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PrintTake a Trip of Historic Proportions
During school, history class was usually pretty boring. Not because of the subject matter, but because of the setting. Listening to some lackluster professor go on and on about past civilizations inside a classroom is similar to reading a book about roller coasters. It’s just not the same. History, like roller coasters, can be exciting, gripping and even exhilarating.
The trick is you have to physically be at the world’s great historic sites, standing amid the rocks and legends, exactly where kings and emperors stood thousands of years ago. Only then will history’s greatest scenes come to life, educating you and your family while enhancing your vacation experience.
To discover the best historic sites in the world, check out these suggestions. Historical travel done right is so much fun, and you won’t even realize you’re learning!
When in Rome, do as the Romans do…enjoy the city!
According to legend, Rome was built in 753 B.C. by Romulus after he killed his twin brother Remus. Ever since, Rome has seen many rulers come and go, each leaving a distinct footprint not only upon the city, but also upon history itself. This includes Julius Caesar, Octavius Augustus and even the Catholic Church, which commissioned many churches to be built and to be beautifully painted with frescoes by Renaissance artists such as Rafael and Michelangelo.
A mesmerizing array of historical sites illustrates Rome’s epic history. The most impressive monument was opened in A.D. 80, the celebrated Coliseum, and is an immense oval stadium, which regularly held 70,000 spectators cheering for the gladiators!
The Pantheon, one of the best-preserved buildings that dates back to ancient Rome, is now one of the world’s greatest spiritual buildings and the burial sites of many popes. When Michelangelo first saw the Pantheon in the early 1500s, more than 1,350 years after its construction, he proclaimed it was made from “angelic and not human design.” The same could be said of all of Rome.
Walk like an Egyptian.
In the fifth century B.C., the great historian Herodotus wrote, “nowhere are there so many marvelous things” except for in Egypt. Twenty-three centuries later during an invasion in 1798, Napoleon commanded, “Soldiers! From the top of these Pyramids, 40 centuries are looking at us!”
The allure and magic of Egypt have changed little throughout the centuries. The Sphinx, the Nile, the ancient Luxor and the Pyramids of Giza are just glimpses of Egypt’s glorious and historical scope.
Contrary to the popular belief, only the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops), not all three of Giza’s Great Pyramids, is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Wanting to go out in style, the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu ordered the monument built around 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. When built, the Great Pyramid was 481 feet high, and even though the top has lost nearly 30 feet over time, it was still ranked as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries, only to be surpassed in height in the nineteenth century.
“Great” doesn’t even begin to describe this wall!
Like a giant dragon, the Great Wall roams throughout China’s history, stretching approximately 4,163 miles across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus. With a history of more than 2000 years, some sections of the Great Wall are now in ruins; however, it is still impossible not to be awe struck, for this is one of the most appealing attractions in the world due to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
The Great Wall was born in small sections built to protect a few states. The individual sections were connected by the Qin dynasty, which was from 221 B.C. to 206 B.C., and forced peasants and prisoners to construct the wall under military guard. This lasted for centuries during several dynasties, with each dynasty adding to the height, the breadth, the length and the elaborate design. During the Ming dynasty, which was from 1368 to 1644, brick and granite work was enlarged and sophisticated designs were added. The Ming Emperors, after overthrowing the Huns and expelling the Mongol rulers, devoted a great amount of materials and manpower to the wall to make sure the enemy hordes did not return.
One man’s ruins are another man’s treasure.
The strongest image of the great Maya civilization is the great ruins. Between the third and ninth century, Mayans built temples that inspired their people, pyramids that sought the clouds and cities that guarded rain forests and beaches. Of these structures, temple-pyramids were the most striking. Towering over the trees and the surrounding structures, these stepped pyramids were manmade mountains the Mayans climbed to be closer to the gods.
The Yucatan Peninsula enjoys three major Mayan sites: Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Tulum. Chichen Itza is the best known, the best restored and arguably the most impressive Mayan ruin, and its star is the dramatic 75 feet tall pyramid-shaped Temple of Kukulkan, known as El Castillo. Once you bravely summit El Castillo, you’ll be rewarded with great views of the Temple of the Warriors, the Sacred Well and the Platform of the Jaguars and Eagles.
The best history professors are travel agents.
History is all around and travel agents will help you find it. A vacation experience can focus on a historical landmark like the ones above, enlightening all visitors and inspiring minds for centuries or historical sites can be wondrous exclamation points to any trip. If ancient civilizations aren’t your cup of tea, then fast forward and explore Civil War battlegrounds in Pennsylvania, castles in Scotland or architecture in London.
