Ancient ruins, like the Parthenon and Luxor Temple, can teach us about the past in a unique way. Through architectural remains, we can gather what building techniques and civilizations were like long ago. Even so, ruins can’t compare to the real deal, and historical reconstructions of these architectural wonders are key to a fuller understanding of the cultures that created them. In these GIFs made for Expedia by NeoMam and Thisisrender, seven architectural wonders are reconstructed into their original form, allowing us to see how the ruins visible today developed from the initial structures in all their glory.
The Parthenon
Athens, Greece / 432 BC
Luxor Temple
Luxor, Egypt / 1380 BC
Nohoch Mul Pyramid (Coba)
Quintana Roo, Mexico / 100 BC-100 AD
Temple of Jupiter
Pompeii, Italy / 200 BC
Milecastle 39 (Part of Hadrian’s Wall)
Northumberland, England / 100 AD
The Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán
Teotihuacan, Mexico / 200 CE
Area Sacra di Largo Argentina—Temple B
Rome, Italy / 101 BC