10 World Famous Walls

Walls have been built since ancient times, to mark borders, to keep enemies out or to keep people in.

In more recent times walls have also been built to serve as memorials and structures of art.

But no matter what purpose they surve, walls dominate the landscape wherever they stand.

10. Wall of Ston, Croatia

 5.5 kilometer (3.5 mile), completed in the 15th century with its 40 towers and 5 fortresses

9. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, United States

 National war memorial in Washington, D.C., engraved with the 58,256 names of each soldier

8. Walls of Troy, Turkey

According to Iliad, this is where the Trojan War took place (dated to the mid- to late-13th century BC)

7. Hadrian's Wall, United Kingdom

 built by the Romans in 122 AD, 117 kilometers (73 miles) across the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea

6. Berlin Wall, Germany

Construction began in 1961 by East Germany to stop East Berliners escaping from the Soviet-controlled East German state

into the West of the city, which was then occupied by the Americans, British and French.

5. Great Zimbabwe Walls, Zimbabwe

 Construction started in the 11th century and continued for over 300 years, high 11 meters (36 ft) extending approximately 250 meter (820 ft)

4. Sacsayhuamán, Peru

 Inca walled complex high above the city of Cusco, the largest is 8.5 meter high (28 ft) and weights about 140 metric tons.

The wall is built in such a way that a single piece of paper will not fit between many of the stones

(This precision is thought to have helped the ruins survive the devastating earthquakes in Cuzco)

3. Walls of Babylon, Iraq

City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, constructed around 575 BC, part of the famous Walls of Babylon

2. Western Wall, Israel

 Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, constructed around 19 BC by Herod the Great

1. Great Wall of China, China

Built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century

to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the attacks of nomadic tribes from the north

8,851.8 kilometers (5,500.3 miles)

10 World Famous Canals

Canals come in all sorts and sizes, from waterways that connect oceans to small waterways within cities.

These cities are often so deeply identified with Venice that people are tempted to compare it with this famous city.

In fact, cities all over the world which are known for their canals and waterways have a tendency to be called “The Venice of” their part of the world. But these cities have a charm and history of their own and are definitely worth a visit. An overview of the most famous canals in the world.

10. Stockholm Canals, Sweden

Called the “Venice of the North”, Stockholm is situated on 14 islands.

Because it is built on so many islands there are canals and boats everywhere.

9. Alappuzha, India

“The Venice of the East,” Alappuzha (also known as Alleppey) is connected to the famous Kerala backwaters

8. Bangkok Klongs, Thailand

“Klong” is Thai for canal.   Another “The Venice of the East”

7. Nan Madol, Micronesia

Nan Madol, the “Venice of the Pacific,” is a collection of small man-made islands

situated off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei, in Micronesia, and was probably built between the 12th and 13th century.

6. Suzhou Canals, China

Often called “The Venice of China,” Suzhou is located in Eastern China on the lower Yangtze River.

Founded in the 5th century BC, Suzhou is renowned for its charming waterways, it’s intricate gardens and historic stone bridges.

It’s also famous for its silk trade and for its proximity to the Grand Canal, one of the largest waterway trade routes in the world.

5. Panama Canal, Panama

The man-made 77 km (48 mile) Panama Canal (completed in 1914) changed the course of shipping

and travel by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across a narrow strip of land in Panama.

Today more than 14,000 ships pass the Panama Canal every year.

4. Hoi An, Vietnam

This fishing-village-turned-tourist-hotspot is situated on the coast of the South China Sea in Vietnam.

Hoi An has been an international port from the 16th century although the serious shipping business has long since moved to the city of Da Nang.

It is sometimes called the “Venice of Vietnam” because of the narrow canals that cut through part of the town.

3. Canals of Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and Belgium’s most popular destination.

Because of its canals Bruges is often called ‘The Venice of the North’.

2. Canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Another “The Venice of the North,” Amsterdam began building its famous canals in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age.

The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht form concentric belts around the city, known as the grachtengordel.

