Certain sites fascinate people around the globe because they showcase human creativity and reveal its history. Here are 10 enduring locations that should be on every traveller’s bucket list.
Statue of Liberty stands as an iconic symbol of freedom and hope in New York; while Stonehenge remains shrouded in mystery. We still don’t understand its purpose when originally constructed.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt is one of the world’s most iconic historic landmarks. An astounding statue made up of parts human and part lion that stands watch over Giza Necropolis pyramids conveying love and devotion to God as well as triumph of spirit over body.
Sphinx was the world’s first colossal royal sculpture and has long been revered by poets, artists, scholars, and adventurers for its stunning beauty and mystery-shrouded construction history. Though generally associated with Old Kingdom Egyptian Pharaoh Khafre (although no concrete evidence to back this claim).
Giovanni Battista Caviglia led the first modern effort to unearth the Sphinx in 1817; unfortunately it failed due to an outpouring of sand faster than their team could clear away. Repeated efforts failed until 1930s when it finally happened: freeing its neck-deep covering was achieved.
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was once a powerful regional capital. It served as an entryway into Mexico and southern Central America via water-borne circum-peninsular trade routes that brought obsidian and gold from these regions to Chichen Itza.
Mesoamerican architecture has produced many majestic monuments that are considered masterpieces for their beauty, proportions and refinement; such as El Castillo pyramid, Temple of Warriors and Great Ball Court are considered exceptional works of architecture in Mesoamerican.
Site significance extends further with regard to its astronomy knowledge, mathematical and writing systems and mythology. Caracol observatory played an essential part in refining Mayan calendar calculations as well as tracking solar, lunar and stellar movements.
Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Pyramid of Kukulkan, known as “The Feathered Serpent”, has been listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World. This amazing feat of engineering showcases Mayan genius while its other structures such as Sacred Cenote are testimony of royal generosity toward their rain god.
Easter Island
Rapa Nui (Easter Island), was discovered on Easter Sunday 1722 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen and named after its discovery day; however, its significance lies within its distinctive moai statues that dot its landscape.
Moais are impressive feats of sculpture dating from 1100 CE. Carved between that date and 1680 CE, these structures stand on an elevated platform called an ahu and were once decorated with necklaces made from pearls and coral.
An ahu served as both a burial site and place for funerary offerings by Rapa Nui people. After epidemics and war broke out on Rapa Nui they began interring their dead in mass graves that consisted of semi-pyramidal stone structures as an alternative.
Today, approximately 2,000 indigenous Islanders reside on Easter Island. Chile annexed it in 1888 and turned it into a national park to preserve its numerous archaeological sites.
Nan Madol
Nan Madol is an astounding collection of stone islands and canals rising three feet above the sea, situated on a coral reef. As such, it has come to be known as “Venice of the Pacific”.
Pohnpeians of the Saudeleur Dynasty lived on this complex of 92 artificial islets and 12 sea walls to practice mortuary rituals to honor Nahnisohn Sapw, their god of fertility and agriculture. Additionally, it served as a political and ceremonial hub.
Local legend asserts that Nan Madol was founded by sorcerers from Western Katau who could levitate huge stones, who then founded a dynasty of Saudeleur rulers who founded Nan Madol, but soon become abusive and began crumbling away – eventually defeated by warrior hero Isokelekel who took Nan Madol in 1628.
