Lawang
Sewu
Lawang Sewu is a historic building in Indonesia located in Semarang
City, Central Java. This building was formerly the office of
Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij or NIS. It was built in 1904 and
completed in 1907. It is located at the Tugu Muda area.
However, Lawang Sewu was built on 27
February 1904 under the name Het hoofdkantor van de Nederlands-Indische
Spoorweg Maatschappij (used for NIS Headquarters). Initially the office
administration activities were conducted at Semarang Gudang Station (Samarang
NIS), but with the rapid development of the railway network, resulted in the
increasing need for large technical and administrative personnel.
Borobudur Temple
Borobudur is a Buddhist temple
located in Magelang, Central Java. The location of the temple is approximately
86 km west of Surakarta, 100 km southwest of Semarang and 40 km northwest of
Yogyakarta. This stupa-shaped temple was founded by Mahayana Buddhists around
the year 800 AD during the reign of Shyilendra. Borobudur is also the largest
Buddhist temple and Buddhist monument in the world.
The unique thing of Borobudur temple
is the stone used as the main building construction material made of
volcanic ash of Mount Merapi which is also frozen. These blocks are then
arranged to form more than 500 stupas without the use of cement at all.
Sukhothai
Located in a beautiful in north-central Thailand, Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand for a couple hundred years. This is site is often overlooked by travelers, as few stop there on the way to Chiang Mai. The central area contains 21 temples enclosed by a moat. Its many temples showcase the unique Sukhothai style of decoration, which incorporates Khmer (Cambodian) and Sri Lankan influences. It’s a huge, huge site and takes a good day or two to see. Most of it is exposed to the sun, so bring sunscreen or you’ll get massively sunburned.
Tikal
This Mayan city-state is one of the largest and best-preserved ruins of that
civilization and was a dominant force in the Mayan world during the Classic
Period (200-900 AD). Located in Guatemala, this place lets
you experience your inner Indiana Jones early in the morning or late at night
when the tourists go home and it’s just you and the jungle. It is very serene,
and that made for one of the best travel memories I have. Be sure to spend the
night in the park, as you then really get to see it without the crowds. I
particularly enjoyed seeing the sunrise from atop the temples. (Random trivia:
The city at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope? Tikal!)
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the modern world. They are some of the oldest sacred sites in our index and certainly among of the most impressive. Although it is clear the pyramids were used for the burial of pharaohs, the construction, date, and possible symbolism of the Giza pyramids are still not entirely understood. This mystery only adds to the attractiveness of these ancient wonders and many modern people still regard Giza as a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been offered to explain the “mystery of the pyramids,” one of which is summarized below.
Giza is the most important site on earth for many New Age followers, who are drawn by the pyramids’ mysteries and ancient origins. Since 1990, private groups have been allowed into the Great Pyramid, and the majority of these have been seekers of the mystical aspects of the site. But even the most skeptical visitor cannot help but be awed by the great age, grand scale and harmonic mathematics of the pyramids of Giza.
Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: Cristo Redentor) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metres (31 ft) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tonnes (625 long,700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the statue has become an icon for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931.
Taj Mahal
Built
in the memory of a beloved wife, Taj Mahal is a symbol of love and affection.
It was built by Shah Jahan, fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty in his living
memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The whole structure is built with pure white
marble and it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was named a UNESCO
world heritage site in 1983.
Every
year, millions of people especially couples come here to witness its beauty,
but now the local government has limited the tourist visits due to degrading
quality of the white marbles majorly because of air pollution. So here is our
most popular historical places in the world. Did we miss anything? Please let
us know if we did.
Statue of Liberty
La
Liberte eclairant le monde or statue of liberty is neoclassical sculpture
situated in New York city. The designer Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave
Eiffel presented it to the Americans as a gift from the people of France. Every
year, millions of tourists visit this place to witness the statue of
Libertas, the Roman goddess, who bears a torch and tabula ansata (a tablet) and
broken chains near her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom, and a welcoming
sight to tourist and immigrants.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Archaeologists believe the iconic stone monument was constructed anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, as described in the chronology below. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were erected in 2400–2200 BC, whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see phase 1 below).
The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury Henge monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
The
Colosseum and Forum
The Colosseum and the Forum are right next to each other in Rome, so I included them
together. Remnants of a civilization that once controlled the known world,
these sites are breathtaking not only for their beauty but also for their
history and age. You’re standing in the spot Caesar walked and gazing into the
arena where gladiators battled to the death. The Colosseum has slowly crumbled
throughout the ages, and much of it is restricted now, especially the floor and
basement where everything was organized. The Forum is great to walk around (and
it’s free), though a ticket is required for Palatine Hill. I would definitely
get a guided tour because the information presented by the authorities doesn’t
go into much detail.
Machu
Picchu
Located in southern Peru, this ruined city lies
on top of a mountain that’s only accessible by train or a four-day trek.
Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, it was an important cultural center for
the Inca civilization but was abandoned when the Spanish invaded the region.
(It is famously referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas,” though that is
actually Vilcabamba). The location was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1983, and it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
Concerns over growing numbers of tourists have led to limitations on how many
people can enter the site, though only by a fraction of what is necessary. Hopefully,
they will limit it even more so this site can last for hundreds of years more.
Petra
Carved into a canyon in Arabah, Jordan, Petra was made famous by the third Indiana
Jones film when he went to find the Holy Grail. The site was “discovered”
in 1812 by a Swiss explorer who followed some local tribesmen there; prior to
that, it had been forgotten to the Western world. Though its founding is
unknown, it appears this place had settlers as early as the 6th century BC.
Under Roman rule, the site declined rapidly and was abandoned by the late 4th
century. In 1985, Petra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently
named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The
Parthenon
Though it’s currently (and seemingly has been forever) getting a face-lift, the
Parthenon is still astounding and breathtaking. This ancient temple to Athena
stands as a symbol of the power of Athens and a testament to
Greek civilization. Moreover, it provides a sweeping view of Athens and nearby
ruins, whose temples and buildings are equally as wondrous. Over the centuries,
much of it and the surrounding structures have been destroyed by war and
thieves. Luckily, the structure still stands… at least for now. Note that there
is scaffolding along the right side of the structure; considering it has been
there for over five years, I doubt it is going anywhere anytime soon. They do
things slowly in Greece.
Easter
Island
Located out in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, is home to Moai
statues that are the only thing left of a culture that once lived here. These
gigantic and impressively carved heads are just another reminder that primitive
people were not really all that primitive. The stones that attract visitors to
this island are made out of volcanic ash; many still remain in the quarry, left
behind by the inhabitants as diminishing resources on the island left their
tribes doomed to wars that finally killed them off.
The
Alhambra
The Alhambra is Granada’s — and Europe’s — love letter to
Moorish culture, a place where fountains trickle, leaves rustle, and ancient
spirits seem to mysteriously linger. Part palace, part fort, part World
Heritage site, part lesson in medieval architecture, the Alhambra has long
enchanted a never-ending line of expectant visitors. During the Napoleonic
occupation, the Alhambra was used as a barracks and nearly blown up. What you
see today has been heavily but respectfully restored. This is a beautiful site
with so many various gardens and buildings, and its view of the historic area
of Granada is second to none.
