It's hard to be an ancient place these days. Over the last 10 or so years we have said goodbye to Palmyra in Syria, the Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan and Nimrud ruins outside of Mosul in Iraq. CNN is celebrating cities that have been lucky enough to survive the centuries in a new roundup of ancient places.
First, the ancient city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia has survived since the 12th century.
"The Khmer took their vast understanding of the known universe and sought to recreate it in miniature," writes Griffin Shea. "The result was Angkor Wat, a sprawling city designed to impress with meticulously arranged moats and towers, and walls covered in astonishingly detailed bas reliefs of Hindu deities."
Istanbul has also survived the tests of time.
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"What's most remarkable is the way the city straddles great periods of history that pile up and fold over themselves more naturally than anywhere else in the world," notes Shea.
Bagan, Myanmar, is a storied destination known for its stunning stupas.
"Myanmar is still finding itself after decades of civil war and international isolation, which makes this 11th-century temple city all the more magical," says Shea.
Get to know more about these ancient places and read on here.
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