1. Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Temple is without a doubt one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world. It is located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is named after the Hindu goddess Meenakshi. The temple is crowned with fourteen gopuras - towers up to 50 meters high. Five towers are located inside the temple, the rest are outside. They are covered with many relatively small painted sculptures. These are many-armed Shiva, many-sided goddesses, priests and musicians, mythical animals, men and women - thousands of figures that are not alike. Built before our era, the temple was completely destroyed in 1310 by Muslim conquerors and restored to its original form at the end of the XIV century.
2. Giant Buddha in Leshan
The world's largest stone Buddha statue is located near the Chinese city of Leshan. Next to it, people feel like insects, because the height of the giant Buddha is 71 meters. The monk Hai Tong began to carve the statue in the rocks in order to calm the water spirits of the rivers, which allegedly turned boats over. They finished their work 90 years after his death, in 803.
3. Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque
A magnificent example of Safavid-Iranian architecture rises in the center of the Iranian city of Isfahan. The Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque is unique in that it does not have a courtyard and not a single minaret. It was originally built for women from the Shah's harem and the women entered the prayer hall through a winding underground corridor. The mosque was built over 17 years - from 1602 to 1619.
4. Chand Baori
Chand Baori is a stepped well built in the 10th century in the arid Indian state of Rajasthan. The depth of the unique 13-level structure is 30 meters. Thousands of steps, strict geometry and mathematical precision of the structure are amazing. Not by chance local legends claim that Chand Baori was built by ghosts in one night - everyone who sees it has the right to doubt the man-made work of this architectural art.
5. Palmyra
One of the richest cities of late antiquity (usually limited to the 3rd-6th centuries AD), is located in one of the oases of the Syrian desert, between Damascus and the Euphrates. Unfortunately, a tourist trip to this hot in all respects area, for obvious reasons, will have to be postponed until the best times.
6. Sacsayhuaman
The temple complex in Cuzco (Peru) was built in the 15th century. Less photogenic and less famous than Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman is a feat of engineering. A piece of paper cannot be inserted between stones weighing up to 120 tons. Scientists are still arguing about the purpose of the structure and construction technology.
7. Jenne Great Mosque
It is the largest clay-alluvial building in the world. The mosque is located in the city of Jenne, Mali in the floodplain of the Bani River. The old building of the mosque was built in the XIII-XIV centuries, and the one that you can admire now is practically modern - it was built at the beginning of the XX century. Although it is difficult to talk about the age of this giant "cake": locals constantly renewing it, covering the mosque with a new layer of clay.
8. Hattusa
Not far from Ankara there is a unique place - Hattusa - the capital of the Hittite kingdom. Remains of the magnificent city are the ruins of temples, fortresses and a huge number of scattered megalithic blocks of various sizes with images of Hittite gods.
9. Deravar
A visit to Deravar is not an event for the faint of heart. To get there, you need to get permission from the Emir, hire a guide and rent an SUV, and then drive 4 hours across the desert from Bahawalpur city. But the effort is worth it - this incredible structure: the fort consists of 40 bastions, which majestically rise above the hot sand of the Pakistani desert of Holistan to a height of 30 meters.
10. Old bridge in Mostar
Originally pedestrian bridge across the Neretva River in the Bosnian city of Mostar was built in 1566 by the Ottoman architect Mimar Hayreddin during the Ottoman rule. " Old bridge"Is one of the most valuable architectural monuments Bosnia and Herzegovina. Destroyed during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, the bridge was rebuilt and officially reopened in 2004.
11. Knossos
Knossos - ancient city on the island of Crete, located near modern Heraklion. Incredibly, the oldest city in Europe, built around 1700 BC. BC, the capital of the mysterious Minoan kingdom and one of the greatest architectural finds of the twentieth century, is not very well known to tourists. Of course, only ruins remained of the great structure, but the frescoes created by ancient artists (it's scary to imagine!) Three and a half thousand years ago are amazing!
12. Borobudur
Borobodur is located on the island of Java in Indonesia. The giant temple was built from 2,000,000 stone blocks. Until now, scientists cannot determine the exact date and duration of the construction of the temple - they assume that it was erected in the 7th-9th centuries. Pilgrims ascend to its summit to symbolically pass through three levels of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of form) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).
