8 monumen paling Misterius di dunia

Ketemu Lagi, kali ini kita akan Berkunjung Ke monumen, tapi monumen kali ini bukan monumen biasa, wes langsung ae berikut adalah ke delapan monument ter misterius di dunia. . Versi kumpulan17. . . . !!!!!!
Di mulai dari yang ke..
1. Monumental Instructions for the Post-Apocalypse

Pada sebuah bukit tandus di timur laut Georgia berdiri salah satu monumen di dunia yang paling aneh dan misterius. Tapi itu tidak diciptakan selama zaman kuno. Dikenal sebagai ‘ Georgia Guidestones ’ , struktur batu 16-meter-tinggi, lempeng granit 20-ton dipoles dan tertulis dalam delapan bahasa.
2. Lake Michigan Stonehenge

Para peneliti cukup terkejut ketika mereka menemukan apa yang tampak sebagai struktur kuno seperti Stonehenge 40 meter di bawah permukaan air di Danau Michigan.
3. Underwater Ruins in Japan

Di pantai selatan Yonaguni, Jepang, reruntuhan terletak terendam diperkirakan sekitar 8.000 tahun. Tempat ini ditemukan pada tahun 1995 oleh seorang penyelam olahraga yang menyimpang terlalu jauh dari pantai Okinawa dengan kamera di tangan.
4. Submerged Wonders of Alexandria, Egypt

Lepas pantai Alexandria, kota dari Alexander Agung, apa yang diyakini tidak adanya reruntuhan kerajaan Cleopatra. Hal ini diyakini bahwa gempa bumi lebih dari 1500 tahun yang lalu membuat bangunan ini jatuh Ke laut, bersama dengan artefak, patung-patung dan bagian lain dari istana Cleopatra.
5. The Mysterious Stones of Baalbek

Kuil terbesar Romawi yang pernah berdiri di reruntuhan tidak dibangun di Yunani atau Roma, tetapi di Baalbek, Libanon. Tak seorang pun tahu apa yang membuat situs ini begitu istimewa ke Roma, untuk mendorong mereka untuk membangun, memindahkan dan merakit blok batu begitu banyak.
6. Easter Island

Easter Island, juga dikenal sebagai Rapa Nui di tenggara Samudra Pasifik, yang paling terkenal dengan patung-patung yang monumental yang dibuat oleh orang-orang Rapanui. Berat nya sekitar 86 ton, yang menggambarkan betapa besar prestasi untuk Rapanui telah menciptakan dan memindahkan mereka.
7. Stonehenge

Salah satu monumen yang terkenal dunia mungkin Stonehenge, terletak di daerah Wiltshire Inggris. Meskipun teori dan spekulasi bermunculan, tidak ada yang tahu apa tujuan awal monumen prasejarah dan tetap menjadi salah satu misteri terbesar bumi.
8. Machu picchu

Machu Picchu adalah kota paling lestari dari Kekaisaran Inka, tersembunyi tinggi di Andes Peru, di gunung curam dengan telapak yang rata.
Demikian Gan ke 8 monument Tersebut, tertarik berkunjung!!

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Segitiga Bermuda

Segitiga Bermuda (bahasa InggrisBermuda Triangle), kadang-kadang disebut juga Segitiga Setan adalah sebuah wilayah lautan diSamudra Atlantik seluas 1,5 juta mil2 atau 4 juta km2 yang membentuk garis segitiga antara Bermuda, wilayah teritorial Britania Rayasebagai titik di sebelah utara, Puerto Riko, teritorial Amerika Serikat sebagai titik di sebelah selatan dan Miami, negara bagian Florida,Amerika Serikat sebagai titik di sebelah barat.
Segitiga bermuda sangat misterius. Sering ada isu paranormal di daerah tersebut yang menyatakan alasan dari peristiwa hilangnya kapal yang melintas. Ada pula yang mengatakan bahwa sudah menjadi gejala alam bahwa tidak boleh melintasi wilayah tersebut. Bahkan ada pula yang mengatakan bahwa itu semua akibat ulah makhluk luar angkasa.

