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UNKNOWN ANCIENT ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS YOU HAVE TO VISIT

Added on: 9th Dec 2016

 

MEENAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Madurai Meenakshi amman Temple Tower - west tower

The Meenakshi Amman temple in the south-eastern Indian state

of Tamil Nadu is named after Hindu goddess Pavarti’s avatar

Meenakshi. With 14 gopurams (gateway towers adorned

with religious figures) and over 33,000 sculptures inside

the temple, this is easily one of the world’s lesser-known

but most amazing architectural wonders.

 

 

LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA, CHINA

Leshan_Buddha_Statue_View

The world’s largest carved stone Buddha is in Leshan, China,

at the convergence of three rivers. With fingers alone

measuring 11ft (3.4m) long, the Leshan Giant Buddha is

232ft (71m) high and has 1,021 buns in his hair (used to

drain water off the statue). The monk Hai Tong commissioned

the statue to calm the rivers’ water spirits thought to be

responsible for numerous boat capsizing.

 

 

SHEIKH LOTFOLLAH MOSQUE, IRAN

Sheikh_Lotfallah_Esfahan mosque

One of the best examples of Safavid-Iranian architecture is on

the eastern side of Isfahan, Iran’s Naghsh-i Jahan Square.

The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in a unique architectural wonder

in that it has no minarets or courtyard. The reason? It was

originally built for the women of the shah’s harem to worship

whom would reach the prayer hall through a twisted

underground hallway. Tiles on the dome change colour

throughout the day from cream to pink.

 

 

CHAND BAORI, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Chand_Baori_(Step-well)_at_Abhaneri

A wonderful example of mathematics in architecture, India’s

Chand Boari well built in the 10th century, to ensure a more

stable water supply to the mostly-desert region of Rajasthan.

The world’s deepest well, Chand Boari dips 100ft (30m) below

the Earth’s surface and uses 13 levels and a total of 3,500

steps to reach the bottom. Local legends rumour

Chand Boari was built by ghosts in a single night.

 

 

PALMYRA, SYRIA

Palmyra,_Syria

Thrown into international pre-eminence due to ISIS’s the

Recent takeover of the city, Palmyra in Syria is (for the moment)

a well-preserved example of the ancient ruins used by

multiple former civilisations. (It may have even been

mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.) The ancient Palmyrenes

were legendary traders, setting up colonies along the

Silk Road and running operations across most of

the Roman Empire.

 

 

SACSAYHUAMAN, PERU

Inti_Raymi_sacsayhuaman

On the far outskirts of Cusco, Peru, lies Sacsayhuaman: the

ruins of a massive Incan fortress. Less photogenic and

well-known than Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman is a feat of

human engineering. Thousands of years later, not even a

sheet of paper can fit between the walls’ stones, the largest

weighing 120 tons that’s about 160 adult cows for just one stone!

 

 

GREAT MOSQUE OF DJENNE, MALI

Djenne_great_mud_mosque

Mali’s Great Mosque in Djenne is truly an architectural wonder.

Built in 1907, the building is the largest mud structure in the

world and one of the best examples of Sudano-Sahelian

architecture. A local festival in April and May sees the locals

coat the entire mosque in clay to protect against cracks

from the scorching North African summers.

 

 

COLOSSUS OF RHODES, GREECE

Colossus_of_Rhodes

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the

Colossus of Rhodes was one of the tallest man-made

structures in the ancient world (not standing today).

Two-thirds the size of the Statue of Liberty (but built

2,000 years earlier, that’s pretty awesome), this

architectural wonder of the Greek sun god Helios was

built somewhere on the island of Rhodes in 280 B.C.

 

 

HATTUSA, TURKEY

Lion_Gate,_Hattusa

The Hittite Empire which dominated southern and eastern

Turkey had its capital at Hattusa in central Turkey.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site played host to the Hittites

until their decline during the Bronze Age and is known for

its two-sphinxes and cuneiform tablets. One tablet is the

earliest known example of a peace treaty; a copy thus

rests at the United Nations headquarters as an example

of international peace.

 


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