There are many monuments in the world today, but do you know which are the most important
of the lot?
And the most famous?
Join us as we explore 15 legendary monuments!
15.
Mount Rushmore Starting off this list, we head to the United
States, specifically to South Dakota for the famous monument known as Mount Rushmore.
This massive mountain of stone that features the faces of four different United States
Presidents was not built for the reasons you might suspect.
You see, the idea for this place was made for tourism, as the United States was in a
state of expansion, and states like South Dakota had no idea how to bring people there.
It's still one of the least populated states in the whole US.
So, the idea of making a monument was born.
Originally, it was meant to be legendary figures of the "Wild West", but then the idea of making
it the faces of Presidents was brought forth and selected.
It took a long time to make, but when it was finished, the end result spoke for itself.
Now, over 3 million people visit it a year.
Which is much more than the actual population of South Dakota.
14.
Great Barrier Reef Not all monuments are ones made by man, some
are truly made by the hand of nature itself.
And the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia, is proof of that.
The reef is the largest one in the world today.
It's "composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300
kilometers (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers."
It's massive, and it's full of life via various kinds of fish and even plants.
And don't forget, Coral Reefs are alive, which is why many are fighting to protect this wonder
of the world.
Oh, and it's so big and expansive?
It can be seen from space.
Top that!
13.
Big Ben Built in 1859, the clock tower known as Big
Ben was then the largest and "most accurate" four-facing clock in all of the world.
This massive clock is 315 feet tall, and if you were "willing" to climb steps to reach
the top, you'd need to climb over 300 of them.
Despite being over 160 years old the clock actually runs off the original mechanisms
it was built with from the Victorian era, which makes it all the more impressive.
But, should the worst happen, there is a more modern electric generator ready to power the
clock.
The reason Big Ben is here on the list over something like Parliament is that while that
building is popular, people KNOW Big Ben.
They look at the clock tower and instantly think of London, and thus, many, MANY people
make sure they take a shot of it when they go to London.
12.
Christ The Redeemer Statue In a similar vein to Big Ben, when you think
about Rio De Janeiro, you thought about a massive statue that stands above the whole
city.
This, is Christ The Redeemer...statue.
At nearly 100 feet tall, you might not think it'd take a while to make such a statue.
It took 9 years, with it being finished in 1931.
This statue was truly a team effort, French sculptor Paul Landowski designed it, and it
was built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with French
engineer Albert Caquot.
Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida fashioned the face.
It's meant to be a "symbol of Christianity all over the world", and it's one of the first
things you'll see when you enter the city because of its location.
It's an icon in the nation of Brazil, further making Rio De Janeiro the place to visit when
you got there just so you can see the statue.
11.
Lincoln Memorial There have been many legendary United States
President, but few meant as much as Abraham Lincoln did to the US.
He was President during the Civil War, and he helped bring the nation back together and
free the slaves, abolishing the practice in full.
The Lincoln Memorial now stands in Washington DC, and is a true monument to the man who
helped bring peace and freedom to the nation before his life was taken.
What's ironic though is that it took many decades after his death for the statue to
be made and put where it is in Washington DC.
Mainly because people couldn't agree on what to make it of, and like, and so on and so
forth.
10.
Taj Mahal Hailed as one of the "new wonders of the world",
the Taj Mahal stands as one of the most beautiful and visited places in all of India.
Construction of the Taj Mahal happened in 1643 and ended a decade later.
It was the order of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan that it be constructed.
But not for himself (though he would end up there), it was for his favorite wife to be
housed in, in regards to her death and burial.
The Taj Mahal is hailed as a beautiful piece of architecture, both inside and out.
So much so that it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Meaning that it's protected and will be maintained.
Now, 7-8 MILLION people a year come to walk the gardens and observe the building in all
its glory.
9.
The Great Wall Of China Fun fact, the Great Wall of China originally
wasn't one long wall.
It actually was sections of wall that were eventually filled in to become one great long
wall that we now know of today.
Furthermore, the wall that we know of now, isn't the same wall (per se) that was started
with.
As this wall has been upgraded, remade, rebuilt, and enhanced over the various Chinese dynasties.
There was even completely separate great walls that don't exist anymore.
But this one does.
Widely hailed as one of the most impressive feats by man, the Chinese initially built
the Great Wall of China to help ward of raiders and invaders to the north.
As their nation and Empire grew, so did the wall.
To the extent that as of now, the wall is over 13,000 miles long.
It is so big, that it is one of the few landmarks you can see from outer space.
Naturally, people go to the wall not just for the view, but to walk upon it, and see
just how far it truly goes.
It's attracted all manner of people from various nations, and even a President from United
States in a historic moment.
8.
Pyramids Of Giza When it comes to Egypt, there are two major
landmarks that you can go to see there.
And we'll do both, but first, let's talk about the Great Pyramids of Giza.
In terms of impact, the Pyramids are much more to Egypt than just a monument, this was
built in their fourth dynasty for a Pharaoh, Khufu, but more than that, the Pyramids represent
one of the greatest mysteries in the world.
How exactly did the ancient Egyptians build these things?
Think about it, of the three pyramids, they're all incredible tall and wide.
The tallest of them is nearly 500 feet into the air!
And yet, the Egyptians were able to not only make the Pyramids, but keep them perfectly
aligned as if they were made from a single piece of stone, and yet, they're not!
Not to mention they had to carve the insides so that the Pharaoh could be placed there.
