Lost city

For other uses, seeLost city (disambiguation).

Alost cityis anurbansettlementthat fell into terminal decline and became extensively or completely uninhabited, with the consequence that the site's former significance was no longer known to the wider world. The locations of many lost cities have been forgotten, but some have been rediscovered and studied extensively by scientists. Recently abandoned cities or cities whose location was never in question might be referred to asruinsorghost towns.Smaller settlements may be referred to asabandoned villages.The search for such lost cities by Europeanexplorersand adventurers in Africa, the Americas, and Southeast Asia from the 15th century onward eventually led to the development ofarchaeology.

Hiram Binghamrediscovered the ruins ofMachu Picchuin 1911, preceded byAgustín Lizárragain 1902

Ruins ofCiudad Perdida,a city built by theTayronain theSierra Nevada de Santa Marta,Colombia

Lostcitiesgenerally fall into two broad categories: those where all knowledge of the city's existence was forgotten before it was rediscovered, and those whose memory was preserved in myth, legend, or historical records but whose location was lost or at least no longer widely recognized.

How cities are lost

Cities may become lost for a variety of reasons including natural disasters, economic or social upheaval, or war.

TheIncancapital city ofVilcabambawas destroyed and depopulated during theSpanishconquest of Peruin1572.The Spanish did not rebuild the city, and the location went unrecorded and was forgotten until it was rediscovered through a detailed examination of period letters and documents.

Troywas a city located in northwestAnatoliain what is now Turkey. It is best known for being the focus of theTrojan Wardescribed in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in theIliad,one of the two epic poems attributed toHomer.Repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, the city slowly declined and was abandoned in theByzantineera. Buried by time, the city was consigned to the realm of legend until the location was first excavated in the 1860s.

Other settlements are lost with few or no clues to their abandonment. For example,Malden Island,in thecentral Pacific,was deserted when first visited byEuropeansin 1825, but the remains of temples and other structures on the island indicate that a population ofPolynesianshad lived there for perhaps several generations in the past. Typically this lack of information is due to a lack of surviving written ororal historiesand a lack of archaeological data as in the case of the remote and fairly unknown Malden Island.

Rediscovery

With the development of archaeology and the application of modern techniques, many previously lost cities have been rediscovered.

Machu Picchuis a pre-Columbian Inca site situated on a mountain ridge above theUrubamba Valleyin Peru. Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World. Machu Picchu was built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned just over 100 years later, in 1572, as a belated result of theSpanish Conquest.It is possible that most of its inhabitants died fromsmallpoxintroduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area. In 1911, Melchor Arteaga led the explorerHiram Binghamto Machu Picchu, which had been largely forgotten by everybody except the small number of people living in the immediate valley.Nevertheless, Peruvian explorer and farmerAgustín Lizárragapredated this discovery by 9 years, having found the Inca site on July 14, 1902. He left a charcoal inscription bearing the words "A. Lizárraga 1902".

Helikewas an ancient Greek city that sank at night in the winter of 373 BCE. The city was located inAchaea,NorthernPeloponnesos,two kilometres (12 stadia) from theCorinthian Gulf.The city was thought to be legend until 2001, when it was rediscovered in the Helike Delta. In 1988, the Greek archaeologist Dora Katsonopoulou launched the Helike Project to locate the site of the lost city. In 1994, in collaboration with theUniversity of Patras,amagnetometersurvey was carried out in the midplain of the delta, which revealed the outlines of a buried building. In 1995, this target was excavated (now known as the Klonis site), and a large Roman building with standing walls was brought to light.

Lost cities by continent

Africa

Rediscovered

Egypt

• Akhetaten– capital during the reign of 18th DynastypharaohAkhenaten.Later abandoned, almost totally destroyed. Modern dayAmarna.
• Avaris– capital city of theHyksosin theNile Delta.
• Canopus– located on the now-dry Canopic branch of theNile,east ofAlexandria.
• Memphis– administrative capital of ancient Egypt. Little remains. Now a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
• Pi-Ramesses– imperial city of Rameses the Great, now thought to exist beneath Qantir
• Tanis– capital during the 21st and 22nd Dynasties, in the Delta region.

