Holiday Ayo - Ancient cities have spread throughout the world and arouse the fascination of tourists and historians. Some of them are famous for their charming ancient buildings and are part of the World Heritage Site.

The following are several cities in the world that are known as home to a number of historical sites that still survive today. Check out five cities that are rich in ancient historical heritage below!

1. Ellora, India 

source: SAILANA PLACE

Carved out of the mountains in Maharashtra, Ellora consists of over a hundred rock caves, with thirty-four of them visible to the public. Historians estimate that this cave art dates back to around 600-1000 AD.

The art and architecture itself consists of a mix of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and monasteries. These different religions have caves close to each other which shows harmony between cultures. In addition to spiritual and labor pilgrimages, historians also believe that the Ellora caves represented an important commercial center where trade regularly occurred.

2. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

source: Indonesia Traveler

Angkor Wat was once dubbed a religious "mega-city" in the twelfth century by the Khmer Empire. Angkor Wat itself has an area of around 500 hectares in the Angkor Archaeological Park.

These temples and towers reflect life from the 9th to 12th centuries. UNESCO declared Angkor Wat a World Heritage Site in 1992 and now this area is widely visited as a tourism area.

3. Rome, Italy

source: TimeOut

Founded in 783 BC, Rome grew into a large empire and its culture was deeply embedded in its life. The eternal cultural significance is reflected in the ancient architecture of the city of Rome which is mixed between the new and the cosmopolitan.

The Colosseum is perhaps the most recognized historical monument in Rome built around 2,000 years ago, where gladiators fought to the death for the Emperor's pleasure. In addition, Rome was a market and meeting center where the daily business of Roman life took place and remains a popular tourist and archaeological site to this day.

4. Beijing, China

source: Kayak

Like Rome, Beijing boasts the status of capital of the People's Republic of China and hosts a large population of twenty-one million residents. Beijing was founded in 1045 BC and is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace.

The first section of the Great Wall of China was built in the seventh century BC. Other World Heritage Sites in Beijing are the Zhoukoudian Site Museum, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Chengde Mountain Resort, Peking Man, Ming and Qing Dynasty Imperial Tombs, Mukden Palace, and Chengde.

5. Machu Picchu, Peru

source: National Geographic Indonesia

Machu Picchu is believed to have been built around 1450 CE, but was abandoned in 1572 to protect it from Spanish invasion. This place became so hidden that it was discovered in 1911.

Archaeologists and historians investigated this place solely based on the artifacts they found at the site. Despite everything we don't understand about this ancient city, Machu Picchu remains a fascination for tourists and historians.

The cities above have been built for a long time, but there are still many historical sites and they still stand strong. Apart from that, its cultural and historical life is still felt today.