Ostia Antica, Archaeological park near Tiber River, Rome, Italy.
Ostia Antica is an extensive excavated site with preserved Roman streets, houses, temples, and a theater from imperial times. The ruins lie south of Rome near the Tiber and show the layout of an ancient port city with paved roads and multi-story residential buildings.
The settlement was founded in the 7th century BC as a Roman outpost and later grew into a major port serving Rome. By the 4th century AD, it was gradually abandoned as trade shifted and new harbors became more important.
The mosaics on walls and floors show scenes from daily Roman life, from craftsmen to wealthy merchants. You can see how people worked, celebrated, and interacted with each other back then.
The site is easy to explore on foot and has shaded areas under old trees that are welcome during hot weather. There is an information point at the entrance and you should bring comfortable shoes and water, especially during the summer heat.
After the city was abandoned around the 4th century, sand dunes covered the ruins for centuries and protected them from destruction. This natural preservation has meant that wall paintings and finer architectural details remained intact, rather than being lost to time.
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