SEJARAH AWAL.....
Pada masa pelayaran Christopher Colombus, ketika melintasi area segitiga Bermuda, salah satu awak kapalnya mengatakan melihat “cahaya aneh berkemilau di cakrawala”. Beberapa orang mengatakan telah mengamati sesuatu seperti meteor. Dalam catatannya ia menulis bahwa peralatan navigasi tidak berfungsi dengan baik selama berada di area tersebut.
Berbagai peristiwa kehilangan di area tersebut pertama kali didokumentasikan pada tahun 1951 oleh E.V.W. Jones dari majalah Associated Press. Jones menulis artikel mengenai peristiwa kehilangan misterius yang menimpa kapal terbang dan laut di area tersebut dan menyebutnya ‘Segitiga Setan’. Hal tersebut diungkit kembali pada tahun berikutnya oleh Fate Magazine dengan artikel yang dibuat George X. Tahun 1964, Vincent Geddis menyebut area tersebut sebagai ‘Segitiga Bermuda yang mematikan’, setelah istilah ‘Segitiga Bermuda’ menjadi istilah yang biasa disebut. Segitiga bermuda merupakan suatu tempat dimana di dasar laut tersebut terdapat sebuah piramid besar mungkin lebih besar dari piramid yang ada di Kairo Mesir. Piramid tersebut mempunyai jarak antara ujung piramid dan permukaan laut sekitar 500 m,di ujung piramid trsebut terdapat dua rongga lubang lebih besar.

PANGKALAN .U.F.O.


Pemerintah dan Akademis Independen A.S. mengatakan Segitiga Bermuda disebabkan karena tempat tersebut merupakan Pangkalan UFO sekelompok mahkluk luar angkasa/alienyang tidak mau diusik oleh manusia, sehingga kendaraan apapun yang melewati teritorial tersebut akan terhisap dan diculik. Ada yang mengatakan bahwa penyebabnya dikarenakan oleh adanya sumber magnet terbesar di bumi yang tertanam di bawah Segitiga Bermuda, sehingga logam berton-tonpun dapat tertarik ke dalam.

[sunting]ISTANA SETAN.


Dalam hadist yang diriwayatkan dari Abu Hurairah dari Nabi Muhammad, dikatakan bahwa pertemuan antara suhu panas dan dingin (sejuk) adalah ikatakan larangan ini karena tempat seperti itu adalah tempat yang paling digemari oleh Setan.[1] Karena menurut beberapa pendapat ada yang mengatakan bahwa Segitiga Bermuda merupakan pusat bertemunya antara arus air dingin dengan arus air panas, sehingga akan mengakibatkan pusaran air yang besar/dasyat. Karena bermuda terletak di perairan Atlantik di pertengahan antara benua Amerikabagian utara dan Afrika. Secara mudah lokasi ini adalah kawasan pertembungan dua arus panas dari Afrika dan sejuk dari Amerika Utara.
Menurut beberapa orang muslim meyakini dengan hadist ini yang dianggap telah terjawab tentang misteri Segitiga Bermuda. Perkara-perkara aneh yang sering terjadi itu tentu antara lain disebabkan pertembungan antara panas dan sejuk dan menganggap Istana Setan terletak secara tersembunyi di situ. Kemudian dikatakan pula bahwa Dajjal pada saat sekarang menetap di Segitiga Bermuda itu sampai pada menjelang akhir zaman ia akan keluar.

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9 Pedang Nabi Muhammad Beserta Namanya

