The most famous architectural monuments. Architectural monuments of the world and Russia

Our planet earth is amazing and unique. The beauty of our world is simply enchanting; one cannot help but admire it. The bright blue sky is overhead, and you just want to soar up, rise high above the earth to enjoy the beauty of our world! And how beautiful the sky is at night, when you can watch the countless lights lit by some wizard. Perhaps somewhere among these stars there are planets similar to ours, just as amazingly beautiful.

Four elements live on our planet: earth, water, air, fire. They cannot be commanded, they cannot be taught, subjugated, one can only be friends with them. No matter how hard man tries to resist the elements, nothing works. People were very mistaken in thinking that they could control nature.

Romantics and travelers of different times tried to reveal all the secrets of our world, but much still remains unknown and secret. Many of them went on a trip to once again visit those picturesque corners of our land that left an indelible impression on their souls. High mountains, endless steppes, hot deserts, unexplored oceans cannot but attract people. People should live in harmony with the world around them and not try to subjugate it.

There are quite a large number of famous places on our planet that fascinate with their beauty. What are the most famous places in the world? The list of these places will be discussed in detail below.

Eiffel Tower in France

The first to be mentioned is the famous Eiffel Tower. It justifiably takes first place in the list of the most popular places in the world. The Eiffel Tower is an outstanding architectural part of Paris, one of the most famous symbols of the city. It is impossible to imagine Paris without this attraction.

Its height is 300 m. The Eiffel Tower has already attracted more than 200 million guests and is the most visited attraction in the world. It is the most frequently photographed subject in France. This structure is a subject of curiosity and admiration for millions of people. To climb this beautiful structure, you can use the elevator or stairs. From the height of the tower you can see a wonderful panorama of Paris.

the great Wall of China

She is a symbol of China. The Great Wall of China is a great ancient Chinese military structure, a true miracle in the history of world architecture. She looks like a giant dragon. This landmark is more than 2000 years old. Some parts of it have disappeared, others remain in the form of ruins. Part of the wall has passed the test over the years; great dynasties ruled the country under it.

This famous structure remains the most fascinating historical monument in the world. This is all due to the grandeur of the architecture and historical significance. The Great Wall of China is considered the greatest miracle that was achieved by the people of China. Every year more than 10 million travelers from all over the world come to see this attraction. There are different ways to look at the Great Wall of China. Some people want to look at famous objects, enjoy the panorama, take a beautiful photo, walk along a wall, or take a cable car. Others want to study parts of the wall that have disappeared, unreconstructed or abandoned. But this route is not very safe. The Great Wall of China is the greatest phenomenon in the field of engineering, one of the most famous monuments of human civilization. In 1987, this attraction was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest defensive structure.

Indian Taj Mahal

This is a very significant monument to India, which was erected in the name of love and devotion to a woman of extraordinary beauty. This famous landmark has no parallel in grandeur. The Taj Mahal is a reflection of the wealth of the era. This structure, made of white marble, was the last gift of the Mongol Emperor Shah Jahan to his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

The emperor was ordered to find the best craftsmen. The Taj Mahal is included in the list of the 7 most majestic monuments on the planet. It is decorated with gold and semi-precious stones. It is one of the favorite subjects for photography. The Taj Mahal is the pearl of Muslim culture in India. He was an inspiration for many poets and artists. There is a beautiful garden around the Taj Mahal. The garden is considered the personification of heaven on Earth.

Famous Pyramids of Giza

This is an ancient tourist attraction. It is also considered a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization.

The largest of the pyramids is the Great Pyramid. There are 2.3 million stone blocks in it. The Great Pyramid is considered the only surviving wonder of the Ancient World. In our time, this is the most massive building erected in the entire history of mankind 4500 years ago. The largest of the pyramids is considered to be Khufu. It contains 2.3 million stone blocks. The average weight is 2.5 tons, the maximum is 15 tons. They adjoin each other so tightly that no mortar was used during construction. This pyramid took about 20 years to build. Based on this, a new block was installed every 5 minutes. The Great Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a man. It is considered the largest monolithic statue in the world. Its length is 73.5 m, width - 6 m, height of the statue - 20.2 m. The Sphinx is the most interesting monument of Ancient Egypt. The reason for the construction of such a large sculpture is unknown. There is a version that the Sphinx protected 2 great pyramids (Cheops and Khafre). The pyramids are the most recognizable symbols of Egypt, as well as the center of the country's tourism. Every day from 6 to 10 thousand travelers come to see these attractions.