Maghreb

• Carthage– initially aPhoeniciancity inTunisia,destroyed and then rebuilt by Rome. Later served as the capital of theVandal Kingdomof North Africa, before being destroyed by the Arabs after its capture in 697 CE. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Dougga,Tunisia– Roman city located in present-day Tunisia. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Leptis Magna–Romancity located in present-dayLibya.It was the birthplace of EmperorSeptimius Severus,who lavished an extensive public works program on the city, including diverting the course of a nearby river. The river later returned to its original course, burying much of the city in silt and sand. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Timgad,Algeria– Roman city founded by the emperor Trajan around 100 CE, covered by sand in the 7th century. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Aoudaghost,Mauritania– wealthyBerbercity inmedieval Ghana.

Horn of Africa

• Adulis,Eritrea– a port city of the Aksumite kingdom built between 500 and 300 BC.
• Qohaito,Eritrea– 1000 BC city of theKingdom of Axum.
• Metera,Eritrea– 800 BC lost town.
• Keskese,Eritrea– 700 BC lost city.
• Hubat,Ethiopia– capital ofHarla Kingdom

Subsaharan Africa

• Great Zimbabwe– built between the 11th and the 14th century, this city is the namesake of modern-dayZimbabwe.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Niani,Guinea– lost capital of theMali Empire

Uncertain or disputed

• Lost City of the Kalahari– possibly invented

Undiscovered

• Itjtawy,Egypt– capital during the 12th Dynasty. Exact location still unknown, but it is believed to lie near the modern town ofel-Lisht.
• Thinis,Egypt– undiscovered city and centre of theThinite Confederacy,the leader of which,Menes,unitedUpper and Lower Egyptand was the firstpharaoh.
• Kubar,Ethiopia– a lost major city of theKingdom of Aksum
• Dakkar,Ethiopia– capital of theAdal Sultanate

Asia

Central Asia

Rediscovered

• Ai-Khanoum– site of aHellenisticcity inAfghanistan,probably a military and economic center.
• Karakorum– capital of theMongol EmpireunderGenghis Khan.
• Khara-Khoto–Western Xiacentre of trade located inInner Mongolia,mentioned inThe Travels of Marco Poloas Etzina.
• Loulan– located in the Taklamakan Desert, on the ancient Silk Road route.
• Mangazeya,Siberia– a trade colony and eventual city, from the 17th century.
• Niya– located in theTaklamakan Desert,on the ancientSilk Roadroute.
• Old Urgench– capital ofKhwarezm.Now aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
• Otrar– city located along the Silk Road, important in the history ofCentral Asia.
• Poykent– also known as Paykend, a city in modernUzbekistanlocated on theOasis of Bukhara.
• Subashi– located in theTaklamakan Desert,on the ancientSilk Roadroute.

Undiscovered

• Abaskun– medievalCaspian Seatrading port
• Alexandria in Margiana– historical region centered on theoasisof Merv, and a minorsatrapywithin theAchaemenid Empire

East Asia

Rediscovered

• Shimao site– Large stone settlements inNeolithic China.
• Yinxu– The capitals ofShang dynasty.
• Xanadu– Important cities of the Yuan dynasty, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Undiscovered

• Wanggeom-seong,historic capital ofGojoseon

Uncertain or disputed

• Yamatai,Japan

South Asia

India

Rediscovered

• Dholavira– located in Gujarat. City of theIndus Valley civilization.
• Dvārakā– ancient city ofKrishna,hero of theMahabharata.Now largely excavated. Off the coast of the Indian state of Gujarat.
• Kalibangan– located inRajasthan,India – early city of the Indus Valley Civilization.
• Lothal– located inGujarat,India– early city of the Indus Valley Civilization.
• Pattadakal– located inKarnataka,India. Now a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
• Puhar, Mayiladuthurai– located inTamil Nadu,India.
• Rakhigarhi– located inHaryana,largest Indus Valley Civilization site, dating back to 4600 BCE.
• Surkotada– located in Gujarat, India – early city of the Indus Valley Civilization.
• Vasai– located in India, former capital (1533–1740) of the Northern Provinces of Portuguese India
• Vijayanagara– located inKarnataka,India. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Uncertain or disputed

• Kumari Kandam– a fictional lostcontinentsouth ofIndia.

