The Great Wall of China is One of the Most Famous Monuments in the World

7/31/2019 The Great Wall of China is One of the Most Famous Monuments in the World

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The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous monuments in the world; the sprawling wall that was

built to block China off from outsiders and is 5,500 miles in length, sprawling over hills and plains,

deserts and mountains. It is now a huge tourist draw and is under governmental protection from the

destruction of the environment.

The Great Wall was originally made up of several walls that protected various territories, but under

Emperor Qin Shihaung, the several disparate walls were united into one Great Wall, in order to protect

the Empire from invading tribes to the north, such as the Xiongnu during Emperor Qins time and Huns

later on. This building occurred between 200 and 220 BC, though little of this wall remains; the majority

of the wall we see today was built during the Ming Dynasty (15th century).

The original wall was made of whatever materials were on hand for that section; stone in mountains and

hard packed earth on plains. It was also constructed from the remains of workers who had died over its

construction; its estimated that around one million workers died over the course of the construction.

The Ming Great Wall claimed the lives of an estimated quarter million.

The wall was built to block out invaders, but since the wall was largely broken up into large chunks, it

proved unsuccessful, so the construction was always abandoned. Despite this fact, it has endured, with

sporadic modifications and repairs being made on it. Although it is the largest man made construction in

the world, contrary to popular myth, it cannot be seen from the moon, or indeed from orbit around

Earth. However, it still captures the imagination of tourists from all over the world.


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Britain's biggest historic monument; Hadrians Wall in Northumbria is a 73 mile long wall across Britain

that was constructed between 122 and 128 AD, roughly, by Emperor Hadrian of the Roman Empire. The

wall was built in order to keep Roman lands in Britain secure from barbarians, i.e. anyone who wasnt a

part of the Roman Empire at the time.

Emperor Hadrian was obsessed with keeping the lands that his adoptive father Emperor Trajan had

conquered and the wall was one way for him to manage this feat.

The wall was seventy three miles long, fifteen feet high and between eight and ten feet wide with

guardhouses placed along its length to watch for possible attacks, as well as large forts, gates, and a

large ditch built along the walls length to fight off the barbarians.

The wall and guardhouses were built primarily from stone, though much of it started out as turf so that

it could be quickly constructed and then added to later.

The wall was built by the soldiers who were stationed here; it was something to keep them fit and busy,

instead of letting them slack off and there were many craftsmen in the army that could construct what

Emperor Hadrian envisioned.

Hadrians Wall marked the northernmost boundary of the Roman Empire and it served that function

until the Empire had fully crumbled by around 400 AD. After that, much of the materials were reused for

other construction, but the wall still remains to be walked along (and on top of, though this is

discouraged), as do many of the guard posts and fortresses.

Hadrians Wall is the largest piece of Roman architecture in Britain and is one of the most important as a

historical monument of the Roman occupation of Britain.


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The Colosseum in Rome is the greatest and most famous amphitheater of Roman times. It was built

between 71 and 80 AD and was inaugurated by Titus. Improvements were made on it by Emperors

Nerva and Trajan around the end of the 1st century. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial matches,

athletic games and during its time with the Christians, for things like passion plays; in short, the

Colosseum was used primarily for the viewing of entertainment.

The Colosseum was constructed over the space of about nine years and is made up of three styles: the

ground floor pillars are primarily in the Doric style, the middle pillars Ionic, and the upper floor pillars

are Corinthian.

The whole structure is made from travertine stone and a combination of tuff blocks, bricks, and opus

cement and the floor was made from wood covered in yellow sand for traction in the battles.

The materials made the building very sturdy and easy to paint on as well, which was important as such a

notable building would be covered in different paintings and symbols; unfortunately, most of these have

weathered away to nothing. The bulk of the labor was done by skilled laborers rather than slaves as was

originally assumed. Like most ancient buildings, the architect is unknown and the money came from

wars with neighbors, in this case, the Palestinians.

Parts of the Colosseum have been destroyed and rebuilt after the initial construction, due to fire and

earthquake most likely. The upper levels were rebuilt around 3rd century AD and again around the

middle of the 5th century AD. This can be seen in the different cuts of marble used in the construction of

pillars. The Colosseum has been sporadically restored ever since, with small repairs carrying on today for

tourists.


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Trajans Column was built between 106 and 113 AD inside the Forum that was also erected for Emperor

Trajan. The Column was built to commemorate Trajans victories in Dacia (Romania). It is also a history

of Rome in the form of architecture as great battles and victories are displayed on the granite that the

column is made from. Although erected in honor of Trajan, a statue of St. Peter was erected atop the

pillar after the statue of Trajan disappeared in the Middle Ages.

