge was not used as a UFO landing site. Although archaeologists have been puzzled for centuries over the true purpose of this bizarre collection of roughly 100 upright stones in southern England, there is strong evidence to suggest that Stonehenge was used as a burial site, at least for a long part of its history. However, one of the most interesting aspects of Stonehenge is in fact its astrological significance. The designs of the megalithic stones correspond with solstices, equinoxes, and eclipses. Could this be just a coincidence or evidence of ancient astronomy? One thing that all of these ancient places have in common is that they are feats of humanity. Even modern technology would struggle to construct these archaeological sites with the same amount of precision as they have in ancient times, and there is no greater testimony to this than the Pyramids of Giza. The Pyramids of Giza are some of the most magnificent structures that have ever been created. The oldest and largest of the three pyramids, the Great Pyramid, was constructed out of millions of blocks of stone weighing more than two tons each. Inside each pyramid was a pharaoh's sarcophagus chamber, which was once filled with treasure meant to be enjoyed in the afterlife. The mummies as well as the treasure from deep inside the pyramids have been looted many times by tomb robbers throughout the centuries, but nonetheless, travelers from around the world have continued to be drawn to Cairo just to catch a glimpse of the Pyramids of Giza and imagine the allure of ancient Egypt. Last but not least, we have arrived here, Angkor Wat, the lost city of Cambodia. This is the largest religious complex ever built, and research suggests that this empire was once the size of the entire city of London. In the Khmer language, Angkor Wat translates to Temple City or City of Temples, which is fitting considering the ruins stretch across 400 acres in the heart of Cambodia. The temples were originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, but were later converted to Buddhism. Angkor Wat has endured the rise and fall of an empire and the rich history that can be seen today in spite of falling into a state of disrepair as nature's powerful grip has begun to reclaim the land. During this adventure in Cambodia, I'm making a full video on the mysteries of Angkor Wat, so make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it. If you've ever wanted to feel like Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, or Nathan Drake, you should definitely be adding a few of these ancient places to your bucket list. Thank you so much for watching this video. Don't forget to subscribe and let me know in the comments what places that I missed on this list. Also, if you want to sign up for my weekly newsletter, I send out everything from travel hacks, bucket list destinations, life updates, and more. You can sign up at lexielimitless.com slash newsletter or the description below. And again, until next time, let's push our limits.