Famous Landmarks | HowStuffWorks

The world’s famous landmarks have been celebrated for centuries. Ever since a Greek po­et named Antipater of Sidon compiled a roster of the Seven Wonders of the World in the second century B.C., people have made lists of awe-inspiring landmarks.

Why?

As a historical record? A guide for travelers?

Or perhaps as a reminder that despite mankind's sorry catalog of wars and cruelty, we have also achieved the sublime -- and left tangible proof for the ages?

We have compiled articles on 46 of the world's greatest landmarks, spanning continents and eras. Each profile gives details on the inspiration, creation, and fascinating features of the site.

Also included is a link to the ma­p of the country where the landmark is located, along with links to other interesting monuments, historic sites, and destinations. Browse our guide at the bottom of this page to find a landmark that suits you.

Landmarks reveal much about the great cultures of the past, in the same way that books pass on the ideas and values of people who came before us.

Newer landmarks reveal our own times -- ingenious, high-tech structures such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

New or old, the great landmarks send messages written in stone and sweat. What they say will endure for the ages.

Here's our guide to dozens of famous landmarks around the world:

Africa

• Abu Simbel, Egypt
• The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, Egypt
• The Temple at Karnak, Egypt

Asia

• Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Borobudur, Indonesia
• The Dome of the Rock, Israel
• Ellora Caves, India
• The Forbidden City, China
• The Golden Pavilion, Japan
• The Great Buddha, Japan
• The Great Wall of China, China
• Hagia Sophia, Turkey
• The Kaaba and Al-Haram Mosque, Saudi Arabia
• Krak des Chevaliers, Syria
• Petra, Jordan
• Potala Palace, China
• Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
• The Taj Mahal, India
• The Terra-cotta Army, China

Australia

• Sydney Opera House, Australia

Europe

• The Alhambra, Spain
• Arc de Triomphe, France
• Chartres Cathedral, France
• The Colosseum, Italy
• Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
• Eiffel Tower, France
• Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
• Houses of Parliament, England
• The Kremlin and Red Square, Russia
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
• Mont-St.-Michel, France
• Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
• Palace of Versailles, France
• The Pantheon, Italy
• The Parthenon and the Acropolis, Greece
• Pompeii, Italy
• Roman and Georgian Bath, England
• St. Mark’s Basilica, Italy
• St. Paul’s Cathedral, England
• St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, Italy
• Stonehenge, England

North America

• CN Tower, Canada
• Pyramids of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacán, Mexico

South America

• Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil
• Easter Island Statues, Chile
• Machu Picchu, Peru

To learn more about other landmarks and vacation destinations, see:

• National Monuments
• National Historic Sites

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