The Column is around thirty meters high, built to be a vantage point for the city. It was constructed

under the supervision of Apollodorus of Damascus, who designed many things for Emperor Trajan,

including the Forum that surrounds the column. The column would be what would make him famous

because of the spiral frieze which depicts the events surrounding the two wars in Romania.

The public forum surrounding the Column was also commissioned by Emperor Trajan and designed by

Apollodorus. It was built around 100 AD atop a leveled hill and from stone. It too was meant to

showcase the glory of Emperor Trajan and even included a temple to the deified emperor.

The forum also had two libraries close to the column which makes historians think that the column

wasnt necessarily for propaganda (since most of it couldnt be seen), but could rather be read as a

history and as a symbol of Trajans power.

The forum was also a place of learning and discussion, as most forums were in Rome. Finally, it was a

way for Trajan to share his wealth from the wars with his people in a permanent way. When he and his

wife died, their ashes were placed at the base of the column, though they are no longer there.


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The town of Baalbek, Lebanon, is home to some extensive Roman ruins, including the temple for Zeus,

which in its history also served as a temple for Bel, Marduk, and Jupiter, depending on who was

worshipping in the temple at the time. The earliest construction of the temple was done by the

Phoenicians who built it honor of Bel, the Sun God. The temple was later taken over and reconstructed

in honor of Zeus and then hard on the heels of that takeover, Jupiter, in honor of the Romans taking

over the area. Jupiter was chosen because he was very similar to Bel and Zeus, so not much had to be

changed about the temple.

It is unknown who specifically designed the temple, other than it was first constructed by the

Phoenicians. The site beneath the temple has traces of civilizations dating back to the Bronze Age, but

nothing more. The reconstruction of the temple for the Romans was commissioned by Augustus and

was finished by around 60 AD. The ruins we see now are of this temple reconstruction, as evidenced bythe carvings of Jupiter/Zeus and the massive columns. Other temples were added to the complex,

including a possible temple to Venus/Aphrodite and one to Mercury/Hermes.

Much of the construction of the temple remains a mystery, including the massive foundation stones

beneath the temple which each weigh four hundred and fifty tons and seem impossible to have quarried

and brought to the site, even by modern means, let alone ancient ones. This has given rise to theories of

extraterrestrial aid, though many modern scholars believed that they were simply dragged by an army

of laborers and perhaps put into place by a vast system of pulleys and levers. This temple was one of the

Ancient Wonders of the world.


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Maison Carree in Nimes was built in around 20 or 19 BCE, during the Roman urbanization of the Celtics

land in southern France (Gaul). Maison Carree was one of several buildings done under Augustus rule.

It was originally commissioned by his son-in-law Marcus Agrippa, but the person who designed it is

unknown. It is known that its design was heavily influenced by Greek architecture as is evidenced by the

Corinthian pillars. However, by this time, the Roman architects had developed their own style as well

and this can also be seen in the Maison Carree in the raised platforms and wide front steps which had

evolved from the Etruscan style of architecture. It was also inspired by the temples to Mars and Apollo

and much of it was modeled after the temples to these gods. In short, Maison Carree, among other

buildings that were being constructed at this time, was a merging of Etruscan temple style and Greek

style, with heavier influence from the Greeks than from the Romans who tended towards curves and

domes.

Maison Carree was a temple dedicated to Rome, Augustus and his two adopted sons Lucius and Gaius

Caesar rather than to a deity as most temples were. It became a cult temple to follow the celebrated

Emperor and his sons. It is the most well preserved Roman temple-in fact the only completely preservedtemple in the world-since it has been used for things like a Christian church in the fourth century,

archives, a canons house, and the town hall for Nimes since its construction. It is now a tourist site and

a place where art and Roman artifacts are housed.

The name Maison Carree is derived from archaic French carr long, meaning long square for the

obvious reason that it is rectangular in shape.


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Chaitya Hall was built between 50 and 70 AD in India. Unlike many other buildings that were built atop

of or at least out of stone and earth, Chaitya Hall was built into a hill, carved and sculpted out of the rock

itself and enhanced wooden timbers that so that the hall is modeled after earlier temples made from

wood and bamboo.

It is the pinnacle of temple building in this style and is still a well preserved cave temple today, making a

popular tourist site. Chaitya Hall was built to worship Buddha, as is evidenced by the beautiful columns

inside that are covered in carvings of Buddhas life and work. However, it is unknown who designed

Chaitya Hall or the elaborate carvings inside.