Roman Coliseum

It is the legendary amphitheater of Rome. In the Colosseum, people doomed to death fought and died in order to entertain the free citizens of Rome. 80 inputs and outputs were read in the structure. The capacity of the Colosseum is about 50,000 spectators. Modern sports buildings don't even have that much capacity. This testifies to its greatness 2000 years after its construction. This is a famous and at the same time mournful monument to the Roman power of the emperors and its cruelty. Inside, behind close-knit rows of arches and columns, the Romans for centuries coolly watched the murder of tens of thousands of condemned criminals, captured warriors, slaves, animals. Almost 2000 years later, it still attracts great interest from visitors.

After the reconstruction carried out 5 years ago, the underground tunnels in which in ancient times the chained gladiators waited to enter the arena were opened for viewing for the first time.

The history of mankind leaves to descendants visible material reflections of bygone eras and civilizations. Of course, culture is not limited to material monuments. But few other things speak of the past as convincingly as architectural monuments. Without them, it is impossible to imagine the culture of any ethnic group significant in the history of mankind.

Through times and eras

It is generally accepted that time is merciless to everything. Its effect affects even such durable natural materials as basalt and granite. Among other things, architectural monuments are also being destroyed. But any society that considers itself civilized always takes care of their safety. The stone heritage of the past is carefully protected and restored as necessary. Every nation has iconic architectural structures that have a certain spiritual dimension. This is something more than specially connected sets of stones and slabs.

Architecture and tourism

In addition to the unconditional cultural, historical and spiritual significance, architectural monuments also have a very specific economic meaning. In order to become familiar with the heritage of history and culture and take pictures against the backdrop of ancient architecture, people are willing to travel very long distances and spend significant amounts of money. Tourists prefer to leave their money in those countries where ancient architectural monuments are abundant.

There are many countries for which tourism is one of the most important industries. There are states where, apart from tourism, there is simply no other economic life. But even such developed European countries as Italy, France or Spain are interested in attracting travelers. The most successful states in the field of tourism are those that, in addition to a comfortable beach holiday, are able to offer guests an acquaintance with historical and architectural relics, carefully preserved and carefully restored.

World cultural space

The world's architectural monuments are distributed very unevenly across the planet. It is not an exaggeration to say that most of them are concentrated in Europe and in its immediate vicinity. Modern Egypt is very lucky, on whose territory there is the architectural heritage of a unique, irretrievably vanished civilization. But the greatest number of architectural works is concentrated in the cities of Italy. Entire generations of craftsmen have worked on their creation over the centuries. To a certain extent, the same can be said about many large and small European cities. But the United States of America is much less fortunate in this regard: on its territory it is not so easy to find an architectural structure that is more than two hundred years old. But even in this country, architectural monuments are loved and often imitated, giving an ancient Gothic look to recently erected buildings.

Protection of cultural heritage

The world created over several millennia by human civilization cannot be imagined without material monuments, and above all without architectural heritage. Its protection is the responsibility of all governments on whose territory the monuments ended up due to historical circumstances. And an international organization such as UNESCO is dealing with this problem on a planetary scale. She carefully protects especially significant architectural monuments and does everything to preserve them for future generations.

Territory of Russia

The history of our country is most often described starting with Kievan Rus. But on the territory of the modern federation there are many artifacts from much more distant eras.

Architectural ones are mainly concentrated on its European part - in two historical capitals and in the largest settlements of medieval Rus'. In tourist parlance they are usually called the cities of the Golden Ring. Among them are Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Vladimir and Suzdal. Of course, the list of settlements with a large number of ancient architectural monuments is not limited to the cities of the Golden Ring - there are many of them in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.