Over 3 million people a year go and visit the Pyramids of Giza, and all three million
ponder how the Egyptians did it.
7.
The Sphinx Sticking with Egypt for a bit, the Great Sphinx
is the OTHER very momentous monument in the land of the deserts.
Part lion, part man, the Sphinx is very much a mystery to many who look upon it.
Including how it was made (hint, it was made from one very large stone...), and what might
be lying underneath its mass.
There are many questions about its true origins, but most agree that it was made in one way
or another about 4500 years ago.
Likely for and by Pharaoh Khafre.
Now it's one of the most popular places to go in Egypt, but that wasn't always the case.
How so?
Simple, at one point in time...it was quite literally buried beneath the sands of the
desert, and thus had to be dug up.
6.
Parthenon Without a doubt, the most popular Greek monument
is the Parthenon.
It used to be a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena, who was the patron God of Athens.
It was built by the Athenians in 447 BC, when they were the dominant force of the Greek
City-States.
Though it took nine years to fully complete.
Interestingly enough, there was "another" Parthenon that was built before this one,
but in 480 BC it was destroyed by the Persians.
But when Greece fought back at the battle of Marathon (and kicked Persian butt), they
decided to celebrate by rebuilding the Parthenon, and it's stood the test of time ever since,
and is still hailed as one of the most important pieces of Greece history left standing.
5.
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is widely considered
one of the most strikingly beautiful places in the world.
Mainly because it doesn't look like any other building out there.
It's also the newest of all the landmarks on this list, for it was only opened for business
in 1973!
Here's another fun fact, despite it being called a "house", it's actually a building
that has multiple venues.
Over 1.2 million people attend the various performances every year.
Nearly half a million do guided tours, and many more just go outside the building to
take pictures.
4.
Coliseum The kingdom of Rome was one of the most powerful
and legendary empires of its time, or more accurately, both its time as a Republic and
a true Emperor-led kingdom.
But, in the time after the fall of Nero, a new Emperor rose in the form of Vespasian,
and to help keep the people entertained, and to prove that Rome was moving forward, he
had over 100,000 slaves (via a war with the Jews) to construct the Coliseum of Vespasian.
It was, and is, the largest Amphitheater ever built.
It was so massive, and strong, that it could 80,000 people in it, which was good, because
Rome was very large, and the contests that were held in the Coliseum were some of the
things that people of Rome lived to see.
And for hundreds of years, this is what the Coliseum was known for, and if you haven't
noticed, it's still around.
That's because Rome had a way of making concrete that basic made it immortal.
Yes, the Coliseum has been damaged in the past, but that honestly only affected the
wooden parts, not the concrete for the most part.
The Coliseum, and what it represents, is now a big part of our culture, especially in terms
of media.
3.
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty means something so much
more to Americans than just being a monument.
To them, seeing "Lady Liberty" just off the coast of New York is a symbol.
Many people immigrated to the United States, and one of the most popular spots to go to
"get into" the country was Staten Island.
Who did you pass on your way there?
Lady Liberty.
Who made the Statue of Liberty?
It wasn't the US, it was actually France.
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted it, and it was inspired by Édouard René de Laboulaye.
They made the statue itself, and the US provided the spot to where it would be placed, the
now appropriately named "Liberty Island".
Since its arrival in 1886, millions upon millions of people have gone to the Statue of Liberty
to see its historical beauty, and even stand on top of it via her "crown".
Though this has been barred due to safety concerns.
2.
Eiffel Tower Located in Champ De Mars in Paris, France,
the Eiffel Tower isn't just one of the most visited landmarks in the world, it's also
one of the most iconic landmarks in the world period.
Sure, there are a lot of towers and skyscrapers in various countries, but this?
This is different, much different.
This is art.
Ironically though, after it was finished in regards to construction in 1889, the people
of France...weren't impressed.
In fact, many artists and designers went and criticized the construct because of how it
looked.
If you ever wondered, "Why did they build it?"
It was actually meant to be an entranceway to the 1889 Worlds Fair.
But just as important, at the time, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world,
beating out another famous landmark, the Washington Monument.
And it held that title for 41 years.
Which is fascinating given that the Eiffel Tower is over 1000 feet tall.
In 2015 alone, over 6 million people paid to see the tower.
Making it the most visited paid monument in the world.
1.
Stonehenge What the heck is Stonehenge?
This is a question that has boggled the minds of many through the millennia.
And while we don't know EXACTLY when it was built in full, we do have some ideas.
Mainly, archaeologists theorize that it was made between 3000-2000 BC, thus it's over
4-5 thousand years old.
And that's one of the big mysteries of it.
For you see, Stonehenge is a series of stones that are placed in various ways in a seemingly
random field two miles west of Amesbury.
More than that, some of the rocks are ON TOP OF other rocks!
So...how did these people get the stones up there?
Here's another question, where did the rocks come from?
They weren't in the field originally, we can tell that.
In fact, scientists have studied the rocks and found that some of them emanate from..are
you ready for this...? 139 MILES away!
So they had to go get these rocks, and then get them all back just to set them up like
they did.
Why?
The world may never know, and that's why millions visit it every year.
Thanks for watching everyone!
What did you think of these famous monuments?
Were you surprised by some of the ones that made it on the list?
How many of these have you visited in your lifetime?
Let me know in the comments below, be sure to subscribe, and I'll see you next time on
the channel!