Historic sites captivate our global imagination through their beauty and human innovation, providing timeless lessons for students of all ages.
Historic sites are defined as places, buildings, or structures recognized by government for preservation due to cultural, military or social significance.
Historical places include house museums, churches and buildings of historical interest that help students better comprehend how past events impacted ordinary people in our modern lives.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks. This immense statue with the head of a human and body of a lion symbolically depicts cosmic equilibrium within life itself.
The Sphinx’s head and body were carved from bedrock, while it sits in a depression to the south of Khafre’s pyramid at Giza and was originally enclosed by a rocky enclosure.
Estimates and scholarly opinions differ, but most agree that the Sphinx was constructed during Pharaoh Khafre’s fourth Dynasty reign in Egypt. A temple associated with it may also have begun construction at that same time, and several dead-end shafts within and under its body may have served as scaffolding during construction.
The Ma’an Governorate
Ma’an Governorate in southern Jordan offers stunning ruins and plenty of attractions for visitors to explore, with Petra being one of the seven wonders of the world being one of its major highlights. You will surely be left speechless by this breathtaking archaeological site!
Ma’an offers visitors a warm and welcoming Arabian culture. Visitors can indulge in Bedouin tea while learning about its rich history, or attend one of several festivals or music concerts held here.
Many survey respondents feel women’s roles as caregivers for home and children is limited, with men generally enjoying greater privilege than female counterparts; consequently, few women assume leadership positions within tribal societies compared with men.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis is an icon of Greek culture and has undergone considerable change over time. At first it served as a fortress with treasure treasuries, armories and official buildings as well as temples; after Athens defeated Sparta in the Peloponnesian War however it underwent massive reconstruction programs led by statesman Pericles with Phidias overseeing it all.
The Acropolis complex, featuring the Parthenon, Erechtheion and Propylaea as living testaments of classical Greek culture and values is a living tribute to classic Greece and embodies Criterion (vi) of Outstanding Universal Value by directly and tangibly associating itself with events leading up to Democracy and Philosophy’s inception as well as being home to one of the world’s premier art collections and ancient building techniques. It truly fulfills this criteria in full measure.
The Treasury & Monastery of Petra
Al Khazneh or “the Treasury”, one of Petra’s iconic landmarks, is an exquisite rock-hewn facade cut into the face of a mountain and serves as one of the first structures visitors see after traversing Siq, an intricate natural gorge serving as its entranceway into city.
The Treasury was originally a tomb, though it became famous through Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as its famed location for dramatic climactic scenes. The name “Treasury” may have been adopted later as part of a local nomadic Bedouin tribe’s belief that it contained hidden riches within.
Beyond the Treasury, visitors can discover an assortment of royal tombs and structures of various sizes and architectural styles – including Byzantine-era ruins and a church with stunning mosaics.
The Ancient City of Petra
Petra is home to an astonishing variety and number of monuments carved from rock, which leaves visitors marveling at its incredible vistas and wonder. Some of its main features are The Treasury – with its spectacular facade cut directly into the rock; theater; obelisks; tombs and temples like Khaznah (“Treasury”), Ad-Deir (“Monastery”), and High Place of Sacrifice as well as numerous shrines and public buildings – which often leave guests speechless.
Petra’s complex ruins attest to the Nabateans’ exceptional creativity; yet their significance extends far beyond this. Furthermore, they serve as evidence of Bedouin innovation, who pioneered an architecture centered on religious and social principles; however until recently scholars and architects did not fully appreciate these achievements.
