Who doesn’t like to travel? Hindi writer Rahul Sankrityayan has also written a book with this title, which is named ‘Athato Nomadic Jigyasa’. When it comes to traveling, we want to travel the whole world in one life, but it is not possible. Yes, but it is definitely possible to walk on foot in those places, which are most popular and which have left their indelible mark in the world for some reason or the other. These man-made landmarks and monuments are very famous because of their location or special architecture and are definitely famous attractions, which would be great to visit with your family. We have brought here a list of famous monuments of the world for you.
10 Famous Monuments of the World – Historical Monuments
- Eiffel Tower, France
- Great Wall of China
- Kremlin, Russia
- Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
- Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
- Sydney Opera House, Australia
- Statue of Liberty, USA
- Statue of Unity, India
- Moai on Easter Island/Chile
- Machu Picchu, Peru
History has given us many popular monuments. Sometimes people lack time to roam here and sometimes there is a shortage of money. But if you are a traveler or are fond of traveling and you have both time and money available, then the monuments listed here can become your new holiday list. (World Famous Monuments)
Eiffel Tower, France
This three-storey metal tower is located in the city center of Paris. It was built for the 1889 World’s Fair (Universal Expo) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The 324 m/1062 ft. high Eiffel Tower was built by Auguste Eiffel and a team of engineers. More than 250 million people have visited the tower since its opening and in 2016 the tower’s top platform welcomed more than 7 million visitors.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It runs in sections for very long distances across China. The wall is also called the ‘Long Wall’ as it is more than 21,196 km / 13,171 miles long. It was built of stone, bricks and tiles, clay as well as wooden materials. The wall was completed in 1644, but it took more than 2,000 years to build. Today the wall is the most popular tourist attraction in China with over 10 million visitors per year. The special thing is that contrary to popular belief, The Great Wall cannot be seen from the Moon. (World Famous Monuments)
Kremlin, Russia
The Grand Kremlin Palace is part of the Kremlin complex and is located next to Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, the capital of Russia. The Kremlin is a fort with enclosed walls and is built on the banks of the Moskva River. The name ‘Kremlin’ means ‘fort within a city’. The more than 500-year-old Kremlin consists of a wall with 20 towers as well as four churches and five palaces within the walls. This is where the Russian President lives. The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly known as St. Basil’s Cathedral, is easily recognized because of its nine brightly colored onion domes.
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Italy’s major tourist attractions. The freestanding bell tower of Pisa Cathedral was built over almost two hundred years and was finished in 1399. The original height of the tower was 60 m/196 ft., but as it is leaning, the lowest part is now less than 56 m/184 ft. The construction already had many problems due to the soil being soft, sandy and unstable. Already during construction, builders tried to balance the leaning side with more columns on the other side, but the tower still tilted. In the year 2000, the tower was strengthened by pouring strong soil under the tower. You can climb 251 steps to the top of the tower to reach the viewing platform which is quite an amazing experience.
Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Giza near Cairo has been one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The pyramids are made of stone and bricks and stand near Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The Egyptian pyramids were built at a time when there was only manual labor and no machine lifting equipment was available. The pyramids were built to hold the bodies of the Pharaohs who ruled in ancient Egypt. Next to the Giza Pyramids is the Sphinx, the famous monument to the body of a lion with the head of a pharaoh. The Pyramids of Giza are about 4,500 years old and are considered one of the largest structures ever built.
Sydney Opera House, Australia
The Sydney Opera House in Australia’s largest city is famous for its roof design. The opera house was designed by Denmark’s Jrn Utzon and built between 1959 and 1973. Its roof is covered with more than 1 million roof tiles. These were manufactured in Sweden. The Opera House has several performance halls and theater and exhibition space. More than 40 shows are staged here every week. Every year, more than 8 million visitors come to see this Australian landmark.
Statue of Liberty, USA
The Statue of Liberty, as the statue is often referred to, was designed by Frederick Auguste Bartholdi and the massive iron skeleton of the woman was designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel who also designed the Eiffel Tower. . The Statue of Liberty is 92 m / 305 ft. high and is made of an iron structure with copper skins. The statue was built in France in 1884. The monument was then divided into 350 pieces and packed into 214 boxes and shipped to New York. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the American people on the American centenary in 1886. The torch flame is covered with 24k gold and the crown has seven rays for the seven continents. You can climb 154 steps from the pedestal to the head of the statue.
Statue of Unity, India
The Statue of Unity is built in dedication to Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who served as the first Home Minister of independent India. The 182-metre statue is 23 meters taller than the Spring Temple Buddha statue in China and almost twice the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 meters high) in the US. The statue is able to withstand wind velocities, vibrations and earthquakes up to 60 m/s. It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar and was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, the 143rd anniversary of Patel’s birth.
Moai on Easter Island/Chile
There are huge statues on the Moi Polynesian island of Rapa Nui. The island is commonly called Easter Island and is in Chile. Easter Island is more than 2,200 miles from Chile in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The islanders made more than 900 carved stone figures between 1250 and 1500. Most of the stone figures with oversized heads were made with tuff stone and compressed volcanic ash. The heaviest stone figure weighs 82 tons and is 10 meters / 33 feet tall! They are about 4 m/13 fit high. Most of the islanders believe that the giant stone sculptures represent their ancestors. There are over 900 monumental sculptures and 300 ceremonial platforms that are sacred to the Rapa Nui people.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu, which means ‘Old Mountain’ in the local Quechua language, is a famous Peruvian site. It is also known as ‘The Lost City of the Incas’. The ruins of the Lost City are located in the mountains at an altitude of over 2,400 m/8,000 fit above sea level. There are over 200 different buildings and structures in this ruined site. Some believe that Machu Picchu was built as a sacred site. It was built during the 14th century and probably more than 1,000 people lived there. The city is a magical sight and a fine example of Inca engineering, as the city’s structures and buildings were also built without the use of wheels.
If you liked the list of world famous monuments given here, then do not forget to share it with your traveling friends.
