Top 10 Monuments of History
Top 10 Monuments of History
Here is the Top 10 Monuments of History
10.Newgrange

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Ireland.
- Despite the fact that road builders ran into the monument in the XVII century, people started to research this mysterious landmark only three centuries later.
- The excavations showed it was a barrow: perfectly round with an impressive diameter, and older than the Egyptian pyramids.
- In the middle, archaeologists found a tomb.
- If you happen to visit Newgrange during the solstice, you can see a real astronomical phenomenon — a ray of light gradually fills the entire room.
- The Irish superstitions say that this place is the entrance to the country of elves and fairies.
9.Terracotta Army

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in China.
- The mausoleum Qin Shi Huang keeps more than 8000 statues of Chinese warriors and horses.
- They were buried together with the governor regardless of tradition.
- This handmade army from 200 BC is life-sized with the smallest of details, and no two faces are the same.
- During the excavations (from the 1970s) scientists have had to act extremely carefully.
8.Stonehenge

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in England.
- According to legend, the stone complex was built by the magician Merlin.
- In fact, Stonehenge appeared long before the hypothetical time of King Arthur’s companion.
- But how did people transport these impossibly heavy boulders from the quarry that was found hundreds of kilometers away?
7.Angkor Wat

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Cambodia.
- It is a temple.
- Europeans weren’t aware of this complex till the XIX century.
- Having learned of it, they doubted that it was built by the Khmer people.
- The masonry is very dense: sometimes you can’t even find the seams.
- The stones are extremely smooth.
- The construction is kept together with its own weight.
- The ensemble of 200 temples was planned in such a way that a traveler approaching from either side can only see three of them.
6.Petra

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Jordan.
- The masters had to show remarkable patience, turning the rocks into the masterpiece of Petra.
- So, at the end of the cool Siq canyon, there opens a fantastic view of the facade with columns and porticos — Al-Khazneh (the ’treasury’ in Arabic).
- It is said to be a temple or a mausoleum.
- The problem is trying to understand how the carvers worked.
5.The Easter Island Statues

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Chile.
- A small piece of land on the waters of the Pacific Ocean is covere with gigantic moai.
- There’s evidence that they moved from place to place.
- There are also ritual stands that are heavier than the idols themselves.
- Unfortunately, people whose descendants could shed light on how these huge statues moved died a long time ago because of slave traders.
- There’s only one path to solve the mysteries of the island — to look directly at the silent statues.
4.Tikal

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Guatemala.
- The largest Maya settlements.
- There are artificial ponds, a field for a ball game, and palaces.
- But on forming the town squares special attention is given to the pyramids,.
- They were built in a temporary pattern corresponding to the periods of its development.
- There are many theories about their functions: religious buildings, research centers, cemeteries, or all of the above. The etymology of the name ’Tikal’ is also unclear.
- Its nick name is “the City of Voices”.
- Even a whisper there echoes hollowly.
3.Stone spheres

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Costa Rica.
- The prehistoric petrospheres from the Pacific coast almost became victims of vandalism.
- The artifacts still suffered.
- To attract tourists, they put on the city squares.
- Because of the constant movements, an exact dating is impossible.
- The theory of their origin by water turned out not to be viable.
2.Baalbek

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Lebanon.
- A temple ensemble in this antique style is the pearl of the ruins of a once prosperous city.
- The only thing is, Romans didn’t have any technology that could let them install these stone blocks that weigh up to 1000 tons (these very ones lie on the bottom).
- Just for us to compare: the Athenian Parthenon is half the size of the Lebanese giant, and the largest block of the Great Pyramid weighs ’only’ 90 tons.
- The foundation’s creation is attribute to the Egyptians, if not to giants.
1.Dolmens of North Caucasus

Top 10 Monuments of History
- Situated in Russia.
- Here on the mountain slopes stands small houses built of flat stones.
- There are holes on the facades that can be close with a stopper.
- The surprising fact is that the plates’ weight is calculated in tons, but they fit so precisely that not even a knife blade could fit between them.
- The age of these constructions reaches 5000 years. Some dolmens, such as Volkonsky, are famous for their healing properties.