Older than almost everything

Ancient wonders

Chosen by our editors: destinations built around a major site of the ancient or medieval world, where the ruin is the reason to go rather than one stop among many.

18 destinations

The Colosseum in Rome at dusk, its arches glowing with warm light under a deep blue evening sky

ItalyThe Colosseum and the Forum, in one walk

A classic Greek salad in a blue-rimmed taverna bowl, topped with a thick slab of feta drizzled with olive oil and oregano over tomatoes, red onion, green pepper and cucumber

GreeceThe Acropolis above a living city

A camel resting on the sand in front of the carved columns and pediment of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) at Petra

JordanA city carved into a rose-red gorge

The stone terraces and ruins of Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu peak rising behind, wisps of cloud drifting across the surrounding Andes

PeruInca stonework, and Machu Picchu beyond it

The main facade of Angkor Wat with its three lotus-bud towers under a bright blue sky, seen along the palm-lined stone causeway with scattered visitors

CambodiaAngkor, at sunrise

A bowl of Egyptian koshari — macaroni, rice and lentils under tomato sauce and a heap of crisp fried onions — set on a wooden board.

EgyptKarnak, and the tombs across the river

The Taj Mahal's white marble dome and minarets under a clear blue sky, with the long reflecting pool and cypress trees in front

IndiaThe Taj Mahal across the Yamuna

Colorful hot-air balloons floating over the golden, rippled rock formations of Cappadocia under a clear blue sky at sunrise

TurkeyChurches and homes cut into the tuff

Visitors photographing the turquoise-tiled mausoleum facades of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

UzbekistanThe Registan, at the centre of the Silk Road

Red sand plain of Wadi Rum stretching toward jagged sandstone mountains under a hazy sky

JordanNabataean inscriptions in an empty desert

A classic Neapolitan margherita with melted mozzarella, tomato sauce and fresh basil leaves on a marble table

ItalyPompeii and Herculaneum, a train ride away

The Torre di Scopello and sea stacks at golden hour on Sicily's north-west coast

ItalyNorman-Arab-Byzantine mosaic, layered

A narrow cobbled lane climbing through Granada's Albaicin quarter between a brick and river-stone wall and whitewashed houses, a cascade of magenta bougainvillea spilling across the gap above.

SpainThe Alhambra, the last of Moorish Spain

The ancient riverside buildings and ghats of Varanasi rising above the wide Ganges, with rowboats moored along the steps

IndiaOne of the oldest continuously lived-in cities

Strings of dried red peppers hanging over a food market stall in Matera, Italy, with crates of dried peppers, nuts and dried fruit spread out below

ItalyCave dwellings occupied for millennia

A festive platter of long-grain rice pilaf cooked with pieces of meat, garnished with cucumber slices and berries, served on a red cloth

UzbekistanA working medieval city, largely intact

Racing yachts massed across Malta's Grand Harbour between the fortified bastion walls of Valletta and the Three Cities

MaltaA fortress city built by knights

The Leaning Tower of Pisa tilting over the Piazza dei Miracoli under a deep blue sky with scattered clouds, visitors crossing the square below

ItalyThe Field of Miracles, leaning tower included

Every destination here qualifies on the basis stated above, and each one is somewhere we have published guides for. Back to the full atlas.