Famous Buildings and Structures Prehistorical and Ancient The megalithic passage tomb atNewgrangein Ireland covers over an acre and was constructed around 3200B.C.Buried for centuries, the mound was rediscovered in 1699 and was restored starting in 1962. The tomb is extensively decorated with spiral and lozenge shapes. At the winter solstice, the rising sun shines down a long passage and lights up a cross-shaped chamber. Stonehenge,a massive circular megalithic monument on the Salisbury Plain in southern England, is the most famous of all prehistoric structures. Thought to have been built c. 2000B.C.,it may have been used as an astronomical instrument to measure solar and lunar movements. The Great Sphinxof Egypt, one of the wonders of ancient Egyptian architecture, adjoins thepyramids of Gizaand has a length of 240 ft. Built in the fourth dynasty, it is approximately 4,500 years old. A 10-year, $2.5 million restoration project was completed in 1998. Other Egyptian buildings of note include theTemples of Karnak,Edfu,andAbu Simbeland theTombs at Beni Hassan. The Parthenonof Greece, built on the Acropolisin Athens, was the chief temple to the goddess Athena. It was believed to have been completed by 438B.C.The present temple remained intact until the 5th centuryA.D.Today, though the Parthenonis in ruins, its majestic proportions are still discernible. Other great structures of the ancient Greek world were theTemples at Paestum(c. 540 and 420B.C.); the famous Erechtheum(c. 421–405B.C.), theTemple of Athena Nike(c. 426B.C.), and theOlympieum(begun in the 6th centuryB.C.) in Athens; theAthenian Treasuryat Delphi (c. 515B.C.); and theTheater at Epidaurus(c. 325B.C.). The Colosseum(Flavian Amphitheater) of Rome, the largest and most famous of the Roman amphitheaters, was opened for useA.D.80. Elliptical in shape, it consisted of three stories and an upper gallery, rebuilt in stone in its present form in the 3rd centuryA.D.It was principally used for gladiatorial combat and could seat between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators. The Pantheonat Rome, begun by Agrippa in 27B.C.as a temple, was rebuilt in its present circular form by Hadrian (A.D.118–128). Literally the Pantheonwas intended as a temple of “all the gods.” It is remarkable for its perfect preservation today, and has served continuously for 20 centuries as a place of worship. Famous Roman triumphal arches, built to commemorate major military victories, include theArch of Titus(c.A.D.80) and theArch of Constantine(c.A.D.315). Later European St. Mark's Cathedralin Venice (1063–1071), one of the great examples of Byzantine architecture, was begun in the 9th century. Partly destroyed by fire in 976, it was later rebuilt as a Byzantine edifice. Other famous examples of Byzantine architecture areSt. Sophiain Istanbul (532–537);San Vitalein Ravenna (542); andAssumption Cathedralin the Kremlin, Moscow (begun in 1475). The cathedral group at Pisa (1067–1173), one of the most celebrated groups of structures built in Romanesque style, consists of the cathedral, the cathedral's baptistery, and the campanile ( Leaning Tower). The campanile, a form of bell tower, is 180 ft high and now leans 13.5 ft out of the perpendicular. Other examples of Romanesque architecture include theVézelay Abbeyin France (1130) andDurham Cathedralin England. TheAlhambra(1248–1354), located in Granada, Spain, is universally esteemed as one of the greatest masterpieces of Muslim architecture. Designed as a palace and fortress for the Moorish monarchs of Granada, it is surrounded by a heavily fortified wall more than a mile in perimeter. The Tower of Londonis a group of buildings and towers covering 13 acres along the north bank of the Thames. The centralWhite Tower,begun in 1078 during the reign of William the Conqueror, was originally a fortress and royal residence, but was later used as a prison. TheBloody Toweris associated with Anne Boleyn and other notables. Westminster Abbey,in London, was begun in 1050 and completed in 1065. It was rebuilt and enlarged in several phases, beginning in 1245. With only two exceptions (Edward V and Edward VIII), every British monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the abbey. Notre-Dame de Paris(begun in 1163), one of the great examples of Gothic architecture, is a twin-towered church with a steeple over the crossing and immense flying buttresses supporting the masonry at the rear of the church. Other famous Gothic structures are Chartres Cathedral(France; 12th century);Sainte-Chapelle(Paris, France; 1246–1248);Reims Cathedral(France; 13th–14th centuries; rebuilt after its almost complete destruction in World War I);Rouen Cathedral(France; 13th–16th centuries);Salisbury Cathedral(England; 1220–1260);York Minster, or theCathedral of St.