1.Al Mat’thur
Juga dikenal sebagai ‘Ma’thur Al-Fijar’ adalah pedang yang dimiliki oleh Nabi Muhammad SAW sebelum dia menerima wahyu yang pertama di Mekah. Pedang ini diberi oleh ayahnya, dan dibawa waktu hijrah dari Mekah ke Medinah sampai akhirnya diberikan bersama-sama dengan peralatan perang lain kepada Ali bin Abi Thalib.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade dengan panjang 99 cm. Pegangannya terbuat dari emas dengan bentuk berupa 2 ular dengan berlapiskan emeralds dan pirus. Dekat dengan pegangan itu terdapat Kufic ukiran tulisan Arab berbunyi: ‘Abdallah bin Abd al-Mutalib’.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
2.Al Adb
Al-’Adb, nama pedang ini, berarti “memotong” atau “tajam.” Pedang ini dikirim ke para sahabat Nabi Muhammad SAW sesaat sebelum Perang Badar. Dia menggunakan pedang ini di Perang Uhud dan pengikut-pengikutnnya menggunakan pedang ini untuk menunjukkan kesetiaan kepada Nabi Muhammad SAW.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di masjid Husain di Kairo Mesir.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
3.Dhu Al Faqar
Dhu Al Faqar adalah sebuah pedang Nabi Muhammad SAW sebagai hasil rampasan pada waktu perang Badr. Dan dilaporkan bahwa Nabi Muhammad SAW memberikan pedang ini kepada Ali bin Abi Thalib, yang kemudian Ali mengembalikannya ketika Perang Uhud dengan bersimbah darah dari tangan dan bahunya, dengan membawa Dhu Al Faqar di tangannya. Banyak sumber mengatakan bahwa pedang ini milik Ali Bin Abi Thalib dan keluarga. Berbentuk blade dengan dua mata.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
4.Al Battar
Al Battar adalah sebuah pedang Nabi Muhammad SAW sebagai hasil rampasan dari Banu Qaynaqa. Pedang ini disebut sebagai ‘Pedangnya para nabi’, dan di dalam pedang ini terdapat ukiran tulisan Arab yang berbunyi : ‘Nabi Daud AS, Nabi Sulaiman AS, Nabi Musa AS, Nabi Harun AS, Nabi Yusuf AS, Nabi Zakaria AS, Nabi Yahya AS, Nabi Isa AS, Nabi Muhammad SAW’. Di dalamnya juga terdapat gambar Nabi Daud AS ketika memotong kepala dari Goliath, orang yang memiliki pedang ini pada awalnya. Di pedang ini juga terdapat tulisan yang diidentifikasi sebagai tulisan Nabataean.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade dengan panjang 101 cm. Dikabarkan bahwa ini adalah pedang yang akan digunakan Nabi Isa AS kelak ketika dia turun ke bumi kembali untuk mengalahkan Dajjal.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
5.Hatf
Hatf adalah sebuah pedang Nabi Muhammad SAW sebagai hasil rampasan dari Banu Qaynaqa. Dikisahkan bahwa Nabi Daud AS mengambil pedang ‘Al Battar’ dari Goliath sebagai rampasan ketika dia mengalahkan Goliath tersebut pada saat umurnya 20 tahun. Allah SWT memberi kemampuan kepada Nabi Daud AS untuk ‘bekerja’ dengan besi, membuat baju baja, senjata dan alat perang, dan dia juga membuat senjatanya sendiri. Dan Hatf adalah salah satu buatannya, menyerupai Al Battar tetapi lebih besar dari itu. Dia menggunakan pedang ini yang kemudian disimpan oleh suku Levita (suku yang menyimpan senjata-senjata barang Israel) dan akhirnya sampai ke tangan Nabi Muhammad SAW
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Musemum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade, dengan panjang 112 cm dan lebar 8 cm.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
6.Al Mikhdham
Ada yang mengabarkan bahwa pedang ini berasal dari Nabi Muhammad SAW yang kemudian diberikan kepada Ali bin Abi Thalib dan diteruskan ke anak-anaknya Ali. Tapi ada kabar lain bahwa pedang ini berasal dari Ali bin Abi Thalib sebagai hasil rampasan pada serangan yang dia pimpin di Syria.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade dengan panjang 97 cm, dan mempunyai ukiran tulisan Arab yang berbunyi: ‘Zayn al-Din al-Abidin’.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
7.Al Rasub
Ada yang mengatakan bahwa pedang ini dijaga di rumah Nabi Muhammad SAW oleh keluarga dan sanak saudaranya seperti layaknya bahtera (Ark) yang disimpan oleh bangsa Israel
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade dengan panjang 140 cm, mempunyai bulatan emas yang didalamnya terdapat ukiran tulisan Arab yang berbunyi: ‘Ja’far al-Sadiq’.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
8.Al-Qadib
Al-Qadib berbentuk blade tipis sehingga bisa dikatakan mirip dengan tongkat. Ini adalah pedang untuk pertahanan ketika bepergian, tetapi tidak digunakan untuk peperangan. Ditulis di samping pedang berupa ukiran perak yang berbunyi syahadat: “Tidak ada Tuhan selain Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah – Muhammad bin Abdallah bin Abd al-Mutalib.” Tidak ada indikasi dalam sumber sejarah bahwa pedang ini telah digunakan dalam peperangan. Pedang ini berada di rumah Nabi Muhammad SAW dan kemudian hanya digunakan oleh khalifah Fatimid.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Panjangnya adalah 100 cm dan memiliki sarung berupa kulit hewan yang dicelup.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad
9.Qal’a
Pedang ini dikenal sebagai “Qal’i” atau “Qul’ay.” Nama yang mungkin berhubungan dengan tempat di Syria atau tempat di dekat India Cina. Ulama negara lain bahwa kata “qal’i” merujuk kepada “timah” atau “timah putih” yang di tambang berbagai lokasi. Pedang ini adalah salah satu dari tiga pedang Nabi Muhammad SAW yang diperoleh sebagai rampasan dari Bani Qaynaqa. Ada juga yang melaporkan bahwa kakek Nabi Muhammad SAW menemukan pedang ini ketika dia menemukan air Zamzam di Mekah.
Sekarang pedang ini berada di Museum Topkapi, Istanbul. Berbentuk blade dengan panjang 100 cm. Didalamnya terdapat ukiran bahasa Arab berbunyi: “Ini adalah pedang mulia dari rumah Nabi Muhammad SAW, Rasul Allah.” Pedang ini berbeda dari yang lain karena pedang ini mempunyai desain berbentuk gelombang.
Foto diambil oleh Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa ‘uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).
Pedang Nabi Muhammad