Undiscovered

• Muziris– located nearCranganore,Kerala,southern India

Nepal

• Lumbini– located inRupandehi district,birthplace ofGautam Buddha.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Sinja Valley– located inJumla district,capital city of medievalKhasa Kingdomand origin ofKhas (Nepali) language.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pakistan

Rediscovered

• Chanhudaro– located in Pakistan's Sindh province, anIndus Valley civilizationcity
• Ganweriwal– located in theCholistan Desertof Punjab, Pakistan – was a large town of the Indus Valley Civilization, not yet excavated.
• Harappa– located inPunjab, Pakistan– early city of the Indus Valley Civilization
• Kot Diji– located in Pakistan's Sindh provinceIndus Valley civilizationcity
• Mehrgarh– located in Pakistan'sBalochistanprovinceIndus Valley civilizationcity
• Mohenjo-daro– located inSindh, Pakistan— early city of theIndus Valley civilization.The city was one of the early urban settlements in the world.
• Seri Bahlol– located inKhyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince — an ancient town, now the site of ruins.
• Sokhta Koh– located near the city ofPasni— another ancient settlement of the Indus Valley.
• Sutkagan Dor– located near theDasht River— was a small settlement in the Indus Valley, now in ruins.
• Takht-i-Bahi– located inKhyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince — an ancientIndo-ParthianBuddhist monastery site.
• Taxila– located in Pakistan's Punjab province.

Undiscovered

• Naga Puram– located in Pakistan's Sindh province, a city of theIndus Valley civilization.The city was on the banks of theGhaghara River.

Sri Lanka

Rediscovered

• Anuradhapura– now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Sigiriya– now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Polonnaruwa– now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Southeast Asia

Rediscovered

Angkorwas rediscovered byHenri Mouhotin 1860.

• Angkor,Cambodia– now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Ayutthaya,Thailand – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mahendraparvata,Cambodia
• Sukhothai,Thailand – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Wilwatikta,Indonesia– capital city ofMajapahit Kingdom,now in Trowulan,Mojokerto,East Java,Indonesia.

Undiscovered

• Gangga Negara,Malaysia

Uncertain or disputed

• Kota Gelanggi,Malaysia
• Ma-i,Philippines– was a sovereign polity that pre-dated the Hispanic establishment of the Philippines and notable for having established trade relations with the Kingdom of Brunei, and with Song and Ming dynasty China. Its existence was recorded both in the Chinese Imperial annals Zhu Fan Zhi ( chư phiên chí ) and History of Song.

Western Asia

Rediscovered

• Ani– medievalArmeniancapital, located on the Turkish side of the Armenia–Turkey border.
• Antioch– ancient Greek city, important stronghold in the time of theCrusades.
• Babylon– Ancient Mesopotamian capital.
• Caesarea
• Çatalhöyük– aNeolithicandChalcolithicsettlement, located near the modern city ofKonya,Turkey.
• Choqa Zanbil
• Ctesiphon– Capital of theParthianandSassanid Empiresin Iran.
• Göbekli Tepe– 12,000 years oldPaleolithicsettlement. It was likely not a city, but rather a temple complex.
• Hattusa– capital of theHittite Empire.Located near the modern village ofBoğazköyin north-central Turkey.
• Karahan Tepe– Paleolithic settlement built by the same culture as Göbekli Tepe.
• Kourion,Cyprus
• Kish– theSumerian king liststates that Kish was the first city to have kings following the deluge.
• Lagash– Sumerian city.
• Mada'in Saleh(and capitolPetra) – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• New Sarai– capital of theGolden Horde
• Nineveh– Second Capital of theNeo-Assyrian Empire.
• Persepolis– Ceremonial Complex built byAchaemenidkings.
• Samaria
• Tmutarakan
• Troy– Bronze Age anatolian city made famous byHomer'sIliad.
• Ur– Sumerian city.