The heart of a great state - Moscow

For more than eight and a half centuries of its existence, the Russian capital has experienced a lot - fires, wars, revolutions and reconstructions. However, in terms of the total volume of cultural heritage and the number of historical and architectural monuments, Moscow has no equal cities. The Moscow Kremlin and Red Square are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A significant number of architectural monuments are located throughout the city and beyond. Outstanding works of Russian architecture are located in historical noble estates and ancient Orthodox monasteries. The most important part of the capital's transport infrastructure - the Moscow Metro - is filled with unique architectural monuments. Without the slightest exaggeration, many of its stations can be considered architectural masterpieces.

Saint Petersburg

Has a special destiny. It was originally conceived as something exceptional and completely unlike any of the cities that existed in the country at that time. The best craftsmen and architects of the era, as well as many forced serfs who laid down their lives on the foundation of the future capital of the Russian Empire, were involved in the creation of a unique city. And this plan was fully realized. The architectural monuments of St. Petersburg are known today throughout the civilized world. It is difficult to say whether the northern capital is inferior to Moscow in terms of their number. But in order to become thoroughly familiar with the entire architectural heritage of the city on the Neva, a lifetime may not be enough, because you will have to examine a lot - from the Winter Palace to Peterhof, from Pavlovsk to Tsarskoye Selo. And this is not surprising - St. Petersburg was built from the first stones as an architectural monument.

Travel along the Volga

But in order to become imbued with the cultural heritage of Russia, mere acquaintance with the architectural monuments of both of its historical capitals is clearly not enough. To do this, it also makes sense to take a leisurely trip down the Volga - from Yaroslavl to Astrakhan. On the way you will meet such dissimilar cities as Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Saratov. The architectural heritage of each of them deserves attention. The ancient kremlins on the high Volga slopes in Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan leave a very vivid impression. In addition to the large ones, there are also lesser-known, but very significant provincial historical settlements in Russian culture, such as Plyos and Myshkin. There are architectural monuments there that are in no way inferior in antiquity to well-known tourist attractions.

What places do tourists visit most often? Journalists from Travel Leisure decided to find out. Based on data provided by the institutions responsible for tourism in different countries, a list of the most visited tourist destinations in the world has been compiled. Which place turned out to be the most popular among tourists? Find out on FullPicture.