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The Mysterious Underwater Ruins of the Lost World in Yonaguni

Yonaguni Island
Yonaguni / Photo from ryoki
Yonaguni Islands epitomize the island culture of Japan in miniature. Situated 68 miles beyond the east coast of Taiwan, Yonaguni is remarkable for its rugged and mountainous coastlines. This 4 by 10 km island has a refreshingly virgin atmosphere, unspoiled by the influence of modernity. Its small populace is mostly traditional Japanese with a touching warmth and hospitality. Yonaguni is known for its wonderful natural settings that offer endless scope for adventure and exploration to spirited tourists.
Yonaguni map
However, the real attraction of these islands is the submerged ruins that you find in the southern coast of Yonaguni. A superb 100x50x25 meters man-made artifact made of solid rock slabs stands erect at right angles. Its age is estimated to be around 8000 years old, which is remarkably early for the kind of technology that has been used for carving it. Different theories exist about the possible identities of this structure.
Yonaguni Monument
Yonaguni Monument, thought to be a man made temple, although it is more likely that the rock carving was done by a geological component. / Photo from Nemi.Kaunistytto
While some opine that these ruins are the remnants of the missing Continent of Mu [Video], other archeologists attribute them to be the outcome of unexplained geological processes. Although when you see the finely designed hallways and staircases, this ‘natural phenomenon’ idea will appear sheer out of place.
Stairs / Photo from amakusaleanne
This wonder megalith was discovered quite accidentally by a sport diver in 1995 when he had strayed beyond the permissible limit off the Okinawa shore. He was awe struck to find the reigning stone structure on the seabed covered with coral formations. His snaps created a great sensation after they were published the next day in the major Japanese newspapers. Further searches were conducted by organized teams of experts after the initial findings and soon specimens of other ancient underwater civilizations were discovered.
Yonaguni Atlantis
Photo from Doremon360
Photo from amakusaleanne
The interesting thing about this massive stone building was that it had arches made of beautifully fitted stone blocks bearing resemblance with the building architectural style of the Inca civilization. Debates were rife about the ruins being associated with the prehistoric Motherland of Civilization. Surveying the ruins minutely takes time and skill because of the rough oceanic currents.
Okinawa Rosetta Stone
Okinawa Rosetta Stone / Photo from sarmoung
Yonaguni symbol / Photo from Doremon360
The manmade vs. natural debate has come to rest ever since the marine geologists have confirmed the artificial origin of the ruins. Japanese intellectuals like Professor Masaaki Kimura of the Ryukyus University are no more enamored with the Mu Continent legends. Though contradicted by historians, some even claimed that the ruins of the sunken civilization could date back to 10,000 years, i.e. even before the commencement of the Egyptian civilization!
Yonaguni
Photo from Doremon360
Besides the ruins, Yonaguni Islands have many spots of interest to draw adventure enthusiasts. You will invariably encounter congregations of hammerhead sharks during your wintry dives. The giant whale shark is an added attraction since you scarcely get to see it in any other parts of the world. Divers with an archeological interest love to visit the myriads of caverns and rock structures that throng the southern coastline of the islands. The Temple of Light and Daiyati are known for their incandescent white radiance.
Yonaguni pyramid
Photo from Doremon360
Photo from amakusaleanne
The journey to Yonaguni Islands could prove to be a difficult venture. Flight and ferry services are regularly disrupted by bad weather conditions. Only 1-2 flights from Ishigaki per day land in the small Yonaguni Airport fields at the rate of Y10000/17000 one-way/return. You could also travel by ship leaving on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Ishigaki charging Y3460/6580 one-way/return. Once you reach Yonaguni, you have to be mentally prepared to face more than one hurdle while embarking upon this thrilling underwater venture.
The revision of History-Japan's Mysterious Pyramids at Yonaguni
The revision of History-Japan’s Mysterious Pyramids at Yonaguni / Photo from HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE

