🇳🇬 Nigeria · Fortress
Gobir Citadel of Gidan Sabon Birni
Sokoto period (19th c. CE; Gobir resistance) · Hausa (Gobir)
Late Gobir fortified birni (4.2 km) after 1808 fall of Al Kalawa.
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CategoriesAncient cities
Capitals, ports and metropolises that rose, fell and were found again.
🇵🇰 Pakistan · Ancient city
Harappan (3300–1300 BCE; mature 2600–1900) · Indus Valley
Type-site of Harappan civilization, walled city on Ravi with citadel, granaries, bead workshops and early example of town planning succeeding pre-Harappan Ravi phase.
🇳🇬 Nigeria · Fortress
Sokoto period (19th c. CE; Gobir resistance) · Hausa (Gobir)
Late Gobir fortified birni (4.2 km) after 1808 fall of Al Kalawa.
🇱🇧 Lebanon · Ancient city
Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) · Phoenician
Tyre — Al-Mina Phoenician Port in South Governorate, Phoenician coast, Lebanon is a Phoenician to Roman (2750 BCE–300 CE) ancient city attributed to Phoenician culture.
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Late Intermediate 1100–1470 CE Chachapoya · Chachapoyas
Remote fortified town on Achil ridge between Utcubamba and Huabayacu tributaries of Marañón: 60 circular houses, watchtower 8 m diameter on ridge apex, and 150 m defensive wall with parapet.
🇩🇿 Algeria · Fortress
Roman (1st–7th c CE) · Roman (Mauretania Caesariensis)
Cheliff valley fortified village with Donatist basilica, inscription of martyrdom 304 CE, and earthquake-prone castellum walls.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) · Egyptian New Kingdom
Sesebi — Akhenaten's Nubian City in Northern State, Sudan is a New Kingdom (1390–1070 BCE) ancient-city attributed to Egyptian New Kingdom.
🇮🇳 India · Hydraulic works
Chola Early historic to Medieval (100 – 1030 CE) · Tamil Chola hydraulic statecraft
South Vennar regulator of 2nd-c Chola anicut with Rajendra I inscriptions 1012 CE.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Classical to Hellenistic (5th–3rd BCE harbour) · Classical Greek / Halieian
Verified – Halieis Porto Cheli Classical harbour 5 m down, Tiryns Mycenaean port successor. American School Halieis 1965 Jameson excavated submerged town walls, mole 150 m at 4–6 m due to Argolic…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Late Postclassic (Mayapan) · Maya (Yucatán)
Mayapan — walled last Maya capital 1220–1440.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) · Seleucid Stratonikeia
Stratonikeia — Lagina Sanctuary Road in Muğla Province, Turkey is a Hellenistic–Roman (300 BCE–200 CE) ancient-city attributed to Seleucid Stratonikeia.
🇬🇷 Greece · Ancient city
Archaic to Roman (598 BCE–853 CE) · Syracusan Greek
Kamarina — Sicilian Colony in Sicily, Greece is a Archaic to Roman (598 BCE–853 CE) ancient-city attributed to Syracusan Greek.
🇮🇷 Iran · Ancient city
Achaemenid · Persian Achaemenid
Ceremonial capital of Achaemenid Empire (515–330 BCE) with Apadana, Throne Hall, Treasury on terrace with relief of tribute bearers. Burned by Alexander 330 BCE, preserved by burial.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Maya Classic and Chontal Postclassic · Maya (Chontal Acalan)
Chontal capital pyramid 25 m, Cuauhtémoc execution 1525.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Vijayanagara Empire 1336–1565 CE (Sangama to Tuluva) · Vijayanagara Hindu (Telugu-Kannada)
Ruined imperial capital of Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1565 CE) sprawling 25 km² on Tungabhadra River among boulder hills.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Predynastic to Early Dynastic (4000–2686 BCE) · Naqada culture (Egyptian Predynastic)
Predynastic town south of Naqada with copper-axe cemetery.
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Early Bronze III to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE) · Eblaite / Amorite Mariote
Bi'a excavated by Einwag & Otto 1981–, 2400 BCE Early Dynastic palace with Tuttul/Dagan texts, later Amorite palace of Yasmah-Adad.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Archaic to Classical (733 BCE – 354 BCE Philip sack) · Eretrian Greek / Methonean
Verified – Methone Thermaic Gulf earliest Greek alphabetic harbour (Methone Pieria Eretrian colony 733 BCE) with archaic harbour mole 200 m at 2–3 m due to Thermaic silt?
🇯🇴 Jordan · Ancient city
Chalcolithic (4500–3900 BCE) · Ghassulian
Teleilat Ghassul — Jordan Valley in Balqa Governorate, Jordan Valley, Jordan is a Chalcolithic (4500–3900 BCE) ancient city attributed to Ghassulian culture.
🇸🇾 Syria · Tell
Middle Bronze to Iron Age (c.2000–500 BCE; floruit LBA-Iron) · Canaanite / Ugaritic periphery → Phoenician → Neo-Assyrian
Coastal capital of Siyannu kingdom (2000–500 BCE) between Ugarit and Amurru at Jableh.
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Sicán to Inca (1000–1532 CE) · Sicán / Chimú / Inca
Túcume — 26 Pyramids in Lambayeque Region, Peru is a Sicán to Inca (1000–1532 CE) pyramid attributed to Sicán / Chimú / Inca.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Nabataean to Byzantine (300 BCE–636 CE) · Nabataean (Elusa/Elusates)
Halutza — Elusa Western Quarter in Southern District, Israel is a Nabataean to Byzantine (300 BCE–636 CE) ancient-city attributed to Nabataean (Elusa/Elusates).
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Hellenistic (125–80 BCE) over Iron Persian tell · Phoenician Hellenistic (Sidonian merchants)
Hula tell excavated by Weinberg & Berlin 1968–86, 125 BCE stuccoed luxury house with Doric stucco columns.
🇮🇱 Israel · Tell
Bronze to Iron Age (4500–733 BCE) · Canaanite/Israelite
Tel Dan — Laish / Leslie in Northern District, Upper Galilee, Israel is a Bronze to Iron Age (4500–733 BCE) tell attributed to Canaanite/Israelite culture.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient city
New Kingdom Egyptian fortress (1550–1070 BCE) granite quarry → Napatan · Egyptian New Kingdom colonial
Tombos excavated by Smith & Buzon, Egyptian garrison with Nubian burials mixing.