Undiscovered

• Akkad
• Arimathea
• Balanjar– secondKhazarcapital
• Ekallatum
• Khazaran
• Kussara
• Samandar
• Turquoise Mountain (Firozkoh)– summer capital of theGhurid dynastyof Afghanistan, destroyed 1223
• Washukanni– capital of theHurriankingdom ofMitanni

Uncertain or disputed

• Atil– final capital of theKhazar Khagnate,located in the vicinity ofSamosdelka, Russia.
• Iram of the Pillars
• Irisaĝrig– SouthernIraq,near the town ofAfak
• Narbata– Hebrew:נרבתא.Jewish city inThe Great Revolt.
• Old Sarai– capital of theGolden Horde,its status as a separated city fromNew Saraiis still disputed.
• Saqsin

Europe

Austria

• Noreia– the capital of the ancient Celtic kingdom of Noricum. Possibly in southernAustriaorSlovenia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Daorson– the capital of ancient Illyrian community in present-dayBosnia and Herzegovina.

Bulgaria

• Perperikon– the megalith complex had been laid in ruins and re-erected many times in history – from the Bronze Age until Middle Ages.
• Seuthopolis– an ancient Thracian city, discovered and excavated in 1948. It was founded by kingSeuthes IIIaround 325 BC. Its ruins are now located at the bottom of theKoprinka Reservoirnear the city ofKazanlak.

Croatia

• Heracleasomewhere in the Adriatic on the Croatian coast. Exact location unknown.

Denmark

• Høgekøbing
• Ræveleje
• Serridslev
• Sønderside

Finland

• Teljä

France

• Quentovic– In 842, the ancient port ofQuentovicuswas destroyed by a Viking fleet.
• Thérouanne– In 1553, the city was razed, the roads broken up and the fields ploughed and salted by command ofCharles V.

Germany

• Damasia– An ancient hill-top settlement on theLech,of the Licates, a tribe of the CelticVindelici.Commonly identified with either theAuerbergor pre-RomanAugsburg.According to folklore, sunken into theAmmersee.
• Hedeby
• Rungholt–Wadden SeainGermany,sunk during the "Grote Mandrenke",a storm surge in theNorth Seaon January 16, 1362
• Niedam– nearRungholt
• Vineta

Greece

• Akrotiri– on the island ofThera,Greece.
• Chryse Island– in the Aegean, reputed site of an ancient temple still visible on the sea floor.
• Helike– sunk by anearthquakein the 4th century BC and rediscovered in the 1990s.
• Mycenae
• Pavlopetri– underwater off the coast of southern Laconia inPeloponnese,is about 5,000 years old, and is the oldest submerged archaeological town site.

Hungary

• Avar Ring– central stronghold of theAvars,it is believed to have been in the wide plain between theDanubeand theTisza.

Iceland

• Gunnbjörn's skerries- a group of islands between Iceland and Greenland that were briefly settled before being destroyed in a volcanic eruption.

Italy

• Acerrae Vatriae– a town of the Sarranates mentioned byPliny the Elderas having been situated in an unknown location inUmbria.
• Castro– a city inLazio,capital of a Duchy ruled by the Farnese family. It was destroyed by a Papal army in 1649.
• Luni
• Paestum– Greek and Roman city south of Naples; three famous Greek temples.
• Pompeii,Herculaneum,andStabiae– all buried during the eruption ofVesuviusin 79 AD and rediscovered in the 18th century.
• Sybaris,Italy– ancient Greek colonial city of unsurpassed wealth utterly destroyed by its arch-rivalCrotonain 510 BC.
• Tripergole– ancient Roman spa village on the eastern shores of theLucrine Lakein theCampi Flegrei.The village and most of the lake were buried bytephrain 1538 during the volcanic eruption that createdMonte Nuovo.The exact location of the village and its associated hot springs can no longer be identified.