Chaityas were perfected in the Shunga dynasty after the fall of the Mauryan Emperor. These temples

carved into stone hills and were usually beneath small stupas. The dwelling place of the monks was

carved into the chaitya, made out of the stone of the mound.

Chaitya Hall at Karli is the largest of all of the chaityas built over this time period and is one of the most

famous. However, it is still unknown who began the building of these Chaityas, other than they were

built by and for Buddhists.


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Persepolis (Greek for Persian City) was the ornamental capital city that Cyrus the Great founded late in

his life around 515 BCE. He wouldnt live to see much of it built, but his predecessor Darius would and

indeed built much of the city including terraces and the great palaces.

The work was finished by his son King Xerxes the Great who completed the Apadana Palace, the Imperial

Treasury and the Council Hall. Building on the terraces around the city continued until the fall of the

empire. Even after the Persians fell, the city remained an important feature until it declined and was

replaced as a capital by Stakhr, a few kilometers away.

Persepolis was a grand undertaking by a line of kings who each commissioned different parts of the city

and took part in finishing them. For example, Cyrus the Great started the city, Darius commissioned the

beautiful Apadana palace and his son finished it.

In its heyday, Persepolis was the ceremonial heart of the large Persian empire, with many beautiful

statues and buildings and the summoning of leaders from all four corners of the empire to take part in

ceremonies honoring the Great King. The city was built as a merging of all different architecture from all

four corners of the Empire: Egyptian, Assyria, Iranian, and Babylon; it was made from a variety of

materials and artists came from all different cities to work on it.

There are processions of people and animal statues and carvings all over the ruined buildings, detailing

all the different nationalities of people who would come to the cities, from the Egyptians to Arabs to

Indians; all of whom made up the patchwork of the great Persian Empire. Persepolis was one of the

greatest examples of the merging of cultures shown in its architecture.


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The Parthenon in Athens is one of the most famous pieces of architecture in Greece, a country with a lot

of famous architecture. The Parthenon was built in honor of Athena, the patron Goddess of Athens who

was honored for saving Athens from destruction during the Persian wars. Parthenon actually means

virgin; the full name of the temple is the Temple of the Virgin Athena. It was meant to house a forty

foot tall statue sculpted and designed by Pheidas.

The Parthenon began as a Greek Temple, but over the centuries it has functioned as a church, a mosque,

a treasury, and a fortress. Now it is one of the most visited sites in Greece.

The Parthenon replaced an older temple that had been destroyed. It was commissioned by Pericles and

the architects in charge were Iktinos and Kallikcrates.

The project was supervised by the sculptor Phidias, who designed the statues and the project was

worked on between 447 BCE and 438 BCE, though the decorations of the Parthenon went on until

around 433 BCE as they were perfected.

The temple was constructed to be a perfect monument to Athena, right down to how the pillars were

constructed to look thick and strong no matter what angle they were viewed at and built to be tall and

elegant.

The artists involved in the creation of the statues and paintings fought with each other to make the

perfect statuary for their goddess and for their own glory.

The temple was made entirely from marble, except for the doors and foundation. It represents the

climax of the Doric style of art that held Greece for the longest of the three orders of artistic style.

Normally considered heavy, the Parthenon proved that Doric style could be elegant too.


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The Palace of Minos is the famous labyrinthine palace of the Minotaur and Theseus, Ariadne and her ball

of string, Daedalus the architect and Icarus with his wax wings, among other legends. The Palace of

Minos was the largest palace in the city of Knossos and was an early piece of New Palace architecture in

Greece. Construction on the Palace of Minos, according to legends, began around 2000 BC, but it

flourished between 1700 BCE and 1450 BCE when the Minoan civilization was at its height.

It was destroyed by an earthquake around 1700 BCE and the second palace (the one we actually think of

when we think of the Palace of Minos) was built atop the ruins. It was the center of economy and

religion on Crete with the King controlling everything in the city and around it. It was also the center of a

lot of legends; the palace was made infamous by legends of King Minos and his Minotaur to whom

seven virgin men and seven virgin females were sacrificed every nine years until Theseus killed it.

In actuality, the palace was very much like a labyrinth with narrow twisting corridors and a lot of rooms.

In total, the palace covered around 22,000 square meters and was made from masonry, clay rubble and

half timbers with plenty of columns and frescoed walls.