13. Persepolis
Persepolis, literally "city of the Persians", is today a surviving testimony of one of the greatest civilizations the ancient world... Largely built thanks to Darius I and Xerxes the Great, this architectural wonder in Iran is especially famous for the Gateway of Nations, through which all future emperors had to pass. It is located 50 km north-east of Shiraz, about 900 km south of Tehran.
14. Monument to Midas
During archaeological site in the Turkish city of Yazilikaya, an ancient city was discovered, built in about 600-700. BC NS. The most famous monument in the area is the Midas Monument, so named as it was believed to be the tomb of King Midas. In fact, this is not a grave, but a carved rock with a niche, covered with Phrygian inscriptions that have not yet been deciphered.
15. Underground temples of Lalibela
The complex of churches and tunnels built right inside the rocks is the main attraction of the small Ethiopian city of Lalibelayu. These underground temples were built more than 800 years ago. The roofs of the churches are at ground level and everything else is underground.
There are so many amazing things in the world and for travel lovers, life will never be boring!
All over the world, China is known not only as a world factory, but also as the birthplace of all kinds of clones and fakes. China counterfeits everything from replica phones and watches to aircraft carriers and fighters.
Today, the Chinese have begun to fake cities and world landmarks. Rather, not fake, but copy. Because it's not about theme parks with models of houses, and about areas designed and adapted for life.
Tower Bridge in Suzhou
In 2014, a replica of the Tower Bridge of London was built in Suzhou, which is 45.9 meters wide. It differs from the London one by the presence of four towers instead of two. The height of each of them reaches 40 meters, the top of the towers is decorated with golden crowns. The construction cost was hundreds of millions of yuan.
In China, many call it one of the most terrible structures in the PRC, others write that this building only causes them a feeling of shame. However, there are those who believe that the replica of the bridge is in many ways superior to the original.
Eiffel Tower and Versailles in Hangzhou
In the Tiantushen district on the outskirts of Hangzhou (in eastern China), a copy of the historical part of Paris was created. In the center of the development area is, of course, a replica of the Eiffel Tower.
In addition to the Parisian "beauty", there were built: Arc de Triomphe, Versailles and even a residential quarter, which are an exact copy of European buildings (not counting the size. For example, the Chinese Eiffel Tower is only 108 m high)
Roman Colosseum in Macau
The Chinese resolutely refuse to understand why the Roman Colosseum cannot be located in Macau. The stands of this architectural fake can accommodate 2,000 people. Fortunately, the audience does not come to admire the gladiatorial fights, but only charity concerts.
Moscow Kremlin in Beijing
In 2013, an analogue of the Moscow Kremlin appeared in China. The administration of the Mentougou district has built a business complex, the buildings of which almost completely copy the architecture of the Kremlin temples. The only difference is the absence of crosses on the domes. It is not known for certain who exactly came up with the idea to recreate the main attraction of Moscow in the Beijing district.
Florence to Tianjin
In 2013, a miniature version of Florence appeared on the site of a small town near the port of Tianjin.
Florentine Village is a city-shop, which presents various Italian brands: Gucci, Fendi, Prada, as well as brands from all over the world from the luxury, premium, sports and leisure segments. However, people come there not only for shopping, but also to enjoy the spirit of Italy without leaving China: to have a bite to eat in Italian restaurants, ride a gondola through the canals and admire the architecture of the city.
Hallstatt in Guangdong
In June 2012, the official opening of the Chinese twin of the Austrian Hallstatt took place. The copy was built by Minmetals Corporation, spending 940 million dollars on this project.
The cloned city is located in southern province Guangdong, half an hour drive from Huizhou City. To convey the maximum resemblance to Hallstatt, the architects adopted the characteristic style of the city building, and also erected the main symbol of the city - the church.
Thames Town in Shanghai
"English" city near Shanghai. This is not an exact copy of any specific English city... There is a bit of everything here: cobbled streets, a Gothic cathedral, red telephone booths and even the impromptu Thames. Thames Town was built as a neighborhood for wealthy Chinese who can afford to live in the Middle Kingdom "like in Europe." It didn't work out completely to preserve the authenticity of the English town: London Black Cab Taxi TX4 are made in China.