Today there are over 100 km (60 miles) of canals and 1,500 bridges. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.

1. Canals of Venice, Italy

Referred to as “The City of Water”, stitched together with over 150 canals, Venice is the crown jewel of water cities

 Green Canals of the Spreewald, Germany, often called the “Green Venice”

 

The Spreewald (German for "Spree forest") is situated 100 km south-east of Berlin and designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991,

known for its traditional irrigation system which consists of more than 200 small channels (1,300 km ) within the 484 km² area.

10 Most Famous Mausoleums in the World

The Tomb of Mausolus, was a tomb built at Halicarnassus for Mausolus, a governor in the Persian Empire.

The structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The word mausoleum has since come to be used generically for any grand tomb and this top 10 features some of the most famous ones. Unfortunately the famous Tomb of Mausolus didn’t make it to this list. It was damaged by an earthquake and eventually disassembled by European Crusaders in the 15th century.

10. Tomb of Cyrus, Iran

Cyrus the Great was the founder and ruler of the vast Persian Empire in the 6th century BC.

Hist tomb is the most important monument in Pasargadae, the ancient capital of Persia.

9. Lenin Mausoleum, Russia

Lenin’s Mausoleum serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin.

His embalmed body has been on public display there since the year he died in 1924.

8. Humayun's Tomb, India

The Mughal Emperor Humayun’s tomb, was commissioned by his wife in 1562 AD.

It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and located in Delhi, India.

Inspired by Persian architecture; the tomb reaches a height of 47 meter (154 feet).

7. Castel Sant'Angelo, Italy

usually known as the Castel Sant’Angelo, towering cylindrical building in Rome,

initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family.

Hadrian’s ashes were placed here a year after his death in 138, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son.

6. Tomb of Jahangir, Pakistan

Mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1627 and located in Lahore, Pakistan.

His son built the mausoleum 10 years after his father’s death.

It is sited in an attractive walled garden and has four 30 meter high minarets.

5. Imam Husayn Shrine, Iraq

Located in the city of Karbala, Iraq  and stands on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn ‘Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad,

near the place where he was killed during the Battle of Karbala. The tomb has 65 smaller rooms.

4. Mausoleum of the Shirvanshahs, Azerbaijan

Part of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the biggest monument of the Shirvan-Absheron branch

of the Azerbaijan architecture (15th century), situated in the Inner City of Baku.

3. Shah-i-Zinda, Uzbekistan

One of the most famous mausoleums of Central Asia, situated in the north-eastern part of Uzbekistan (dating back to the 11-12th centuries).

The name Shah-i-Zinda, “The living king”, is connected with the legend of Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of the prophet Muhammad.

According to the legend he was beheaded but took his head and went into the deep well (Garden of Paradise), where he’s still living now.

2. Terracotta Army, China

The Mausoleum of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC) is located near the city of Xi’an.

The tomb of the emperor has not been excavated yet but his buried terracotta army unearthed nearby has already become world famous (over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses).

1. Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble,

built between 1632 and 1653 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife.

10 World Famous Statues

Statues have been created by man since the prehistory for all kinds of reasons and in all sizes.

One of the first statues, a 29.6 cm (11.7 inches) high sculpture called the Lion Man,

was created almost 32,000 years ago. The original Seven Wonders of the World included two statues:

The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Today, statues have been erected all over the world representing everything from religious deities,

historical events and influential people.

10. Little Mermaid, Denmark

The statue sits on a rock in the Copenhagen harbour at Langelinie.

Tourists visiting for the first time are often surprised by the relatively small size of the statue.

The Little Mermaid statue is only 1.25 metres high and weighs around 175 kg.

Designed by Edvard Eriksen, the statue was erected in 1913 to commemorate a play of the Little mermaid.

The poor lady has lost her head several times but has each time been restored.

9. Lions of Delos, Greece

Located near Mykonos, the island of Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium

before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

The Terrace of the Lions was dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos shortly before 600 BC

and had originally 9 to 12 marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way. Only 5 lions survived and from 3 lions fragments exists.

