South America
1. Easter Island (Chile)
1. Easter Island (Chile)
Easter
Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the
southeastern most point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory
of Chile annexed in 1888, Easter Island is widely famous for its 887
extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui
people. It is a World Heritage Site with much of the island protected
within the Rapa Nui National Park. The history of Easter Island is rich
and controversial. Its inhabitants have endured famines, epidemics,
civil war, slave raids and colonialism, and near deforestation; their
population has declined precipitously more than once. They have left a
cultural legacy that has brought them fame disproportionate to their
population.
2. Machu Picchu (Peru)
Machu
Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft)
above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the vicalamba
Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and
through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that
Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti
(1438–1472). Often referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas”, it is
perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.
Central America & Caribbean
3. Teotihuacan (Mexico)
Teotihuacan
is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing
some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian
Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known
for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and
numerous colorful, well-preserved murals. At its zenith in the first
half of the 1st millennium CE, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the
pre-Columbian Americas. At this time it may have had more than 200,000
inhabitants, placing it among the largest cities of the world in this
period. The civilization and cultural complex associated with the site
is also referred to as Teotihuacan or Teotihuacano.
5. Palenque (Mexico)
Palenque
was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the seventh
century CE. After its decline it was absorbed into the jungle, but has
been excavated and restored and is now a famous archaeological site
attracting thousands of visitors. It is located near the Usumacinta
River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, located about 130 km south of
Ciudad del Carmen (see map) about 150 meters above sea-level.
Europe
6. Château de Chambord (France)
The
royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of
the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct
French Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval
forms with classical Italian structures. The building, which was never
completed, was constructed by King François I in part to be near to his
mistress the Comtesse de Thoury, Claude Rohan, wife of Julien de
Clermont, a member of a very important family of France, whose domaine,
the château de Muides, was adjacent. Her arms figure in the carved decor
of the chateau. Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, but
was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for François I, who
maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and at Château
d’Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed,
though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model
for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the
seventeenth century.
7. Chartres Cathedral (France)
The
Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral
located in Chartres, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris, is
considered one of the finest examples in all France of the Gothic style
of architecture. The current cathedral is one of at least four that have
occupied the site. From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above
waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer
that the city comes into view, clustering around the hill on which the
cathedral stands. Its two contrasting spires — one, a 105 metre (349 ft)
plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other a 113 metre (377 ft)
tall early 16th century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower —
soar upwards over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are
complex flying buttresses.
8. Pont du Gard (France)
The
Pont du Gard is an aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the
Roman Empire, and located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the
Gard département. It has long been thought that the Pont du Gard was
built by Augustus’ son-in-law and aide, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, around
the year 19 BC. Newer excavations, however, suggest the construction
may have taken place in the middle of the first century A.D;
consequently, opinion is now somewhat divided on the matter.
9. Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
The
Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although
there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the
Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis
without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the
pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments
on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m
(490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of
about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary
serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king. The entrance to the
Acropolis was a monumental gateway called the Propylaea. To the south of
the entrance is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. A bronze statue of
Athena, sculpted by Phidias, originally stood at its centre. At the
centre of the Acropolis is the Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos
(Athena the Virgin). East of the entrance and north of the Parthenon is
the temple known as the Erechtheum.
10. Archaeological Site of Delphi (Greece)
Delphi
is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the
south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. Delphi
was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the
classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god
Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and protected
the navel of the Earth. Python (derived from the verb pythein, “to rot”)
is claimed by some to be the original name of the site in recognition
of the Python that Apollo defeated (Miller, 95). The Homeric Hymn to
Delphic Apollo recalled that the ancient name of this site had been
Krisa. His sacred precinct in Delphi was a panhellenic sanctuary, where
every four years, starting in 586 B.C. (Miller, 96) athletes from all
over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, one of the four
panhellenic (or stephanitic) games, precursors of the Modern Olympics.
