Sigiriya Fortress, Sri Lanka 7.9570° N, 80.7603° E
This ancient rock site was chosen by King Kashyapa for his new capital in 477 CE. The seven-storey palace sits majestically on the rock’s flat top with decorated mural sides. About halfway up the side of the rock, the King had built a gateway in the shape of an enormous lion, giving the place the name translating to Lion Rock. Abandoned after the King’s death, this site is one of the best examples of ancient urban planning, towering 600ft over the surrounding jungle.
Meteora, Greece 39.7217° N, 21.6306° E
Chichén Itzá - Yucatán, México 20.6791° N, 88.5683° W
Bang in the middle of mainland Greece, Meteora is a collection of sandstone peaks that monks settled on from the 11th century onwards. A stellar example of monastic architecture on vertical rock formations, 24 monasteries were built in the 15th century. Meteora is where natural and cultural elements meet in perfect harmony to create a work of art on a monumental scale.
Still considered a sacred city, Chichén Itzá was founded in the 5th century by the Itza, the so-called water sorcerers. Cenotes are the only source of water around the site in this arid region of the Yucatan Peninsula. They are what gave the city its name – chi meaning ‘mouth’ and chen meaning ‘wells’. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichén Itzá one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán.
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