Take A Time-Traveling Virtual Tour Of Athens, Rome Or Ancient Pompei
Travel is slowly opening up in the world, but until it does, anyone can experience a virtual tour of magnificent destinations as they were in the past.
While travel slowly opens up in the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are still nervous about jumping on a plane and heading to foreign lands. Ancient World has come up with the perfect alternative, offering time-traveling virtual tours of Athens, Rome, ancient Pompeii, Jerusalem, and more to see the destinations as they appeared centuries ago. Once travel is normalized again, the virtual tours will also be an ideal partner on a tour in the present day, physical destination.
Take A Time-Traveling Virtual Tour Into The Past
Imagine seeing some of the world’s greatest monuments back when they were still pristine and undamaged by the passing of time. Even better, on one of the virtual tours, you would be the only visitor, not having to battle with crowds of fellow sightseers and people trying to sell you souvenirs.
One example is a time-traveling virtual tour of Pompeii back in 78 AD when it was a thriving city, just a year before the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Instead of stepping around and over crumbling ruins, the tour reveals the travertine tiles of the Forum, framed with white marble columns. Along the way, see a bakery, producing round loaves of bread, or a theater, with toga-clad spectators. Visit the House of the Faun, with its Italian marble floors and walls, a reflecting pool, and Corinthian columns. This is just one example of the virtual tours available.
Walking And Virtual Tour Of Jerusalem
Ancient World was launched last year by the Australian company Lithodomos VR. In 2018, the company gave visitors a unique part real, part virtual museum experience in collaboration with the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem. On a physical walking tour of the Old City, a guide would direct its visitors to stop at key vantage points in the city, including Robinson’s Arch, the Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall, and the Cardo. At that time, visitors would put on their virtual-reality headsets to instantly experience that part of the city as it was 2,000 years ago.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, international travel screeched to a halt. This is when LIthodomos decided to use their technological knowledge to create the Ancient World virtual tours. Currently, the website offers 22 tours, which range in price from $1 to $13.99. The tours can be enjoyed by anyone with a smartphone, computer, or tablet.
Classical World Destinations
Most of the tour destinations are in the classical world surrounding the Mediterranean, including Athens, Rome, Barcelona, and Split. However, other options are available including a Jack the Ripper tour of London, the Roman city of Bath in the UK, and Old Hobart Town in Tasmania.
Virtual travelers can set the time-travel dial to a maximum of 5,000 years, where they can see the mysterious chalk earthwork monument at Stonehenge, prior to the famous Sarsen and bluestones standing today.
Simon Young, the founder of Lithodomos VR, explained that they use archaeological and historical data to ensure that the virtual reconstructions are as accurate as possible. He said, “Site plans, elevation drawings, and artists’ impressions are loaded into a Geographical Information System which is then mapped to the real world. From this, highly detailed 3D models are produced by 3D artists under the watchful eye of the supervising archaeologist. When museums or archaeological parks are involved, local experts provide peer review for any necessary correction and refinement to ensure accuracy.”
Meanwhile, when the world fully resumes travel, people can download the Ancient World tours. Travelers can then take them along with them on their phone, tablet, or a soon-to-be-released virtual reality module. Rather than trying to imagine what ancient Rome, Athens, or Pompeii looked like in the past, they can get a pretty accurate view of what the destination was like back then, while standing at the actual location as it is today.
Find out more about the Ancient World tours on the official website.
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