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30th place. Universal Studios Japan amusement park in Osaka, which opened in 2001. 10.1 million people visit it annually. (Photo: [email protected]/flickr.com).
29th place. Disney's Animal Kingdom amusement park in Florida is the largest of all the amusement parks owned by Walt Disney World Resort. It is also the second largest amusement park in the world. 10.2 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Ana Paula Hirama/flickr.com).
28th place. Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992, is located on the outskirts of Paris, in Marne-la-Vallee. 10.4 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Cristian Bortes/flickr.com).
27th place. The Sacré-Coeur Basilica, which is located on the picturesque hill of Montmartre in Paris. Its bell tower houses one of the largest bells in the world. This cathedral attracts 10.5 million people annually. (Photo: Son of Groucho/flickr.com).
26th place. The Great Wall of China (Wanli Changcheng) is the largest building structure of ancient China, consisting of defensive fortifications erected at different times in order to protect the northern borders of the country from the nomadic peoples of the North. 10.7 million people visit it annually (Photo: Shutterstock).
25th place. St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which has 11 chapels, 45 altars and countless statues, was created by the greatest architects and artists of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. 11 million people visit this place every year. (Photo: Chris Yunker/flickr.com).
24th place. Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This amusement park, located on an area of 12 thousand hectares, is one of the largest entertainment complexes in the world. 11.2 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Evan Wohrman/flickr.com).
23rd place. San Antonio Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. For a long time this embankment was unkempt and overgrown with weeds. However, the city authorities decided to change this, and by investing 72 million dollars, they created the most picturesque place in the city, which attracts thousands for tourists and local residents. Every year 11.5 million people come there. (Photo: jjsala/flickr.com).
22nd place. South Seaport Street in New York. The cobblestone streets, buildings and waterfront that formed New York's 19th-century waterfront area, known as the "Street of Sails", are now one of the city's most popular attractions. Every year this tourist center is visited by 12 million people. (Photo: Patricia Hallstein/flickr.com).
21st place. Balboa Park is the largest tourist destination in San Diego. There are a large number of museums and historical buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, built in Spanish style and with colorful gardens. More than 12 million people visit this place every year. (Photo: Osbornb/flickr.com).
20th place. Golden Gate Park is located in San Francisco and covers an area of 4.1 square kilometers. It is visited by 13 million people a year. (Photo: Mila Zinkova/Wikimedia).
19th place. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, is visited by 14 million people every year. (Photo: Shutterstock).
18th place. Tokyo Disney Sea is an amusement park whose main theme is various myths and legends associated with the sea. More than 14 million tourists visit it every year. (Photo: JoshBerglund19/flickr.com).
17th place. Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco. This is an ideal place for a picnic and just relaxing among the greenery. 14.2 million people come there every year. (Photo: Frank Schulenburg/flickr.com).
16th place. The Forbidden City in Beijing is the former residence of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties and contains about 800 palaces. For five centuries the residence was closed to the outside world. Every year 15.3 million people come here. (Photo: Shutterstock).
15th place. Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Every year 16.2 million people have fun there. (Photo: HarshLight/flickr.com).
14th place. Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 and was the first Disney amusement park outside the United States. Every year it is visited by 17.2 million people. (Photo: fortherock/lickr.com).
13th place. Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston is a vibrant market where you can buy a variety of goods from around the world. About 18 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Masayuki (Yuki) Kawagishi/flickr.com)
12th place. Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, which opened in 1971, attracts 18.5 million visitors annually. (Photo: versageek/flickr.com).
11th place. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico is the largest shrine to the Virgin Mary in the world, with 20 million visitors annually. (Photo: Janothird/wikimedia.org).
10th place. Grand Central Terminal in New York is the largest train station in the world. 21.6 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Rob Young/wikimedia.org).
9th place. A total of 21.6 million people a year come to admire Niagara Falls from the Canadian and American sides. It’s not surprising, because this place makes a huge and indelible impression, regardless of the time of year. (Photo: Michael Muraz/flickr.com).
8th place. Senso-ji is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, built in 628. 30 million people visit it annually. (Photo: Wei-Te Wong/flickr.com).
7th place. Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo was built over 100 years ago in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Currently, it is visited by at least 30 million people annually. Despite such a large number of visitors, you can find peace and tranquility there. The temple is surrounded by a forest of more than 100 thousand trees. (Photo: Meiji Jingu/flickr.com).
6th place. The Las Vegas Strip is a section of Las Vegas Boulevard that is approximately 6.8 kilometers long. The Las Vegas Strip is home to nineteen of the twenty-five largest hotels in the world by number of rooms. The Las Vegas Strip attracts 30.5 million visitors annually. (Photo: David Stanley/flickr.com).
5th place. Washington DC's Union Station is ranked fifth among the most visited tourist destinations in the world. 40 million people visit it annually. (Photo: F Delventhal/flickr.com).
4th place. Central Park is the green symbol of New York. Every year, about 40 million people pass through its streets, for whom this is the best place to relax on the grass in a densely built-up city. (Photo: Abir Anwar/flickr.com).
3rd place. Times Square in New York has topped the list of the world's most visited tourist destinations for many years. In the latest ranking, however, he took only third place. This most famous square in the United States is visited by 50 million people every year. (Photo: MK Feeney/flickr.com).
2nd place. The Zocalo (Constitution Square) in Mexico City is one of the largest in the world. It was founded by the conquistadors in the 16th century on the site where the center of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan used to be. Nowadays it is a very busy square where people like to sit on benches, stone steps or high curbs. 85 million people visit it annually. (Photo: David Jones/flickr.com).
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul took 1st place in the ranking of the most visited tourist places in the world. The Grand Bazaar is a huge labyrinth of thousands of shops, stalls, fountains and cafes, and a mixture of scents, colors and people. At the Grand Bazaar you can buy almost everything: clothes, trinkets, carpets, spices and even aphrodisiacs. Shopping here is a relentless bargaining experience and an interesting adventure. This is probably why the Grand Bazaar is the most visited place in the world. 91.2 million people shop there every year! (Photo: george ruiz/flickr.com).

