Rome is filled with antiquities and you happen across them when you least expect it; rounding the corner of a narrow cobbled street and suddenly coming face to face with a ruin that dates back to centuries B.C. At night, the Forum of Augustus is illuminated and its splendour will stop you in your tracks when you first catch sight of this ancient complex, which was officially inaugurated in 2 B.C.
On the other side of the world, here are the White House ruins; cliff dwellings of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples found in Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly.
Further south, one of my most memorable experiences in Guatemala was watching the sun set over the jungle in Tikal, seeing the tops of ancient temples peeping out above the tree canopy. It is quite overwhelming to see how expertly nature has reclaimed an area that was once a thriving metropolis.
Now it’s over to you for your interpretation of this week’s theme. If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Ancient
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS!
Show me your most decrepit, worn and torn, antediluvian shots!
xxx Ailsa
“Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.” – Ovid
“Knowledge is ancient error reflecting on its youth.” – Francis Picabia
Where's my backpack? 
Wow. The lighting in Rome is quite dramatic.
Of course Mother Nature does a pretty good job herself. Great pix
Thanks phil, walking around Rome at night is like walking through a wonderland. It’s just gorgeous.
Reblogged this on Locating Frankenstein's Brain.
Thanks for the reblog, RJ.
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Your choices are gorgeous, Ailsa, especially the one from Guatemala!
Here’re mine: http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/travel-theme-ancient/
Fabulous post, Ese, what a great series of ancient buildings and monuments. That is a fantastic shot of the Colosseum.
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The amount of Tikal that’s still in that rain forest is immensely intriguing. Is that picture taken from another pyramid or from a natural peak?
Kind of hard to come across truly ancient sites in SE Asia. Here’s Myanmar’s Pyu village of Hanlin.
http://pathsunwritten.com/2014/03/01/travel-theme-ancient/
Beautiful, Ben, I love the one with the stupas off in the distance. That shot of Tikal was taken from the top of Pyramid 4, it’s the tallest temple in the area and you can see for miles across the jungle. It was a pretty amazing night, myself and my guide and the temple guards were the last ones left on top of the temple. Together we watched the sun set and a blood red full moon rise, before trekking back through the jungle in the pitch black. Good times. 🙂
I’ve been studying each photo carefully, Ailsa, beautiful captures! Thank you.
Here’s my ancient contribution: http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/travel-theme-ancient/
Ooh, the Rosetta Stone. I have been fascinated by hieroglyphics for as long as I can remember. Lovely shot, Marion.
It’s much more than just a piece of stone with scrawls on it. 🙂
No kidding, it was the key to deciphering hieroglyphics, wasn’t it?
Yes:
The Rosetta Stone is one of the most important objects in the British Museum as it holds the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs – a script made up of small pictures that was used originally in ancient Egypt for religious texts. Hieroglyphic writing died out in Egypt in the fourth century AD. Over time the knowledge of how to read hieroglyphs was lost, until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 and its subsequent decipherment.
Perhaps this theme will be the impetus I needed to follow up my “Windows” photo challenge post with a broader post on the Mesa Verde ancient ruins of the Anasazi!
Ooh Kat, I followed up my visit to Canyon de Chelly with a trip through Mesa Verde, it’s amazing, isn’t it? I still have to write up that road trip too, so much to write, so little time! 🙂
Hi Ailsa and everybody..
Ailsa you get wonderful shots in Rome, so I present others ruins…
Hope you like it
http://max510.com/2014/02/28/weekly-travel-theme-ancient/
Stunning series of photos, Max. Wow, Petra! It’s just magnificent. xxx
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http://shyraven23.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/travel-theme-ancient/
Beautiful shots of Mesa Verde, Rosemarie – I actually went there after my visit to Canyon de Chelly. Those ancient dwellings are marvellous.
I went with my kids on a road trip almost twenty years ago. We hit Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Bandelier National Monument, and Monument Valley, even spent the night at the Hopi Indian Reservation. A great trip. Thank you, Ailsa and thank you for an enjoyable challenge.