Not a lot is known about the Minoan civilization or the Palace of Minos save what can be gathered from

legends, Greek writings, and the writing and art on the reconstructed palace. Its not known who

commissioned the original building of the palace or later reconstructions for example. The modern

reconstruction was done by Sir Arthur Evans who excavated the original ruins and touched them up

quite a bit.

The Temple of Amon-Re in Karnak is the largest temple in the world and is actually made up of a group

of temples devoted to different deities in the Egyptian pantheon. The temple complex was built up over

the course of millennia, under the belief that a temple that wasnt worked on, died.

As a result, the imprints of many pharaohs who commissioned works for the temple can be seen. For

example, the avenue of sphinxes which was built by Nektanebo I in the 30th dynasty and the Triad ofThebes built by Seti II. In this way, the Temple of Amon-Re becomes something of an architectural

record as different styles of different dynasties can be seen in one complex; while at the same time see

very distinct similarities such as the building materials and the massive statues of pharaohs and gods.

There are also many pillars and obelisks, sometimes covering each other up, such as the wall that King

Thuthmoses III built to hide Queen Hatshepsuts obelisks which may well have come about as a rivalry

between the two.

There is also an artificial lake called Sacred Lake where it was believed that the Gods rowed and where

Egypts largest scarab is. Scarabs were believed to be sacred because they carried the sun through the

sky.

The temple was not only a place of worship, but also a massive historical record of the different things

that different pharaohs did, such as conquering cities and the taking of prisoners in victory. For example,

the exploits of Pharaoh Thutmose III who took hundreds of princes of other cities prisoner in one sweep

and thus took over their lands can be seen on one of the walls. By studying the temple, we can learn

about the architecture, religion, and wars of the Egyptians.


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Teotihuacan or the "Piramides de Teotihuacan" is an ancient city in Mesoamerica, built originally in the

first two centuries BCE and expanded upon and made great in the first to second century AD. In its

heyday, Teotihuacan was the sixth largest city in the world and is home to beautiful monuments like the

Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. The actual culture and even language of the

people who built this city has been lost to history.

The most notable monuments are the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the

Moon and Ciudadela where the Serpent Feather Pyramid lies. These were built around the same time as

the city, around the second century BCE. However, the architect and the people who

worshipped/utilized them remain a mystery.

It is thought that human sacrifice occurred at the pyramids as many tombs have been uncovered. The

Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world, beaten only by Cheops Pyramid at Giza and

Cholula Pyramid in Mexico.

The Avenue of the Dead was the main thoroughfare of the city, connecting the massive pyramids and

other monuments of the city. All of these monuments were built of earth and stone. The city was built

to be the religious center of Mexico and at its height, it had over a hundred thousand citizens.

Unfortunately, little else is known about the dwellers of this city, their culture, and even why they

disappeared. There is evidence of a fire sweeping through the city which may have destroyed large parts

of it and forced the citizens to move out, but this is speculation. All that is known is that around 700 AD,

the greatest city in Mesoamerica abruptly emptied, leaving behind these ruins.

Teotihuacan or the "Piramides de Teotihuacan" is an ancient city in Mesoamerica, built originally in the

first two centuries BCE and expanded upon and made great in the first to second century AD. In its

heyday, Teotihuacan was the sixth largest city in the world and is home to beautiful monuments like the

Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. The actual culture and even language of thepeople who built this city has been lost to history.

The most notable monuments are the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the

Moon and Ciudadela where the Serpent Feather Pyramid lies. These were built around the same time as

the city, around the second century BCE. However, the architect and the people who

worshipped/utilized them remain a mystery.

It is thought that human sacrifice occurred at the pyramids as many tombs have been uncovered. The

Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world, beaten only by Cheops Pyramid at Giza and

Cholula Pyramid in Mexico.

The Avenue of the Dead was the main thoroughfare of the city, connecting the massive pyramids and

other monuments of the city. All of these monuments were built of earth and stone. The city was built

to be the religious center of Mexico and at its height, it had over a hundred thousand citizens.

Unfortunately, little else is known about the dwellers of this city, their culture, and even why they

disappeared. There is evidence of a fire sweeping through the city which may have destroyed large parts

of it and forced the citizens to move out, but this is speculation. All that is known is that around 700 AD,

the greatest city in Mesoamerica abruptly emptied, leaving behind these ruins.


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The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the largest of the stupas that crown the hill of Sanchi in India. Like all

stupas, the Great Stupa was once a burial mound, though now it is a symbol for Buddhism. The Great

Stupa is both a burial mound for relics and a symbol representing Buddha himself. It is meant to show

the Final Dying, the release from the Buddhist belief in the wheel of life and death. This is why the Great

Stupa, and other stupas, has circular rails surrounding the egg shaped mound.