Lithuania

• Apuolė

Netherlands

• Brittenburg– ancient Roman settlement
• Dorestad
• Reimerswaal– flooded in the 16th century.
• Saeftinghe– prosperous city lost to the sea in 1584.

Norway

• Kaupang– In Viksfjord nearLarvik,Norway.Largest trading city around theOslo Fjordduring theVikingage. As sea levels retreated (the shoreline is 7m lower today than in 1000) the city was no longer accessible from the ocean and was abandoned.

Poland

• Biskupin
• Truso
• Jomsborg

Portugal

• Ammaia- Roman villa Abandoned between the 5th and the 9th century AD.
• Conímbriga– early trading post dating to the 9th century BC. Abandoned in the 8th century AD.

Romania

• Sarmisegetuza Regia– the old capital of the Ancient Dacian Kingdom.
• Vicina– a port on theDanube,near theDelta.
• Orașul de Floci– a former trading town on theDanube.

Russia

• Bolghar– importantSilk Roadcity on theVolgariver, razed by theTatar.
• Ilimsk– a small town inSiberia.Flooded by the Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir in the mid-1970s.
• Kitezh– mythical city beneath the waters in centralRussia.
• Mangazeya– a trading colony on thePomors'Northern Sea Route,was abandoned in the 17th century after the Northern Sea Route was banned. Mangazeya was considered lost until it was re-discovered by archaeologists in 1967.
• Peremyshl– town that was founded in 1152.
• Tmutarakan– a trading town ofRus' Khaganate

Serbia

• Stari Ras– one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, abandoned in the 13th century.

Slovakia

• Myšia Hôrka (nearSpišský Štvrtok) – 3500 years old town (rediscovered in the 20th century) and archaeological site.

Spain

• Amaya– either the capital or one of the most important cities of theCantabri.Probably located in what nowadays is called "Amaya Peak" inBurgos,northernSpain.
• Cypsela– drowned Ibero-Greek settlement in the Catalan shore, Spain. Mentioned by Greek, Roman and Medieval chroniclers.
• Reccopolis– one of the capital cities founded in Hispania by theVisigoths.The site was incrementally abandoned in the 10th century.
• Tartessos– a harbor city or an economical complex of small harbors and trade routes set on the mouth of the Guadalquivir river, in modern Andalusia, Spain. Tartessos is believed to be either the seat of an independent kingdom or a community of palatial cities devoted to exporting the mineral resources of the Hispanic mainland to the sea, to meet the Phoenician and Greek traders. Its destruction is still a matter of debate among historians, and one modern tendency tends to believe that Tartessos was never a city, but a culture complex.

Sweden

• Birka
• Ny Varberg
• Uppåkra

United Kingdom

• Calleva Atrebatum,Silchester,England– large Romano-British walled city 10 miles (16 km) south of present-dayReading, Berkshire.Just the walls remain and a street pattern can be discerned from the air.
• Evonium,Scotland– purported coronation site and capital of 40 kings
• Skara Brae,Orkney,Scotland – Neolithic settlement buried under sediment. Uncovered by a winter storm in 1850.

Ukraine

• Árheimar– a capital of theGoths,that was located near theDnieperriver
• Bolokhiv– abandoned in the 13th century.

North America

Canada

Rediscovered

• L'Anse aux Meadows– Viking settlement founded in 1021 AD. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Lost Villages– The Lost Villages are ten communities (Aultsville, Dickinson's Landing, Farran's Point, Maple Grove, Mille Roches, Moulinette, Santa Cruz, Sheek's Island, Wales, Woodlands) in the Canadian province of Ontario, in the former townships of Cornwall and Osnabruck (now South Stormont) near Cornwall, which were permanently submerged by the creation of theSt. Lawrence Seawayin 1958.

Undiscovered

• Hóp- A possible Viking settlement south of Staumsfjord inVinlandalluded to in theSaga of the Greenlanders.

Caribbean

Rediscovered

• Port Royal,Jamaica– Destroyed by the1692 Jamaica earthquake.