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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) The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt, and in a historical irony is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that survives substantially intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2551 BC. The Great Pyramid consists of more than 2.3 million limestone blocks (unless it was built on a substantial core of natural rock, which is possible). The Egyptians obtained the majority of the limestone blocks from a nearby quarry. The Tura limestone used for the casing was quarried across the river. The largest granite stones in the pyramid, found in the “King’s” chamber, weigh 25 to 80 tonnes and were transported more than 500 miles away from Aswan. 21. Abu Simbel (Egypt) Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments”, which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions. 22. Karnak (Egypt) The Karnak Temple Complex — usually called simply Karnak — comprises a vast conglomeration of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amen and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Amenhotep III (ca. 1391-1351 BC). It is located near Luxor, some 500 km south of Cairo, in Egypt. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (”The Most Selected of Places”) and the main place of worship of the Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex takes its name from the nearby (and partly surrounded) modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor. 23. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (Egypt) The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is situated beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Designed by the architect Senemut, the mortuary temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and is located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an inspiration, and later, a quarry. It is considered one of the “incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt.”. Hatshepsut’s temple is considered the closest Egypt came to the Classical Architecture. It marks a turning point in the architecture of Ancient Egypt, which forsook the megalithic geometry of the Old Kingdom for a temple which allowed for active worship, requiring the presence of participants to create the majesty. 24. Leptis Magna (Libya) Leptis Magna, also known as Lectis Magna (or Lepcis Magna as it is sometimes spelled), also called Lpqy or Neapolis, was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located in Al Khums, Libya, 130 km east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea. The site is one of the most spectacular and unspoiled Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. The city appears to have been founded by Phoenician colonists sometime around 1100 BC, although it did not achieve prominence until Carthage became a major power in the Mediterranean Sea in the 4th century BC. It nominally remained part of Carthage’s dominions until the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC and then became part of the Roman Republic, although from about 200 BC onward, it was for all intents and purposes an independent city. 25. Timbuktu (Mali) Timbuktu (Timbuctoo) is a city in Tombouctou Region, in the West African nation of Mali. It was made prosperous by the tenth mansa of the Mali Empire, Mansa Musa. It is home to Sankore University and other madrasas, and was an intellectual and spiritual capital and centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahya, recall Timbuktu’s golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification. Asia 26. Angkor Wat (Cambodia) Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire’s state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Orissa and the Chola of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level. 27. Great Wall of China (China) The Great Wall of China or is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty. 28. Forbidden City (China) The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum’s former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War. (based on a 29. Terracotta Army (China) The Terracotta Army is the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6 ft–6 ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many archeologists believe that there are many pits still waiting to be discovered. 30. Hanging Temple of Hengshan (China) The Hanging Temple is a temple built into a cliff ( 75m Above the ground ) near Mount Heng in the province of Shanxi. The closest city is Datong, 65 kilometers to the northwest. Along with the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements. 31. Leshan Giant Buddha (China) The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world and at the time of its construction was the tallest statue in the world. At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are 28 metres wide and his smallest toenail is large enough to easily accommodate a seated person. 32. Taj Mahal (India) The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.” 33. Harmandir Sahib (India) Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib, informally referred to as The Golden Temple or Temple of God, is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs and one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs, and is, also due to the shrine, known as Guru Di Nagri meaning city of the Guru. Originally built during AD 1574, the site of the temple was surrounded by a small lake in a thin forest. The third of the six grand Mughals, emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das. 34. Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple (India) Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. The complex houses 14 magnificent Gopurams or towers including two golden Gopurams for the main deities, that are elaborately sculptured and painted. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is believed to have been built in 1600. The tallest temple tower is 51.9 metres (170 ft) high. 35. Borobudur (Indonesia) Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades. 36. Kinkaku-ji (Japan) Kinkaku-ji or formally Rokuon-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the construction that represents the Kitayama Culture of Muromachi period. The original Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397 to serve as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as part of his estate then known as Kitayama. It was his son, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi, who converted the building into a Zen temple of the Rinzai school. 37. Bagan (Myanmar) Bagan, formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Division of Burma (Myanmar). Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay. Bagan was submitted to become a UNESCO heritage site but many speculate of politics as partly the reason for the exclusion. UNESCO does not designate Bagan as a World Heritage Site. The main reason given is that the military junta (SPDC) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas, temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural styles and using modern materials which bear little or no resemblance to the original designs. The junta has also established a golf course, a paved highway, and built a 200-foot (61-m) watchtower in the southeastern suburb of Minnanthu. 38. Banaue Rice Terraces (Philippines) The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe. The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 39. Kremlin (Russia) Kremlin is the Russian word for “fortress”, “citadel” or “castle” and refers to any major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there. Outside Russia, the name “Kremlin” is sometimes mistakenly thought of as being Saint Basil’s Cathedral because of its distinctive environment, although this is not a part of the Moscow Kremlin. The name Kremlin (or Kreml) has been allocated to various Soviet Navy vessels during construction. In each case, the name was changed prior to commissioning. Vessels which have briefly carried this name included Admiral Kuznetsov and Ulyanovsk. 40. Wat Phra Kaew (Thailand) The Wat Phra Kaew (English Temple of the Emerald Buddha) full official name Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is located in the historic center of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The construction of the temple started when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1785. Unlike other temples it does not contain living quarters for monks; rather, it has only the highly decorated holy buildings, statues, and pagodas. 41. Wat Arun (Thailand) Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan. The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower). Begun in 1809, it may have been named “Temple of the Dawn” because the first light of morning reflects off the surface of the temple with a pearly iridescence. Steep steps lead up to two terraces. The height is reported by different sources as between 66.8 m and 86 m. The corners are surrounded by 4 smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China. Middle East 42. Dome of the Rock (Israel) The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The site’s significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone in Judaism, at its heart. The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of a platform known as the Temple Mount, which Muslims refer to as the “Noble Sanctuary”. It was constructed over the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire. 43. Masada (Israel) Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. After the First Jewish-Roman War a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels, who preferred death to surrender. According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. 44. Petra (Jordan) Petra, is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma’an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of “the 40 places you have to see before you die”. 45. Baalbek (Lebanon) Baalbek is a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude 1,170 metres (3,800 ft), situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, known as Heliopolis was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. The largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, they are also among the best preserved. Towering high above the Beqaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The gods worshipped here, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male god of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design. 46. Damascus (Syria) Damascus (commonly known as ash-Shām also known as the “City of Jasmin”) is the capital and largest city of Syria as well as one of the country’s 14 governorates. The Damascus Governorate is ruled by a governor appointed by the Minister of Interior. In addition to being widely known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious center of the Levant. Damascus has a wealth of historical sites dating back to many different periods of the city’s history. Since the city has been built up with every passing occupation, it has become almost impossible to excavate all the ruins of Damascus that lie up to 8 feet (2.4 m) below the modern level. The Citadel of Damascus is located in the northwest corner of the Old City. 47. Palmyra (Syria) Palmyra was in ancient times an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It has long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert and was known as the Bride of the Desert. The earliest documented reference to the city by its Semitic name Tadmor, Tadmur or Tudmur (which means “the town that repels” in Amorite and “the indomitable town” in Aramaic.) is recorded in Babylonian tablets found in Mari. Though the ancient site fell into disuse after the 16th century, it is still known as Tadmor in Arabic, and there is a newer town next to the ruins of the same name. The Palmyrenes constructed a series of large-scale monuments containing funerary art such as limestone slabs with human busts representing the deceased. 48. Hagia Sophia (Turkey) Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and to have “changed the history of architecture.” It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 A.D. on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site. 49. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkey) The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction of Istanbul. 50. Library of Celsus (Turkey) The library of Celsus, in Ephesus, Asia Minor (Anatolia, now Turkey), was built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (completed in 135 AD) by Celsus’ son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). Celsus had been consul in 92 AD, governor of Asia in 115 AD, and a wealthy and popular local citizen. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. It was unusual to be buried within a library or even within city limits, so this was a special honor for Celsus. The building is important as one of few remaining examples of an ancient Roman-influenced library. It also shows that public libraries were built not only in Rome itself but throughout the Roman Empire.

