The document provides brief summaries of the ruins and historical sites from various ancient civilizations around the world, including: 1) Carthage in North Africa, founded by the Phoenicians and once the center of a powerful empire; 2) The ancient city of Samaria in Israel, made the capital of the northern kingdom by King Omri in the 9th century BC; 3) Machu Picchu, the Inca city in Peru situated high in the Andes mountains and rediscovered in 1911. 4) Luxor temple complex in Egypt, known for its massive columns and statues on the banks of the Nile.

1. Compiled by
Pearl Domingo

2. 
Founded by the Phoenicians in the 800s BC, Carthage became the
center of an empire that controlled most of the North African coast,
parts of what is now Spain, and several important Mediterranean
islands. Ruins of the ancient city lie near Tunis, Tunisia.

3. 
The city of Samaria, an ancient biblical settlement, was made the
capital of the northern kingdom of Israel by King Omri, who reigned
from 876 to 869 BC. Among the antiquities that still exist on the ruined
site of the old city are parts of a colonnade from the age of Herod
and remains of a temple to Augustus.

4. 
Situated on a ridge in the Andres mountains of Peru, the ruins of the
Inca city of Machu Picchu command a spectacular view of the
surrounding valleys and peaks. Machu Picchu lay abandoned for
more than three centuries until American explorer Hiram Bingham
rediscovered the site in 1911.

5. 
Known for its massive columns and statues, the ruins of the temple
complex at Luxor lie on the bank of the Nile.

6. 
The Ruins in Talisay City, Negros Occidental is what remained of the grand
mansion that Don Mariano Lacson built, following the death of his first wife,
Maria Braga. Built in memory of Maria Braga, the mansion became the
residence of Don Mariano and his unmarried children.Today, it is a tourist
attraction for its romantic, yet strong structures. Many interesting tales and
facts lie within the walls and posts that remained of the Ruins.

7. 
In AD 79, the ancient volcano Vesuvius erupted and rained hot ash, stones, and
cinders over the city of Pompeii, located a mile away. About 4 m (13 ft) of ash
covered the city, which remained buried for more than 1500 years.
Archaeologists began excavating Pompeii during the 18th century, finding the
remains of people, ancient buildings, and other artifacts preserved amid the
volcanic debris. Among the structures uncovered was The Forum of Pompeii,
pictured, a group of temples, courts, and palaces that served as the city’s
legislative center.

8. 
The ancient city of Pergamum was an important center of Greek
culture, housing one of the most important libraries of the ancient
world. The Pergamum library is credited with developing especially
high quality parchment, a writing material made from animal skins.
Today Pergamum’s ruins surround the town of Bergama, Turkey.

9. 
Once a prosperous port and resort, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon,
endured some of the worst damage of the Lebanese Civil War (19751990). Rival Christian and Muslim militias turned thousands of vibrant
apartment blocks into gutted ruins.

10. 
The ancient city of Babylon, located east of the Euphrates River near presentday Baghdād, developed in stages and reached its peak of expansion during
the Neo-Babylonian dynasty under Nebuchadnezzar II. The city was the
capital of a kingdom encompassing a large part of southwest Asia and was
the largest city in the known world.

11. 
The ancient Italian port city of Ostia dates from around 640 BC. It was
the terminal for grain shipments from Sicily and Sardinia and was a
naval base for Rome. It was destroyed in the 9th century but was
active again in the Middle Ages. The well-preserved ruins make it an
important historical site.

12. 
The site of the ancient Olympic Games was a sanctuary consisting of
temples and buildings to honor the mythological gods of ancient
Greece. The games, which, according to tradition, began in 776 BC,
opened with a ceremony and sacrifice to the gods. The exedra, or
sitting area, pictured here is among the ruins at Olympia.

13. 
Nalanda, an ancient university located in the state of Bihār, India,
was a famous learning center once thought to exist during the
lifetime of the Buddha in the 5th century BC. Scholars now believe the
learning center came into being in the 5th century AD. At its height
during the 7th century, it was host to 2000 teachers and 10,000
students.

14. 
From 1963 to 1965, Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin excavated
Masada, an ancient Hebrew fortress built on a mountaintop located
southeast of Jerusalem. The Jewish Zealots, who protested Roman
rule over Judea, staged their last stand against the Romans at
Masada from AD 70 to 73.

15. 
Delphi, Greece, was considered by the ancients to be the center of the world.
Private citizens and public officials would come to consult the oracle there,
who was said to speak the words of the god Apollo. The temple brought great
wealth to the town and was repeatedly attacked from as early as 595 BC.
Excavations began in 1892 and many fine buildings were uncovered. Shown
here is the sanctuary of Athena Pronaos, with its remaining three columns
topped with a section of the frieze and cornice.

16. 
Byblos, an ancient settlement near present-day Beirut, Lebanon, is
one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Remains of
civilizations at the settlement date back to 5000 BC. Shown here are
ruins of an ancient temple at Byblos.