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Hello Ailsa, and everyone. This is my contribution: http://foto2nurul.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/travel-theme-ancient/
Hi Nurul, I love your post, you’ve seen some incredible sights on your travels. That photo of Volubilis is breathtaking, I am now adding that to my ever-increasing list of places to visit. xxx
Dutifully, did my Travel Theme post, then completely forgot to tell you about it!
Anyway, I’m still trying to get through my planned list of blogs based on my trip to Hawaii before Christmas, so my Ancient theme dates back only as far as a pivotal event in World War II: Pearl Harbor…
http://jaspasjourney.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/arizonas-still-bleeding-pearl-harbor/
Beautiful and moving post, Jaspa (love that shot of you inside the memorial) – I have never heard of the tears of the Arizona, I didn’t realize it was still leaking, so sad.
Thanks Ailsa. BTW I forgot to say how much I loved you photo from Tikal… Very Star Wars!
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http://travel-monkey.me/2014/02/28/ailsas-travel-theme-ancient/
Oh boy, I just adore Stonehenge, so mystical – of course, every time I see those stones I am reminded of Spinal Tap and I can’t help but giggle! 🙂
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Hi Ailsa,
I had oral surgery yesterday, so I’m feeling ancient and my jaw is all swollen so I look a little like Marlon Brando in the Godfather….so I thought about posting a selfie on your website, but thought better of it! Other than that, all’s well … well, we’re supposed to get another 8-10 inches of snow on Sunday night, but it’s way better than a drought! It’s all relative! Hope all’s well in your world!
Cheers, John
Sent from my iPad
>
Yikes, that surgery doesn’t sound like fun, neither does all that snow, you’re getting a crazy amount of snow over there. We’ve been catching it the other side of the ocean by the time it’s all melted and turned to rain! Hope you’re feeling better soon. x
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Well since you did Chelly and Tikal – great picture by the way…I had to go a different way…
http://quotidianhudsonriver.com/2014/02/28/2-28-14-travel-challenge-weekly-photo-theme/
This is my entry – http://joanfrankham.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/travel-theme-ancient/
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Ancient Rome from me too http://tvortravels.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/ancient-and-abandoned/
Fabulous choices, Ailsa.
Here’s my selection, Ailsa – http://lynneayersbeyondthebrush.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/its-ancient-history
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Penataran Temple from me http://bambangpriantono.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/travel-theme-ancient-purba-aztecans-can-be-seen-in-an-indonesian-temple/
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Hello Ailsa – I ran with your Canyon de Chelly theme and included pics of ancient cliff drawings from the Canyon: http://beautyalongtheroad.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/in-the-ancestors-footsteps-ancient-and-abandoned/
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Canyon de Chelly was soooo wonderful. Even when it was covered with a film of snow. Thanks for taking me back there.
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I’d love to visit the Mayan temples – maybe, one day! Mine are a little nearer to home: http://smallbluegreenwords.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/ancient/
Jude xx
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Rose hoaxers on the ancient walkways of Grafton Street? 😉
Here’s my bit of fun… http://wp.me/p1rj8z-3Qb
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More stone ancientness: http://wp.me/p16tta-vX
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Love the 3rd shot! Here’s a different take…
http://brokenlightcollective.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/becoming-a-classic/
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Ah, Roma! You know how to spark my interest! I’m from Arizona, so your lovely photo of Canyon de Chelly is familiar to me. Such a beautiful state.
Here’s my entry – http://xuwriter.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/travel-theme-ancient/
Love these challenges! I can’t always participate, but when I do I always enjoy them.
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Wow, lovely shots, and a great theme, Ailsa! I really love the Pueblo shot – and your observation about the jungle reclaiming the ancient civilization… we’re so small in the greater span of things! Here’s my take on ancient… http://theretiringsort.com/2014/03/02/ancient-abandoned-and-repurposed/
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