Eiffel Tower in France

To climb this beautiful structure, you can use the elevator or stairs. From the height of the tower you can see a wonderful panorama of Paris.

This famous structure remains the most fascinating historical monument in the world. This is all due to the grandeur of the architecture and historical significance. The Great Wall of China is considered the greatest miracle that was achieved by the people of China. Every year more than 10 million travelers from all over the world come to see this attraction.

There are different ways to look at the Great Wall of China. Some people want to look at famous objects, enjoy the panorama, take a beautiful photo, walk along a wall, or take a cable car. Others want to study parts of the wall that have disappeared, unreconstructed or abandoned. But this route is not very safe.

The Great Wall of China is the greatest phenomenon in the field of engineering, one of the most famous monuments of human civilization. In 1987, this attraction was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest defensive structure.

Indian Taj Mahal

The emperor was ordered to find the best craftsmen. The Taj Mahal is included in the list of the 7 most majestic monuments on the planet. It is decorated with gold and semi-precious stones. It is one of the favorite subjects for photography. The Taj Mahal is the pearl of Muslim culture in India. He was an inspiration for many poets and artists.

There is a beautiful garden around the Taj Mahal. The garden is considered the personification of heaven on Earth.

Famous Pyramids of Giza

This is an ancient tourist attraction. It is also considered a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization.

This pyramid took about 20 years to build. Based on this, a new block was installed every 5 minutes. The Great Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a man. It is considered the largest monolithic statue in the world. Its length is 73.5 m, width - 6 m, height of the statue - 20.2 m.

The Sphinx is the most interesting monument of Ancient Egypt. The reason for the construction of such a large sculpture is unknown. There is a version that the Sphinx protected 2 great pyramids (Cheops and Khafre).
The pyramids are the most recognizable symbols of Egypt, as well as the center of the country's tourism. Every day from 6 to 10 thousand travelers come to see these attractions.

Roman Coliseum

After the reconstruction carried out 5 years ago, the underground tunnels in which in ancient times the chained gladiators waited to enter the arena were opened for viewing for the first time.

When a tourist is going to travel to any country, it is useful for him to think about his travel plan in advance and choose those attractions that should be visited first. Just remember, there are so many of these attractions that a lifetime may not be enough to see them!

Machu Picchu (Peru)

The ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu has been dubbed a new wonder of the world. It was built in the saddle of a mountain range at an elevation of 2450 meters, for which it received the figurative name “city among the clouds” or “city in the sky.” A number of archaeologists believe that this “sacred” mountain shelter was built for himself around 1440 by the Inca ruler Pachacutec. The city flourished until 1532, until the Spanish conquerors came here, after which all the city's inhabitants mysteriously disappeared.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the six largest mosques in the world. It is dedicated to the founder of the UAE and the first president of this country, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The uniqueness of this mosque is that any visitors are allowed into it, regardless of their faith. The mosque amazes with its grandiose size, magnificent architecture, white marble and magnificent green gardens.

Taj Mahal (Agra, India)

One of the wonders of the world - the Taj Mahal mausoleum is perhaps the most recognizable world, and not just Indian, landmark. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for the repose of his beloved third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. This one of the most beautiful buildings in the world has become the personification of eternal love. The mausoleum has 5 domes, the highest of which rises to 74 meters, as well as 4 minarets in the corners of the complex. Near the mosque there is a huge swimming pool with fountains and a magnificent garden. The walls of the mausoleum are covered with perfectly polished, seemingly translucent marble slabs, decorated with incredibly beautiful floral and plant patterns.