Black Hole adalah wilayah ruang dari yang tidak ada, tidak bahkan cahaya, dapat melarikan diri. Ini adalah hasil dari deformasi ruang-waktu disebabkan oleh massa sangat kompak. Sekitar lubang hitam ada permukaan tidak terdeteksi yang menandai titik yang tidak kembali, yang disebut cakrawala peristiwa. Hal ini disebut "hitam" karena menyerap semua cahaya yang hits itu, mencerminkan apa-apa, hanya seperti sebuah benda hitam sempurna dalam termodinamika. Mekanika kuantum memprediksi bahwa lubang hitam juga memancarkan radiasi seperti benda hitam dengan suhu terbatas. Suhu ini menurun dengan massa lubang hitam, sehingga tidak mungkin untuk mengamati radiasi ini untuk lubang hitam massa bintang.Meskipun tidak terlihat interior, sebuah lubang hitam dapat diamati melalui interaksi dengan materi lainnya. Sebuah lubang hitam bisa disimpulkan dengan melacak gerakan kelompok bintang yang mengorbit suatu daerah dalam ruang. Atau, saat gas jatuh ke dalam lubang hitam bintang dari bintang, gas spiral ke dalam, pemanasan pada temperatur sangat tinggi dan jumlah besar memancarkan radiasi yang dapat dideteksi dari teleskop membumi dan mengorbit Bumi.Para astronom telah mengidentifikasi sejumlah calon bintang lubang hitam, dan juga telah menemukan bukti dari lubang hitam supermasif di pusat galaksi. Pada tahun 1998, astronom menemukan bukti kuat bahwa lubang hitam supermasif lebih dari 2 juta massa matahari terletak dekat kawasan * Sagittarius A di pusat galaksi Bima Sakti, dan hasil yang lebih baru menggunakan data tambahan menemukan bukti bahwa lubang hitam supermasif lebih dari 4 juta massa matahari.


