ruine

Ruine, or ruin, refers to the remains of a building, structure, or settlement that has been destroyed, abandoned, or decayed. It can refer to the physical components left behind as well as the state of decay that results from time, weather, or human activity. Ruins are encountered in almost every landscape and across eras.

Causes of ruin include natural disasters, fire, war, deliberate demolition, economic decline, or gradual neglect. Some sites are intentionally left to decay to preserve authenticity or for aesthetic reasons. The term spans archaeological sites, architectural fragments, and landscape remnants.

In archaeology and architecture, ruins are studied to understand construction techniques, social organization, and historical urban form. They may be stabilized or conserved to prevent further collapse, or selectively restored to reveal original structures; in other cases, they are left to erode naturally. Documentation and interpretation are essential parts of ruination studies.

Ruin has played an influential role in art and literature, especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the picturesque and sublime ideas valued ruins for their emotional and moral associations. In modern times, ruins attract tourism, photography, and heritage management, while raising questions about conservation ethics and authenticity.

The word ruine exists in several languages as the term for ruin, including French and German; in English, the standard term is ruin, though historical texts sometimes use ruine. Depending on context, ruins may be presented as heritage assets, archaeological sites, or aesthetic landscapes.