Watch 7 ancient ruins come to life before your very eyes

Ever wonder what ancient ruins looked like in their heyday? Thanks to a series of fun GIFs made by NeoMam Studios and Thisisrender for Expedia “recreating” a few iconic monuments including the Parthenon in Greece, the Luxor Temple in Egypt, and the Nohoch Mul Pyramid in Mexico, you can see them come to life before your very eyes.

First up is the Parthenon in Athens’s Acropolis. Perhaps the most recognizable example of Classical Greek architecture, the Doric temple was built as a monument to the goddess Athena and was completed in 432 BC. It’s hard to imagine that the temple boasted painted friezes and other details—until you see it.

The Nohoch Mul Pyramid is located in the ancient Mayan city of Cobá in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Measuring 137 feet tall, it’s considered the tallest Mayan pyramid in the region. It dates back to around 100 AD, when Cobá was first believed to have been settled. Visitors can climb up its 120 steps for a view of the site.

The Temple of Jupiter was built in 150 in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed in 79 AD with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Milecastle 39 was a small fort found on Hadrian’s Wall near Once Brewed, a village in Northumberland, England. Dating back to the 1st century, Hadrian’s Wall functioned as a Roman defensive fortification meant to protect the borders of the Roman Empire.

Luxor Temple, which is located in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, was built between 1600 BC and 1100 BC, but not for a specific god or a king, unlike the other temples in the region. Rather, it was dedicated to the “rejuvenation of kingship.”

The Pyramid of the Sun was established circa 200 BC in the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico.

Here’s a recreation of Temple B, one of four ancient Roman temples found in Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in Rome. The circular temple dates back to 101 BC and was built by consul Quintus Lutatius Catulus as a dedication to the Battle of Vercellae.

Via: Expedia (h/t ArchDaily)