Gagasan tentang sebuah tubuh sehingga besar yang bahkan cahaya tidak dapat melarikan diri pertama kali dikemukakan oleh ahli geologi John Michell dalam sebuah surat tertulis kepada Henry Cavendish pada tahun 1783 untuk Royal Society:

    
Jika semi diameter bola dari densitas yang sama seperti Matahari adalah untuk melebihi dari Matahari di proporsi 500 sampai 1, tubuh jatuh dari ketinggian tak terbatas ke arah itu akan diperoleh pada permukaannya kecepatan lebih besar dari cahaya, dan cahaya menyangka akibatnya akan tertarik oleh gaya yang sama secara proporsional kepada para vis inertiae, dengan badan-badan lainnya, semua cahaya yang dipancarkan dari badan seperti akan dilakukan untuk mengembalikan ke arah itu oleh gravitasinya sendiri yang tepat.
    
-John Michell 

 Pada 1796, matematikawan Pierre-Simon Laplace mempromosikan ide yang sama di edisi pertama dan kedua bukunya Exposition du Systeme du Monde (itu dihapus dari edisi nanti) seperti "bintang gelap" sebagian besar diabaikan da lam abad kesembilan belas, karena tidak mengerti bagaimana gelombang tak bermassa seperti cahaya dapat dipengaruhi oleh gravitasi.

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50 Keajaiban Kota Kuno Di Dunia

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)
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt, and in a historical irony is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that survives substantially intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2551 BC. The Great Pyramid consists of more than 2.3 million limestone blocks (unless it was built on a substantial core of natural rock, which is possible). The Egyptians obtained the majority of the limestone blocks from a nearby quarry. The Tura limestone used for the casing was quarried across the river. The largest granite stones in the pyramid, found in the “King’s” chamber, weigh 25 to 80 tonnes and were transported more than 500 miles away from Aswan.
21. Abu Simbel (Egypt)
Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments”, which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions.
22. Karnak (Egypt)
The Karnak Temple Complex — usually called simply Karnak — comprises a vast conglomeration of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amen and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Amenhotep III (ca. 1391-1351 BC). It is located near Luxor, some 500 km south of Cairo, in Egypt. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (”The Most Selected of Places”) and the main place of worship of the Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex takes its name from the nearby (and partly surrounded) modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor.
23. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (Egypt)
The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is situated beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Designed by the architect Senemut, the mortuary temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and is located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an inspiration, and later, a quarry. It is considered one of the “incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt.”. Hatshepsut’s temple is considered the closest Egypt came to the Classical Architecture. It marks a turning point in the architecture of Ancient Egypt, which forsook the megalithic geometry of the Old Kingdom for a temple which allowed for active worship, requiring the presence of participants to create the majesty.
24. Leptis Magna (Libya)
Leptis Magna, also known as Lectis Magna (or Lepcis Magna as it is sometimes spelled), also called Lpqy or Neapolis, was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located in Al Khums, Libya, 130 km east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea. The site is one of the most spectacular and unspoiled Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. The city appears to have been founded by Phoenician colonists sometime around 1100 BC, although it did not achieve prominence until Carthage became a major power in the Mediterranean Sea in the 4th century BC. It nominally remained part of Carthage’s dominions until the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC and then became part of the Roman Republic, although from about 200 BC onward, it was for all intents and purposes an independent city.
25. Timbuktu (Mali)
Timbuktu (Timbuctoo) is a city in Tombouctou Region, in the West African nation of Mali. It was made prosperous by the tenth mansa of the Mali Empire, Mansa Musa. It is home to Sankore University and other madrasas, and was an intellectual and spiritual capital and centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahya, recall Timbuktu’s golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.