Zhengzhou Parisian Triumphal Arch
In China, you can find several Parisian triumphal arches... One of them is located in Zhengzhou city, Henan province.
Interlaken in Beijing
To the south of Davan Qiao in Beijing, a village has been created, modeled on the Swiss Alpine town of Interlaken.
Instead of reproducing another castle village from a collection of German fairy tales, architects invited from Germany to build Anting German Town in a suburb of Shanghai decided to be practical and build a modern german city... The area, intended for almost 50 thousand people, is mostly empty.
Titanic in Sichuan
On November 30, 2016 in the Chinese province of Sichuan, the ceremony of laying a copy of the Atlantic liner Titanic took place. The new "Titanic" will not go to the open sea - the ship will become an attraction, the visitors of which will be able to feel themselves in the role of passengers on the 1912 flight.
An exact replica of the "Titanic" with a length of 269 meters is being built in Dain County, Sichuan province, on the territory of the future resort. In the Sichuan province there is no outlet to the sea: a copy of the ship is being built on the banks of the river and there are no plans to launch it. The new "Titanic", in fact, will be a hotel, repeating the look and interior of the ship that sank in 1912.
The construction cost is one billion yuan ($ 145 million). Exactly when it will be completed is unknown. It is expected that by August 2017, the company Wuchang Shipyard, which specializes in the construction of nuclear submarines and warships, will produce all the parts, after which they will assemble a copy of the Titanic.
Now is the place where the copy is being built ocean liner, not built up. With the help of the new attraction, the Sichuan provincial authorities plan to attract tourists to the region.
The Great Wall of China is one of the largest and oldest monuments architecture in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, at one of the sections it runs near Beijing. The construction process of this structure is amazing in its scale. We will tell you about the most interesting facts and events from the history of the Wall.
To begin with, let's go a little deeper into the history of the great structure. It is hard to imagine how much time and human resources it takes to build a structure of this magnitude. It is unlikely that anywhere else in the world there will be a building with such a long, great and at the same time tragic history. The construction of the Great Wall of China began as early as the 3rd century BC during the reign of Emperor Qin Shih Huang of the Qin Dynasty, during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In those days, the state badly needed protection from the raids of enemies, in particular the nomadic Xiongnu people. A fifth of China's population was involved in the work, at that time it was about a million people.
The wall had to be extreme north point the planned expansion of the Chinese, as well as to protect the subjects of the "Celestial Empire" from being drawn into a semi-nomadic lifestyle, and assimilation with the barbarians. It was planned to clearly define the boundaries of the great Chinese civilization, to promote the unification of the empire into a single whole, since China was just beginning to form from many conquered states. Here are the boundaries of the Wall of China on the map:
During the Han dynasty (206 - 220 BC), the structure was expanded westward to Dunhuang. Many watchtowers were built to protect trade caravans from the attacks of warring nomads. Almost all sections of the Great Wall that have come down to our times were built during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, they were built mainly from bricks and blocks, thanks to which the structure became stronger and more reliable. During this time, the Wall ran from east to west from Shanhaiguan on the shores of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost on the border of Gansu and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Qing Dynasty of Manchuria (1644-1911) broke the resistance of the Wall defenders due to the betrayal of Wu Sangui. During this period, the building was treated with great disdain. During the three centuries of Qing rule, the Great Wall was practically destroyed under the influence of time. Only a small section of it, passing near Beijing - Badaling - was kept in order - it was used as a "gateway to the capital." Nowadays, this section of the wall is the most popular among tourists - it was the very first opened to the public in 1957, and also served as the finishing point of the bicycle race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was visited by the President of the United States Nixon In 1899, newspapers in the United States wrote that the wall would be dismantled and a highway would be laid in its place.
In 1984, at the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a rehabilitation program was organizedWall of china, financial assistance from Chinese and foreign companies was attracted. There was also a collection among individuals, everyone could donate any amount.
The total length of the Great Wall of China is 8 thousand 851 kilometers and 800 meters. Just think about this figure, is it really impressive?