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World People have put together many lists of the seven ancient wonders of the world. But this “seven wonders” list celebrates monumental engineering and construction feats of the 20th century. It was chosen by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Empire State Building.Finished in 1931, it towers 1,250 ft over New York City. Until the first tower of the World Trade Center was finished in 1972, it was the world's tallest building. The Empire State Building Itaipu Dam.Built by Brazil and Paraguay on the Paraná River, the dam is the world's largest hydroelectric power plant. Completed in 1991, it took 16 years to build this series of dams whose length totals 7,744 m. It used 15 times more concrete than the Channel Tunnel. CN Tower.In 1976, the tower became the world's tallest freestanding structure. It looms about one-third of a mile high (1,815 ft) above Toronto, Canada. A glass floor on the observation deck lets you look 342 m down to the ground. Panama Canal.It took 34 years to create this 50-mile-long canal across the Isthmus of Panama. The amount of digging required and the size of its locks helped make it the most expensive project in American history at that time—and the most deadly: About 80,000 people died during construction (most from disease). Channel Tunnel.Known as the Chunnel, it links France and England. It is 31 mi long, and 23 of those miles are 150 ft beneath the seabed of the English Channel. High-speed trains whiz through its side-by-side tubes. Netherlands North Sea Protection Works.Because the Netherlands is below sea level, a series of dams, floodgates, and surge barriers have been built to keep the sea from flooding the country during storms. The biggest part of the project was a two-mile-long moveable surge barrier across an estuary finished in 1986. It is made of 65 concrete piers each weighing 18,000 tons. It has been said that the project is nearly equal in scale to the Great Wall of China. The Golden Gate Bridge Wide World Photos Golden Gate Bridge.Connecting San Francisco and Marin County in 1937, for many years this was the longest suspension bridge in world. Experts thought that winds, ocean currents, and fog would make it impossible to build. It took about four years to complete the beautiful 1.2-mile-long bridge. It is held by 80,000 mi worth of steel wire, and the cables that link the two towers are 36.5 inches in diameter—the biggest ever made.

The Seven Wonders of the World Since ancient times, numerous “seven wonders” lists have been created. The content of these lists tends to vary, and none is definitive. The seven wonders that are most widely agreed upon as being in the original list are theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World,which was compiled by ancient Greek historians and is thus confined to the most magnificent structures known to the ancient Greek world. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive. The Pyramids of Egyptare three pyramids at Giza, outside modern Cairo. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 ft (now approximately 450 ft). The base has sides 755 ft long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is 2680B.C. TheHangingGardensof Babylonwere supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzararound 600B.C.to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 ft. TheStatue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympiawas made of gold and ivory by the Greek sculptor Phidias(5th centuryB.C.). Reputed to be 40 ft high, the statue has been lost without a trace, except for reproductions on coins. TheTemple of Artemis(Diana) at Ephesuswas begun about 350B.C., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who later became identified with the Greek goddess of the same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft high, was destroyed by invading Goths inA.D.262. TheMausoleum at Halicarnassuswas erected by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolusof Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353B.C.Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern wordmausoleum. The Colossus at Rhodeswas a bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 ft high. The work of the sculptor Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before completing it in 280B.C., it was destroyed during an earthquake in 224B.C. The Pharos(Lighthouse) of Alexandriawas built by Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd centuryB.C.on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century. (Some lists include the Walls of Babylonin place of the second or seventh wonder.)

The Seven Wonders of the World Since ancient times, numerous “seven wonders” lists have been created. The content of these lists tends to vary, and none is definitive. The seven wonders that are most widely agreed upon as being in the original list are theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World,which was compiled by ancient Greek historians and is thus confined to the most magnificent structures known to the ancient Greek world. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive. The Pyramids of Egyptare three pyramids at Giza, outside modern Cairo. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 ft (now approximately 450 ft). The base has sides 755 ft long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is 2680B.C. TheHangingGardensof Babylonwere supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzararound 600B.C.to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 ft. TheStatue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympiawas made of gold and ivory by the Greek sculptor Phidias(5th centuryB.C.). Reputed to be 40 ft high, the statue has been lost without a trace, except for reproductions on coins. TheTemple of Artemis(Diana) at Ephesuswas begun about 350B.C., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who later became identified with the Greek goddess of the same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft high, was destroyed by invading Goths inA.D.262. TheMausoleum at Halicarnassuswas erected by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolusof Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353B.C.Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern wordmausoleum. The Colossus at Rhodeswas a bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 ft high. The work of the sculptor Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before completing it in 280B.C., it was destroyed during an earthquake in 224B.C. The Pharos(Lighthouse) of Alexandriawas built by Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd centuryB.C.on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century. (Some lists include the Walls of Babylonin place of the second or seventh wonder.)

The Seven Wonders of the World Since ancient times, numerous “seven wonders” lists have been created. The content of these lists tends to vary, and none is definitive. The seven wonders that are most widely agreed upon as being in the original list are theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World,which was compiled by ancient Greek historians and is thus confined to the most magnificent structures known to the ancient Greek world. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids alone survive. The Pyramids of Egyptare three pyramids at Giza, outside modern Cairo. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 ft (now approximately 450 ft). The base has sides 755 ft long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks; the average weight of each is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of completion is 2680B.C. TheHangingGardensof Babylonwere supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzararound 600B.C.to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen Semiramis. Archeologists surmise that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 ft. TheStatue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympiawas made of gold and ivory by the Greek sculptor Phidias(5th centuryB.C.). Reputed to be 40 ft high, the statue has been lost without a trace, except for reproductions on coins. TheTemple of Artemis(Diana) at Ephesuswas begun about 350B.C., in honor of a non-Hellenic goddess who later became identified with the Greek goddess of the same name. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 ft high, was destroyed by invading Goths inA.D.262. TheMausoleum at Halicarnassuswas erected by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolusof Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353B.C.Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern wordmausoleum. The Colossus at Rhodeswas a bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 ft high. The work of the sculptor Chares, who reputedly labored for 12 years before completing it in 280B.C., it was destroyed during an earthquake in 224B.C. The Pharos(Lighthouse) of Alexandriawas built by Sostratus of Cnidus during the 3rd centuryB.C.on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century. (Some lists include the Walls of Babylonin place of the second or seventh wonder.)