Mexico and Central America

Maya cities

Incomplete list – for further information, seeMaya civilization

Rediscovered

• Calakmul– One of two superpowers in the classic Maya period. Now a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
• Chichen Itza– This ancient place of pilgrimage is still the most visited Maya ruin. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Coba
• Copán– In modernHonduras.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Naachtun– Rediscovered in 1922, it remains one of the most remote and least visited Maya sites. Located 44 km (27 miles) south-south-east of Calakmul, and 65 km (40 miles) north of Tikal, it is believed to have had strategic importance to, and been vulnerable to military attacks by, both neighbours. Its ancient name was identified in the mid-1990s asMasuul.
• Palenque– in the Mexican state ofChiapas,known for its beautiful art and architecture. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Tikal– One of two major powers in the classic Maya period. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Tulum– Mayan coastal city.

Olmec cities

Rediscovered

• La Venta– In the present dayMexican stateofTabasco.
• San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán– In the present dayMexican stateofVeracruz.

Totonac Cities

Rediscovered

• Teotihuacan– Pre-Aztec Mexico.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Other

Rediscovered

• Izapa– Chief city of theIzapacivilization, whose territory extended from the Gulf Coast across to the Pacific Coast ofChiapas,in present-dayMexico,andGuatemala.
• Guayabo– In Costa Rica. It is believed that the site was inhabited from 1500 BCE to 1400 CE, and had at its peak a population of around 10,000.

United States

Rediscovered

• Ajacán Mission– an attempt by Spain to found a mission in Virginia in the mid-16th century. The entire party of 30 was massacred by Native Americans in February 1571. Only one survivor was left.
• The cities of theAncestral Pueblo(orAnasazi) culture, located in theFour Cornersregion of theSouthwest United States– The best known are located atChaco CanyonandMesa Verde.
• Etzanoa– located inArkansas City, Kansas.City of theWichita culture.It was home to around 20,000 people at its height, and it was inhabited from c. 1450–1700 AD.
• Fort San Juan (Joara)- a Spanish fort build by the Pardo expedition in 1567. Destroyed by Indians one year later. Rediscovered in 2016.
• Bethel Indian Town, New Jersey–Lenapesettlement which disappeared as the Lenape were pushed west.
• Cahokia– Located near present-daySt. Louis, Missouri.At its height Cahokia is believed to have had a population of between 40,000 and 80,000 people, making it amongst the largestPre-Columbiancities of the Americas. It is known chiefly for its huge pyramidal mounds of compacted earth. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Pueblo Grande de Nevadaa complex of villages, located nearOverton, Nevada
• Roanoke Colony
• Sarabay – aMocamasettlement in northeastFlorida,mentioned in both French and Spanish documents dating to the 1560s.

South America

Inca cities

Rediscovered

• Choquequirao– One of the last bastions of Incan resistance against the Spaniards and refuge ofManco Inca Yupanqui.
• Machu Picchu– PossiblyPachacuti's Family Palace. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Vilcabamba– Currently known as Espiritu Pampa, the capital of theNeo-Inca State(1539–1572).
• Vitcos– Currently known as Rosaspata, a residence and ceremonial center of the Neo-Inca State.

Other

Rediscovered

• Cahuachi–Nazca,in present-dayPeru.
• Caral– An important center of theNorte Chico civilization,in present-dayPeru.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Chan Chan–Chimu.Located nearTrujillo,in present-dayPeru.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Kuelap– A massive ruined city, still covered in jungle, that was the capital of theChachapoyas culturein Northern Peru.
• Moche City– Largest city of theMocheculture. Known for its large semi-pyramidal buildings,Huaca del SolandHuaca de la Luna.
• Nueva Cádiz– InVenezuela,one of the first Spanish settlements in the Americas.
• Santa María la Antigua del Darién– First permanentEuropeansettlement in the mainland of the continentalAmericas,in theDariénregion betweenPanamaandColombia.Founded byVasco Núñez de Balboain 1510. Found in 2012.
• Teyuna(Ciudad Perdida) located in present-dayColombia
• Tiahuanaco– pre-Incasite, also known as Tiwanaku. Located in present-dayBolivia.Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Upano Valley Sites– Urban complex in Ecuadorian Amazon, discovered in early 2024.