8. Mother Russia Statue, Russia

also called The Motherland Calls, a famous statue in Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad.

When the memorial was dedicated in 1967 it was the tallest sculpture in the world, measuring 85 metres (279 feet)

from the tip of its sword to the top of the plinth. The figure itself measures 52 metres (170 feet), and the sword 33 metres (108 feet).

Two hundred steps, symbolizing the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, lead from the bottom of the hill to the monument.

7. Olmec Heads, Mexico

The Olmec were an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization (from 1400 BC to about 400 BC.)

living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in what are roughly the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco. 

There have been 17 colossal heads unearthed to date.

The heads range in size from the Rancho La Cobata head, at 3.4 m high, to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47 m.

6. Mount Nemrut, Turkey

A 2,134 meter (7,001 ft) high mountain in southeastern Turkey, near the city of Adiyaman.

In 62 BC, King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene built on the mountain top a tomb-sanctuary flanked by huge statues

(8–9 m/26–30 ft high) of himself, two lions, two eagles and various Greek, and Persian gods.

Since their erection, the heads have toppled from the bodies and lay scattered throughout the site.

5. David Statue, Italy

Masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo from 1501 to 1504.

The 5.17 meter (17 ft) marble statue portrays the Biblical King David in the nude and was moved in 1873

to the Accademia Gallery in Florence.  A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria, at the original location.

4. Great Sphinx, Egypt

Located at the Giza Plateau, The Great Sphinx is one of the largest and oldest statues in the world 

and was built in approximately 2500 BC by the pharaoh Khafre, the supposed builder of the second pyramid at Giza.

3. Statue of Liberty, United States

The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France

to celebrate the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, stands upon Liberty Island.

The construction of the statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor the following year.

2. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain.

The statue stands 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metres (31 ft) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide.

1. Moai, Chile

The world famous moai are monolithic statues located on Easter Island, one of the most isolated islands on Earth.

The famous statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers of the island, mostly between circa 1250 AD and 1500 AD. 

The tallest moai erected, called Paro, was almost 10 meters (33 ft) high and weighed 75 tonnes.

The heaviest erected was a shorter but squatter moai weighing 86 tons

and one unfinished sculpture, if completed, would have been approximately 21 meters (69 ft) tall with a weight of about 270 tons.

10 Famous Island Cities around the World

The islands listed in this post were once uninhabited but after being settled became so heavily urbanized

that the built-up areas eventually took over the entire island, forming island cities.

10. Lindau, Germany

Located near the meeting point of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders in the eastern part of Lake Constance (Bodensee).

The city is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway and has about 3,000 inhabitants.

Area: 33.18 km² (12.81 sq mi)

9. Santa Cruz del Islote, Colombia

Located off the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Santa Cruz del Islote is unofficially the world’s most crowded island. I

t has some 90 houses and a population of around 1200 people crammed on an island of about 1 hectare.

The islanders bury their dead in a nearby island because there is no space for a cemetery.

8. Isola dei Pescatori, Italy

Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island) is the most northerly of the three principal Borromean Island in Lago Maggiore.

With a population of about 50, it is the only one island (about 350 meters long by 100 meters wide) to be inhabited all year round.

7. Key West, United States

Island in the Straits of Florida, located closer to Havana than to Miam and about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide,

measuring 3,370 acres (13.6 km²) in area

6. Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

Seaside resort in western Montenegro, on the Budva Riviera (Population: 411)

5. Mexcaltitan, Mexico

Mexcaltitán is a small man-made island city off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

4. Flores, Guatemala

Located on Lake Petén Itzá with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia.

The population is estimated to be around 1.5 million.

3. Malé, Maldives

Malé is the capital and most populous city in the Maldives (5.798 km² with over 100,000 people)

2. Manhattan, United States

 Land area of 59.47 km² (22.96 square miles) with a population ofver 1,600,000 people

1. Venice, Italy

Venice is built on an archipelago of 117 islands which are connected by 455