Monumental buildings in the world are iconic in their own right. Several cities around the world are recognized by their buildings that have historical and architectural feat. Some of the works famous building give inspiration and attract tourist. Moreover, they tell a history of how people lived in the past. For instance, the famous pyramid of Egypt says a lot about the past civilization.
Here are some of the world’s iconic buildings:
- Petra
Petra is an archaeological and a historical city in the Southern part of Jordan which was known by the locals as Raqmu. It is believed that Petra was established as a Nabataean Kingdom capital in the 6th century BC. The significance of the city declined over the years and finally abandoned in the early Muslim era. It was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
2. Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel in the southern part of Peru constructed in the 15th century on a mountain ridge at 7,970 feet above sea level. It is a famous icon of the Inca civilization. After its construction in around 1450, it was later abandoned after century following the Spanish conquest of the region. In 1981, it was named as a historic sanctuary in Peru and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
3. Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was a Chinese imperial palace found in central Beijing. It currently houses the palace museum. It served as a political and ceremonial center of the Chinese government for several centuries, and it was the home of the Emperors and their families. Construction was carried out between 1406 and 1420, and it is a complex building having 980 buildings covering an area of 72 hectares. It was listed Asa world Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO.
4. Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is located in the Southern bank of Yamuna River near the city of Accra in India. It was constructed using white marble that was commissioned in 1632 by emperor Shah Jahan of the Mughal Empire . The building houses the tomb of Emperor, Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The complex covers an area of 17 hectares and includes a guest house as well as a mosque with extensive gardens surrounding the building on three sides of the crenelated wall. The construction of Taj Mahal took about ten years at the cost of about $827 million in current values. In 1983, Taj Mahal was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is considered among the world’s universally admired masterpieces and a jewel of India’s Muslim art. The Taj Mahal attracts about 7 to 8 million tourists each year.
5. Big Ben
Big Ben is the name given to the clock’s Great Bell in the palace of Westminster. The Clock Tower was the original name of the tower where Big Ben is located. In 2012, the name was changed to Elizabeth Tower during the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower was constructed in neo-gothic style and was designed by Augustus Pugin. Its construction was completed in 1859, and it is the most accurate and the largest four-faced clock in the world.
The tower’s 150th-anniversary celebration was held on May 31, 2009. Of the Five Bells, Big Ben is the largest and weighs 13.7 tons and it held the record of the largest bell in the UK for 23 years. The tower has become a British cultural icon and is easily recognizable around the world. It has also become one of the UK’s parliamentary democracy.
