Ruins No. 4 · Thursday, November 5, 2026

Where they stood

The day's five sites and where they are today.

Forbidden City

1TodayBeijing, China

2EraMing and Qing imperial palace

3It was built from 1406 to 1420 under the Yongle Emperor.

4It was the political center of China for over 500 years, until 1912.

5Puyi, the last emperor, was expelled from the palace in 1924.

1TodayChampasak Province, Laos

2EraKhmer Empire

3This Khmer temple stands at the foot of a mountain once called Lingaparvata.

4It was first dedicated to Shiva and later became a Buddhist site.

5UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

1Todaynear Gori, Georgia

2EraKingdom of Iberia

3This town was carved from a rocky bank of the Kura River.

4Its name means Lord's Fortress.

5Its structures date from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages.

1TodaySacatepequez, Guatemala

2EraSpanish colonial capital

3This city was the seat of Spanish rule in Central America.

4The 1773 Santa Marta earthquakes ruined much of it.

5The capital then moved to a new site, and the old city became Antigua.

1TodayLa Paz Centro, Nicaragua

2EraSpanish colonial

3Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba founded this city in 1524.

4Residents abandoned it in 1610 after earthquakes.

5Its ruins were found in 1967 and listed by UNESCO in 2000.

Five new sites every day at midnight.