Asia
26. Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire’s state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Orissa and the Chola of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.
27. Great Wall of China (China)
The Great Wall of China or is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
28. Forbidden City (China)
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum’s former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War. (based on a
29. Terracotta Army (China)
The Terracotta Army is the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6 ft–6 ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many archeologists believe that there are many pits still waiting to be discovered.
30. Hanging Temple of Hengshan (China)
The Hanging Temple is a temple built into a cliff ( 75m Above the ground ) near Mount Heng in the province of Shanxi. The closest city is Datong, 65 kilometers to the northwest. Along with the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements.
31. Leshan Giant Buddha (China)
The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world and at the time of its construction was the tallest statue in the world. At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are 28 metres wide and his smallest toenail is large enough to easily accommodate a seated person.
32. Taj Mahal (India)
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”
33. Harmandir Sahib (India)
Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib, informally referred to as The Golden Temple or Temple of God, is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs and one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs, and is, also due to the shrine, known as Guru Di Nagri meaning city of the Guru. Originally built during AD 1574, the site of the temple was surrounded by a small lake in a thin forest. The third of the six grand Mughals, emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das.
34. Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple (India)
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. The complex houses 14 magnificent Gopurams or towers including two golden Gopurams for the main deities, that are elaborately sculptured and painted. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is believed to have been built in 1600. The tallest temple tower is 51.9 metres (170 ft) high.
35. Borobudur (Indonesia)
Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
36. Kinkaku-ji (Japan)
Kinkaku-ji or formally Rokuon-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the construction that represents the Kitayama Culture of Muromachi period. The original Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397 to serve as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as part of his estate then known as Kitayama. It was his son, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi, who converted the building into a Zen temple of the Rinzai school.
37. Bagan (Myanmar)
Bagan, formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Division of Burma (Myanmar). Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay. Bagan was submitted to become a UNESCO heritage site but many speculate of politics as partly the reason for the exclusion. UNESCO does not designate Bagan as a World Heritage Site. The main reason given is that the military junta (SPDC) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas, temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural styles and using modern materials which bear little or no resemblance to the original designs. The junta has also established a golf course, a paved highway, and built a 200-foot (61-m) watchtower in the southeastern suburb of Minnanthu.
38. Banaue Rice Terraces (Philippines)
The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe. The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
39. Kremlin (Russia)
Kremlin is the Russian word for “fortress”, “citadel” or “castle” and refers to any major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there. Outside Russia, the name “Kremlin” is sometimes mistakenly thought of as being Saint Basil’s Cathedral because of its distinctive environment, although this is not a part of the Moscow Kremlin. The name Kremlin (or Kreml) has been allocated to various Soviet Navy vessels during construction. In each case, the name was changed prior to commissioning. Vessels which have briefly carried this name included Admiral Kuznetsov and Ulyanovsk.
40. Wat Phra Kaew (Thailand)
The Wat Phra Kaew (English Temple of the Emerald Buddha) full official name Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is located in the historic center of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The construction of the temple started when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1785. Unlike other temples it does not contain living quarters for monks; rather, it has only the highly decorated holy buildings, statues, and pagodas.
41. Wat Arun (Thailand)
Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan. The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower). Begun in 1809, it may have been named “Temple of the Dawn” because the first light of morning reflects off the surface of the temple with a pearly iridescence. Steep steps lead up to two terraces. The height is reported by different sources as between 66.8 m and 86 m. The corners are surrounded by 4 smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China.


Middle East
42. Dome of the Rock (Israel)
The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The site’s significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone in Judaism, at its heart. The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of a platform known as the Temple Mount, which Muslims refer to as the “Noble Sanctuary”. It was constructed over the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In 637 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire.
43. Masada (Israel)
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. After the First Jewish-Roman War a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels, who preferred death to surrender. According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada.
44. Petra (Jordan)
Petra, is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma’an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of “the 40 places you have to see before you die”.
45. Baalbek (Lebanon)
Baalbek is a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude 1,170 metres (3,800 ft), situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, known as Heliopolis was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire. It is Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. The largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, they are also among the best preserved. Towering high above the Beqaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The gods worshipped here, the Triad of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were grafted onto the indigenous deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male god of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design.
46. Damascus (Syria)
Damascus (commonly known as ash-Shām also known as the “City of Jasmin”) is the capital and largest city of Syria as well as one of the country’s 14 governorates. The Damascus Governorate is ruled by a governor appointed by the Minister of Interior. In addition to being widely known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious center of the Levant. Damascus has a wealth of historical sites dating back to many different periods of the city’s history. Since the city has been built up with every passing occupation, it has become almost impossible to excavate all the ruins of Damascus that lie up to 8 feet (2.4 m) below the modern level. The Citadel of Damascus is located in the northwest corner of the Old City.
47. Palmyra (Syria)
Palmyra was in ancient times an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It has long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert and was known as the Bride of the Desert. The earliest documented reference to the city by its Semitic name Tadmor, Tadmur or Tudmur (which means “the town that repels” in Amorite and “the indomitable town” in Aramaic.) is recorded in Babylonian tablets found in Mari. Though the ancient site fell into disuse after the 16th century, it is still known as Tadmor in Arabic, and there is a newer town next to the ruins of the same name. The Palmyrenes constructed a series of large-scale monuments containing funerary art such as limestone slabs with human busts representing the deceased.
48. Hagia Sophia (Turkey)
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and to have “changed the history of architecture.” It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 A.D. on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site.
49. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkey)
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction of Istanbul.
50. Library of Celsus (Turkey)
The library of Celsus, in Ephesus, Asia Minor (Anatolia, now Turkey), was built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (completed in 135 AD) by Celsus’ son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). Celsus had been consul in 92 AD, governor of Asia in 115 AD, and a wealthy and popular local citizen. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. It was unusual to be buried within a library or even within city limits, so this was a special honor for Celsus. The building is important as one of few remaining examples of an ancient Roman-influenced library. It also shows that public libraries were built not only in Rome itself but throughout the Roman Empire.

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