Today, a 60-kilometer section of the wall in the Shanxi region of northwestern China is undergoing intense erosion. The main reason for this is the intensive farming practices in the country, when, starting in the 1950s, groundwater gradually dried up and the region became the epicenter of extremely severe sandstorms. More than 40 kilometers of the wall have already been destroyed, and only 10 kilometers are still in place, but the height of the wall has partially decreased from five to two meters.
The Great Wall was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as one of China's greatest historical sites. In addition, it is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists come here every year.
Many myths and legends wander around such a large-scale structure. For example, the fact that this is a solid, continuous wall built in one approach is a real myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of discrete segments built by various dynasties to defend China's northern border.
During construction, the Great Wall of China was nicknamed the longest cemetery on the planet, as a large number of people died at the construction site. According to rough estimates, the construction of the wall cost the lives of more than one million people.
It is logical that such a whopper broke and still holds many records. The most significant of these is the longest structure ever built by man.
The Great Wall was built as many separate elements in different times... Each province built its own wall and gradually they merged into a single whole. In those days, protective structures were simply necessary, and were built everywhere. In total, over 50,000 kilometers of defensive walls have been erected in China over the past 2000 years.
Since the Wall of China was interrupted in some places, it was not difficult for the Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan to raid China, and they subsequently conquered the northern part of the country, between 1211 and 1223. The Mongols ruled China until 1368, when they were expelled by the Ming dynasty, which is described above.
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space. This pervasive myth was born in 1893 in the American magazine The Century and then re-discussed in 1932, in the Robert Ripley Show, who argued that the wall was visible from the moon - even though the first flight into space was still very far away. Nowadays, it has been proven that it is quite difficult to notice a wall from space with the naked eye. Here is a snapshot of NASA from space, see for yourself.
Another legend says that the substance used to hold the stones together was mixed with a powder of human bones, and that those who died at the construction site were buried right in the wall itself to make the structure stronger. But this is not true, the solution was made from ordinary rice flour - and there are no bones or dead in the structure of the wall.
For obvious reasons, this miracle was not included in the 7 ancient wonders of the world, but the Great Wall of China is quite rightly included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world.Another legend has it that a large fire dragon paved the way for the workers, pointing out where to build the wall. The builders subsequently followed his tracks.
Since we are talking about legends, one of the most popular is about a woman named Meng Jing Nu, the wife of a farmer who works on the construction of the Great Wall. When she found out that her husband had died at work, she came to the wall and cried on it until it collapsed, showing the bones of her beloved, and the wife was able to bury them.
There was a whole tradition of burying those who died during the construction of the wall. The family members of the deceased carried a coffin with a cage with a white rooster on it. The rooster's cries, as expected, kept the dead man's spirit from falling asleep until the procession crossed the Great Wall. Otherwise, the spirit will forever wander along the wall.
During the reign of the Ming Dynasty, more than one million soldiers were called upon to defend the country's borders from enemies on the Great Wall. As for the builders, they were attracted from the same defenders in Peaceful time, peasants, simply unemployed and criminals. There was a special punishment for all convicts and the verdict was the same - for the construction of the wall!
Especially for this construction site, the Chinese invented a wheelbarrow and used it throughout the construction of the Great Wall. Some particularly dangerous parts of the Great Wall were surrounded by defensive ditches that were either filled with water or left as ditches. The Chinese used advanced weapons for defense such as axes, hammers, spears, crossbows, halberds, and a Chinese invention: gunpowder.
Observation towers were built along the entire Great Wall at regular intervals and could be up to 40 feet high. They were used to monitor the territory, as well as fortresses and garrisons for troops. They contained supplies of necessary food and water. In case of danger, a signal was given from the tower, torches, special beacons or just flags were lit. The western section of the Great Wall, with a long chain of observation towers, served to protect the caravans that traveled along the Great Silk Road, a famous trade route.
The last battle at the wall took place in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War. There are many traces of bullets from those times in the wall. The most high point The Great Wall of China is located at an altitude of 1534 meters, not far from Beijing, while the most low point located at sea level near Laolongtu. The average height of the wall is 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 8 meters, but in general it ranges from 5 to 7 meters.
The Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride, centuries of struggle, and greatness. The country's government spends a colossal amount of money to preserve this architectural monument, amounting to billions of US dollars a year, hoping to preserve the wall for future generations.
