1 The Taj Mahal, India
It was built in the 1600s by Shah Jahan in memory of his dead third wife, Mumtaz Mahal and is the most famous monument for love, also considered to be 'crown of palaces'. This mausoleum is built with white marble and carved with beautiful designs. It is said that Shah Jahan ordered the hands of all the men who helped build the Taj Mahal to be cut so they could never build something like this again.
2 Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the biggest Hindu, as well as the oldest and biggest religious monument in the world. This 3km² walled and moated royal city with amazing temples that have the intricate designs on the walls of almost each temple was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. The design and construction of the temple started in the 12th century. Many parts of the temple are now remaining as
3 Moai, Easter Island
Easter Island, an island in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean is famous for its 887 monolithic human statues, called Moai. The tallest Moai was almost 10 metres high and weighed 82 tons. Many archaeologists suggest that for the Rapa Nui people who Carved Moai between 1250 and 1500, these statues were symbols of authority and power, both religious and political. And they are still not sure how the giant figures
4 Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The Maya name "Chichen Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza." Chichen Itza was a Mayan urban and trade centre and is famous for its sacred well, the astronomical observatory, temples, and stepped pyramids, of which the Temple of Kukulkan is the most famous one. It has 365 steps - one for each day of the year. From A.D. 750 to 1200 Chichen Itza was also the centre of the Mayan empire. During the 1400s, the Mayas mysteriously abandoned the city and moved into the jungle.
5 The Colosseum, Italy
The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an amphitheatre in the centre of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Its construction began in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD. It was used for fighting gladiators, executions, and also for dramas based on classical mythology. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.
6 Machu Picchu, Peru
The fascinating city of Machu Picchu, located in southern Peru, lies on top of a mountain, 2,430m above sea level and is only accessible by train or a 4-day trek. It was the last city of the Inca civilization. Some think it was a temple devoted to the Inca Sun god, and others that it was a royal place where the king relaxed, hunted, and had guests. Machu Picchu was abandoned in 1572, just over 100 years after it was built around 1450. Historians believe that most of its inhabitants died from
7 The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. For over 3,800 years, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world - 146.5 metres high when completed. Egyptologists believe that it was built as a tomb over a 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. Originally, it was covered by special stones that formed a smooth outer surface that reflected sunlight into the space.
8 Stonehenge
Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, is the remains of a ring of standing stones that weigh 4 - 25 tonnes. There are many theories about it, such as: Stonehenge was a place of healing, a funerary monument, a religious place. Its builders were extremely sophisticated in mathematics - it was aligned with the midwinter sunset and the midsummer sunset and also with the rising of the moon. Some of the monument’s stones have 'unusual acoustic properties' - when they are struck their sound can be heard nearly 200 miles away. It is believed Stonehenge was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, that's at least 300 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids.
9 The Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena. It stands as a symbol of the power of Athens and a testament to Greek civilization. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece and its architecture and sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. It was completed in 438 BC although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. Over the centuries, much of it and the surrounding structures have been destroyed by wars and thieves.
10 The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is the only man made structure can be seen with naked eye from the moon. It measures 8,851,8 km: 6,259 km of actual wall, 359 km of trenches and 2,232 km of natural barriers such as hills and rivers. At first, it was a series of fortresses made of stone, brick, soil, wood, and other materials, built along the northern borders of China to protect the Chinese Empire against their enemies, control the border and collect taxes on goods transported along the Silk Road. Several walls were built as early as the 7th century BC and later joined together to become bigger and stronger, and are now known as the Great Wall.