11. Epidaurus Theater (Greece)
The
prosperity brought by the Asklepieion enabled Epidauros to construct
civic monuments too: the huge theater that delighted Pausanias for its
symmetry and beauty, which is used once again for dramatic performances,
the ceremonial Hestiatoreion (banqueting hall), baths and a palaestra.
The theater was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century
BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21
rows. As is usual for Greek theaters (and as opposed to Roman ones), the
view on a lush landscape behind the skene is an integral part of the
theater itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 15,000 people.
12. Colosseum (Italy)
The
Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an
elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the
largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the
greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. Occupying a
site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70
and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under
Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign
(81–96). The name “Amphitheatrum Flavium” derives from both Vespasian’s
and Titus’s family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia). Capable of
seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial
contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other
public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal
hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on
Classical mythology.
13. Grand Canal Of Venice (Italy)
The
Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major
water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by
water buses and private water taxis, but many tourists visit it by
gondola. At one end the canal leads into the lagoon near Santa Lucia
railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin: in
between it makes a large S-shape through the central districts
(”sestieri”) of Venice. It is 3,800 m long, 30-90 m wide, with an
average depth of five meters. The Grand Canal banks are lined with more
than 170 buildings, most of which date to 13th/18th century and
demonstrate the welfare and art created by the Republic of Venice. The
noble venetian families faced huge expenses to show off their richness
in suitable palazzos: this contest reveals the citizens’ pride and the
deep bond with the lagoon.
14. Pompeii (Italy)
Pompeii
is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in
the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of
Pompeii. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed
and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano
Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The volcano collapsed higher
roof-lines and buried Pompeii under 20 meters of ash and pumice, and it
was lost for nearly 1,700 years before its accidental rediscovery in
1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily
detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman
Empire. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most
popular tourist attractions of Italy, with 2,571,725 visitors in 2007.
15. Piazza del Campo (Italy)
Piazza
del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of
Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares.
It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The
Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi
signorili surround the shell-shaped piazza. At the northwest edge is the
Fonte Gaia. The twice-per-year horse-race, Palio di Siena, is held
around the edges of the piazza.
16. Hieronymites Monastery (Portugal)
The
Hieronymites Monastery is located in the Belém district of Lisbon,
Portugal. This magnificent monastery can be considered one of the most
prominent monuments in Lisbon and is certainly one of the most
successful achievements of the Manueline style (Portuguese late-Gothic).
In 1983, it was classified by the UNESCO, with nearby Belém Tower, as a
World Heritage Site. The house for the Hieronymite monks was built on
the same site of the Ermida do Restelo, a hermitage that was founded by
Henry the Navigator at about 1450. It was at this hermitage, that was
already in disrepair, that Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in
prayer before departing for India in 1497.
17. Alhambra (Spain)
The
Alhambra, the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra, is a palace
and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the
Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying a
hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city of Granada, now in
the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Once the residence of the
Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the site became a Christian
palace. Within the Alhambra, the Palace of Charles V was erected by
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1527. After being allowed to fall into
disrepair, the Alhambra was “rediscovered” in the 19th century. It is
now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions and exhibits the country’s
most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th-century
and later interventions in buildings and gardens.
18. Chillon Castle (Switzerland)
The
Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) is located on the shore of Lake
Geneva in the municipality of Veytaux, at the eastern end of the lake, 3
km from Montreux, Switzerland. The castle consists of 100 independent
buildings that were gradually connected to become the building as it
stands now. The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively
dated, but the first written record of the castle is in 1160 or 1005.
From the mid 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy,
and it was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Pietro II. The Castle
was never taken in a siege, but did change hands through treaties.
19. Stonehenge (United Kingdom)
Stonehenge
is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire,
about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1
mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world,
Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of
large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of
Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred
burial mounds. Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone
monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology
below. One recent theory, however, has suggested that the first stones
were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that
bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see
phase 1 below).
Africa
20. Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt)
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