Status Unknown

• La Ciudad Blanca– alegendarysettlementsaid to be located in theMosquitia regionof theGracias a Dios Departmentin easternHonduras.

Undiscovered and fictional lost cities

Legendary

• Ai– important city in theHebrew Bible
• ArthurianCamelot– the legendary castle ofKing Arthur
• Atlantis– mythical lost continent, mentioned in two ofPlato's works,TimaeusandCritias
• Aztlán– the ancestral homeland in Aztec mythology
• Ciudad de los Cesares(City of the Caesars, also variously known as City of Patagonia, Elelín, Lin Lin, Trapalanda, Trapananda, or Wandering City) – a legendary city inPatagonia,never found
• Dvārakā– An ancient city ofKrishna,submerged in the sea.
• El Dorado– a mythical city ofgoldin the Americas
• Iram of the Pillars– this may refer to a lostArabiancity in theEmpty Quarter,but sources also identify it as a tribe or an area mentioned in theQuran
• Kitezh,Russia– legendary underwater city which supposedly may be seen in good weather
• Lemuria– An ancient, now sunken, land in the Pacific Ocean
• Libertatia,Madagascar– (Also known as Libertalia) was apiratecolony founded in the 17th century by pirate Captain James Misson (occasionally spelled "Mission" ) that is still disputed by historians today.
• Lost City of Z– a city allegedly located in the jungles of theMato Grossoregion ofBrazil,said to have been seen by the British explorerCol. Percy Harrison Fawcettsome time beforeWorld War I
• Lyonesse– a stretch of land fromCornwall,England, into the Celtic Sea
• Otuken– legendary capital city ofGokturksin Turkic mythology
• Paititi– a legendary city and refuge in therainforestswhereBolivia,Brazil,andPerumeet
• TheSeven Cities of Gold
• Shambhala– Mythical kingdom said to be located inTibet
• Sodom and Gomorrah
• Vineta– legendary city somewhere at theBalticcoast of Germany orPoland
• Ys– legendary city on the western coast of France

That some cities are considered legendary does not mean they did not in fact exist. Some that were once considered legendary are now known to have existed, such asTroyandBjarmaland.

Fictional

• Brigadoon– from the musical of the same name
• Charn– fromThe Chronicles of Narnia
• Leng– Antarctic city described inH.P. Lovecraft'sAt the Mountains of Madness
• Númenor– fromThe Lord of the Ringsand other works inTolkien's legendarium
• Opar– from theTarzannovels byEdgar Rice Burroughs(named for his long-time hometown ofOak Park, Illinois); the series features several such lost cities, but Opar is the one which appears most often
• R'lyeh– sunken city referenced in many of the works ofH. P. Lovecraft,where the godlike beingCthulhuis buried
• Sarnath– city described in H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Doom that Came to Sarnath"
• Shangri-La– fictional place fromJames Hilton's 1933 novelLost Horizon
• Loo– capital of the lost African kingdom of Kukuanaland inSir H. Rider Haggard'sKing Solomon's Mines
• Kôr– created bySir H. Rider Haggardfor his Ayesha series of adventure novels
• Zu-Vendis– appearing inSir H. Rider Haggard'sAllan Quatermain
• Kaloon– Central Asian lost city inAyesha: The Return of ShebySir H. Rider Haggard
• Walloo– appears inHeu-Heu; or, The Monster,one of the eighteenAllan Quatermainstories bySir H. Rider Haggard,many of which feature lost worlds, races and cities
• Skull Island– from theKing Kongmovies
• The Nameless City– ancient city in the Arabian desert described inH.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Nameless City"
• Carcosa– created byAmbrose Biercein "An Inhabitant of Carcosa,"and later used byRobert W. Chambersand manyCthulhu Mythoswriters beginning withH.P. Lovecraft
• Valyria– fromGeorge R. R. Martin'sA Song of Ice and Fireuniverse

See also

• Abandoned village
• Ephemerality
• Ghost town
• List of mythological places
• List of lost lands
• Ruins
• Societal collapse