The City of Apamea

This is the ruin of the Roman ancient city of Apamea. Built before 300 BC, the city grown and flourished to hold half a million people. The central promenade alone (picture) was 2 km long. The armies protecting the city even possessed upto 500 elephants

But located in a geologically unstable area, the city suffered a series of setback and destruction by erthquake. The last big one that eventually destroyed it was in 1152.