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  By  Tasmiah Rashid Photography & translation by Citlali Flores  When you think about lost cities, Atlantis might come to mind. While the fantasy is a beautiful one, it remains just that: a fantasy. But what if we told you there was a true lost city right in South America? Finding a Lost City in Colombia The Lost City of Colombia remained a complete mystery until 1972 when a few local grave robbers, Florentino Sepúlveda and his two sons Julio César and Jacobo, stumbled upon it. They said they reached the city after climbing a flight of stairs that consisted of more than 1,000 stone steps. The men were looking to hunt a tropical bird for its feathers when they discovered the ancient ruins. Researchers currently believe Ciudad Perdida was constructed sometime around 700-800 AD. That's over 400 years ago! The History Researchers believe the city was occupied by a people known as the Tairona. According to historians, Ciudad Perdido housed an estimated 2,000 of these individuals. They were potters and farmers who carved terraces for a living from altitudes reaching up to 18,700 ft in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. The Tairona people were happily living in the city until the 16th century when the Spanish invaded. Archeologists have been studying the site for over 30 years now, but it's believed that they have only excavated about 10% of the whole city. The looters who initially discovered the city did their job well, but still left plenty of artifacts and structures for archaeologists to find. These artifacts tell a lot about who the Tairona people were. How Can Independent Travelers Experience Colombia's Rich History? With the word out about this ancient city, it soon became a target for looters. It was closed to the public for