Remarkable Man-Made Wonders of the World

 The iconic Great Sphinx of Giza continues to mesmerize

There are over 100 million buildings in the world, a number that is absolutely staggering when you try to wrap your head around it. Before settling down and building structures, people were nomadic for thousands of years – that was, of course, 1.8 million years ago. Mostly, these buildings were simple structures consisting of four walls and a roof. Over time, people learned better techniques and began creating more elaborate structures, similar to the ones we are examining today.

From that time to the present day, people have built many remarkable man-made structures. Some are grand homes while others have been used as seats of government as well as for other purposes. Let's take a look at some of these notable man-made structures.

Workers cut the original Great Sphinx of Giza from its bedrock in about 2542 BC, but other workers have restored the statue from limestone on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The head of this statue is that of a human being, with many experts suggesting that it represents the head of the Pharaoh Khafre, while the body of the statue is that of a mythological creature like a lion. The Great Sphinx was given this name around 25 BC. Found in.

Presumably, the head of the Great Sphinx of Giza was initially formed by winds striking the bedrock. Then, the workers carved the head. Later, they created a trench around the head and workers used the removed base to build the body of the statue. Evidence suggests that the Great Sphinx of Giza originally had a nose carved before 1737, but no one knows who might have taken the nose as a souvenir or why. The statue probably had a beard, although this may have been added later. In 1980, a back passage was discovered in the Great Sphinx of Giza, suggesting that the statue may have originally been intended as a funerary structure.

Workers toiled for nearly 30 years during the first half of the 26th century BC to build the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt's largest pyramid. It is the final resting place of Pharaoh Khufu, the second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. This pyramid is the northernmost pyramid in the Giza pyramid complex. For more than 3,800 years, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. When visitors view the Great Pyramid of Giza, they see the interior of the pyramid as limestone originally covered the exterior. The pyramid has three chambers, the lowest chamber is below ground.

Workers used about 2.3 million blocks to build the pyramid, each weighing about 2.5 tons. They took the stone from a nearby quarry, but workers brought other materials from up to 500 miles away. The corners of the pyramid are roughly aligned with the four geographical cardinal directions, a feat that still baffles the minds of scholars today.

The Taj Mahal, located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to the couple's 14th child in 1631. The architect Ustad Ahmed Lahauri led a force of 20,000 workers to build the main building in 1643 but work on the surrounding buildings continued until about 1653.

The main building's onion dome, which stands 115 feet high, makes it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The exterior of the building has wonderful examples of Mughal architecture created by artists using paint, stones and plaster. Its interior contains many examples of lapidary work made of precious and semi-precious gems. There are sixteen sunken gardens around the main building, in which gardeners label most of the plants with their scientific names. Red sandstone walls surround the main complex on three sides, near the walls are small tombs of the emperor's other wives and his favorite servant.

Angkor Wat, spread over 400 acres, is the largest religious complex in the world. The temple's design is believed to resemble Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, and many of the towers are precisely positioned to align with the solstice at sunrise. The walls and moat symbolize the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean, while the towers represent mountain peaks. Workers used approximately 7.5 million sandstone blocks weighing approximately 1.5 tons each to create the five original towers. He covered almost every surface, including the ceiling, with carvings based on Indian literature.

King Suryavarman II had workers begin construction of this sandstone complex near Angkor, Cambodia during the 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. A Hindu religious leader named Divakarapandit urged King Suryavarman II to build the structure. Although it is a matter of debate, this complex may have been a funerary temple of the king. After the Chams gained control of the area in 1177, Angkor Wat was converted into a Buddhist temple in honor of the wife of King Jayavarman VII.

Workers built the Great Wall of China on the historic northern borders of the ancient Chinese states and imperial China as a fortification against nomadic groups. The earliest parts of the wall date back to the 7th century BC while the latest parts date to around 200 BC. According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, the wall is 13,170.70 miles long, which is an undeniably impressive length. From its beginning near Dunhuang, Gansu, China, to its end at the Bohai Sea, there are 10,051 wall sections, 1,764 ditches, 29,510 individual buildings, and 2,211 defensive fortifications.

The oldest parts of the wall are built of mud, but in about 1368, workers began to use lime or stone bricks, which they often held together with sticky rice mortar. Workers used clay to build the western part of the wall. Recently, workers have rebuilt many areas near major tourist destinations.

The Nabataeans settled in Petra, Jordan in the 2nd century BC, and were famous for building a desert city of unique pink-colored sandstone quarried from the local hills. Workers built dams, cisterns, and aqueducts to control water, allowing them to store it for long periods of drought.

Many examples of Hellenistic architecture exist in the city. The most important monument in Petra is the monastery, which is 148 feet in height and 160 feet in width. Al-Khazneh Treasury is the most elaborate building. Located at the narrow end of the Sieg Gorge, the structure contains hundreds of bullet holes planted by local Bedouin tribes, who believed the structure contained great wealth. Nearby is the theatre, set up so that visitors can see most of the tombs. Also nearby is the Petra Pool and Garden Complex, which consists of a large swimming pool, an island pavilion and a complex hydraulic system.