The great Wall of China
- The Great Wall of China, which is a truly incredible object, on which a huge amount of funds, materials, and human lives were spent.
The construction, unprecedented in its dimensions, evokes delight when we can only think about the then state of the art. Unfortunately, it was not included in the list, due to its young age, but it truly inspires in scale no less than the pyramid of Chiops.
Petra city
- The city of Petra - this object was also rightfully included in the new seven wonders of the world, as it represents Big city completely cut down in the mountains.
The skill of the workers is striking even by modern criteria, and if we again remember that this city is several thousand years old, then we can confidently assert that this is true magic.
Sculpture of Christ
- The sculpture of Christ - popular to us on Brazilian television series, highest construction crowning the dais in Rio. The height of the statue is 38 m., The pedistal is 8 m., The weight of the statue is 1145 tons, the arm span is 30 m.
Machu Picchu
- Machu Picchu is an Indian city that has survived to this day and represents a monument to the old Inca civilization. The new seven wonders of the world put it in the same place with the Chinese wall and the Egyptian pyramids, there is something to look at.
Chichen Itza pyramid
- Chichen Itza - these pyramids, which became a monument to the second great civilization - the Maya. The oldest statues, buildings, inventions have been preserved here, in fact, in an impeccable condition, which have survived to this day. Even individual pieces of furniture have been found here.
Roman Coliseum
- The Roman Colosseum is a place where the battles of gladiators took place, soaked in blood and terrible stories, the last breaths of people and animals. The new wonders of the world include the Colosseum, not only because of its beauty, but because of history, deeds in ancient works, narratives and stories.
Taj Mahal
- Taj Mahal - fanned with a romantic halo, the temple, built in memory of one of the most popular love stories in the world, is considered the best example of Mugal style architecture, combining elements of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles of architecture.
Egyptian pyramids
— Egyptian pyramids- they were included in the new eight wonders of the world, since the Egyptians were offended because their miracle was not included in the list of the best. It was decided to respect the request, since the design deserves delight.
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We all know about sights such as the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. But there are other truly grandiose buildings in the world that even the most inveterate travelers have not heard of. But they are also worthy of attention.
Jenna Cathedral Mosque, Mali
The Centennial Jenna Mosque is the largest adobe building in the world. As part of the site of the old city of Jenne, the mosque was included in the list in 1988 World heritage UNESCO. On this moment the mosque is closed to tourists. It is believed that this decision was made in 1996 after shooting a candid photo shoot for Vogue magazine within its walls.
Chand Baori, India
The Chand Baori architectural complex, located in the small Indian village of Abaneri, is one of the oldest and deepest stepped wells in the world. Giant structure, resembling an inverted pyramid, goes underground for more than 30 m, on its three walls in perfect symmetry there are 3,500 steps, along which you can go down to the water - a small muddy green lake. Scientists are still debating whether the well was built between the 9th and 11th centuries or 600 BC.
Palace of Parliament, Romania
One of the most famous architectural monuments in Bucharest was built during the time of the Socialist Republic of Romania. The palace is considered the world's largest civil administration building, largest building parliament, as well as the heaviest administrative building in the world. The dimensions of the palace are 270 by 240 m. The height is 86 m. The underground part of the palace goes 92 m deep. The palace has 1100 rooms and 12 floors.
Old Bridge, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The pedestrian bridge over the Neretva River in Mostar is a modern replica of an ancient bridge that was completely destroyed by Croatian militants in 1993. The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the attractions of tourists and the traditional income of young people in the city is jumping into the Neretva River from the center of the Old Bridge (the height of the jump depends on the water level in the river - from 24 to 30 m).
Fort Kumbalgarh, India
Fort Kumbalgarh is surrounded by a unique wall, which in ancient times was called the "guardian of death". Its length is 36 km, and in some places it reaches 8 m wide. It continuously stretches along the entire perimeter of the fort, protecting it from uninvited invaders for centuries. It took a whole century to build it, from the 15th to the 16th century. In the entire history of the wars that the Great Indian Wall saw, it never collapsed and did not let enemies into the fort. Only the Great Wall of China is longer than the "death guard", or, as the Indian wall was also called, "the eyes of Mewar."