The egg shape represents the World Egg that supports the Heavens and is covered by the Heavens. The

mound rests on a platform that is aligned to all four cardinal points and the stupa represents the axis of

the Earth holding up Heaven. There are also three umbrella structures going up the mound, meant to

represent Buddha, Dharma, and Sanghai. Then all along the mound and around it there are elaborate

statues of Buddha that were erected around 450 BCE.

The Great Stupa is the most elaborate and one of the oldest of all the stupas in Sanchi. It was built as

part of eight stupas that were built by Emperor Ashoka in the second century BCE. Ashoka became a

devoted Buddhist after around 258 BCE and his rule concerned itself with the ethics of Buddhism and

spreading its doctrine all around India and its neighbors.

The Great Stupa was one of his testaments to his faith in Buddhism and though it underwent a great

deal of vandalism after his reign, especially as Buddhism decayed in the area, it was restored and built

up from its original foundations in the early part of the twentieth century when the site was found

again.

The massive tomb of Chin Shih Huang Ti, the first Emperor of a unified China, is a sprawling complex

beneath Mount Li. The tomb is best known for its impressive terra cotta army, built to maintain the

emperors earthly military might into the afterlife, and for the representation of the entire world in

miniature in order to make certain that work on the tomb could be continued into the next life to keep

its magnificence fresh.The most amazing thing is the suspected rivers of mercury that represent actual

rivers. The tomb has yet to be fully opened, though countless terra cotta statues have been discoveredin the first chambers.The tomb was commissioned by the first Emperor who worried that immortality on

the mortal plane was impossible and so wanted his splendor to follow him into the next life. Work began

in 248 BCE and finished just after the death of the emperor in 210 BCE.Advisors to the Emperor were the

ones to design and set up the building of the elaborate tomb, setting out plans for an elaborate

subterranean palace. Hundreds of artisans were commissioned to create the armies of terra cotta

statues and the miniature world. The tomb in its entirety was dug out of the mountain where it was to

be set by over 700,000 workers who were later killed to preserve the secrets of the tomb.The Chinese

also believed that by following the deceased wishes for burial, he would look kindly on his descendents

and bring them prosperity. In the case of Chin Shih Huang Ti, the building of the tomb may well have

been out of fear as well; the first emperor was a ruthless man who violently united the seven original

states.


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Old Uppsala is home to around three hundred Viking burial mounds, including three massive mounds

dedicated to three sixth century Viking kings. The town of Uppsala lies only a few kilometers away from

the majestic sight of hundreds of historical burial mounds including the three massive mounds for the

kings. Old Uppsala is an important site because it was once a massive settlement of religious and

commercial importance to the Vikings.

It was believed that Odin himself once dwelled in the place where Old Uppsala lies now. It was for this

reason that this town was so large and that so many were buried nearby, including the three massive

Royal Mounds which would become part of Swedens national identity. The mounds were created

through the Norse belief that in order to pass onto Valhalla, a warrior had to be cremated with all of his

goods and in full armor.

The ashes were then covered in cobblestones, gravel, sand and finally a layer of turf. The Royal Mounds

in particular were built to be prominent-they were placed atop a ridge and built high in order to catch

the eye of all who worked and traveled around Old Uppsala. However, thousands of mounds once

dotted the countryside, though now only a couple hundred remain.

The three Royal Mounds were built fifteen hundred years ago and some believe oriented the same way

as every other burial mound in order to keep track of solstices for rituals. The mounds were probably

built by family members and warriors of the Royals who were buried and were built in order to

maximize the buried warriors chances of reaching Valhalla with everything that was important to him

intact. These mounds are still standing today and indeed have become an important aspect of Swedens

tourism and history.

The temple of Zeus at Olympia was one of the greatest temples in the Greek world, dedicated to the

grandest god of the pantheon. It was built in the Doric order, as can be seen by its massive pillars and

simple, yet elegant statues. The architect in charge was a man who lived in the city of Olympia named

Libon and he built it to clearly be of the Doric style. The sculptor Pheidias, the same one who oversawthe work on the Parthenon, was also involved, building the huge statue of Zeus for the inside of the

monument.

The entire temple was built from limestone coated in white stucco with marble tiles. It was built

between 470 and 456 BCE, just before the start of the construction of the Parthenon. The similarities

between the two buildings would have been striking, complete with beautiful statues, elegant columns,

and bright paintings, though the two were dedicated to different entities and were located in different

cities.

The main idea behind the Temple of Zeus was not only to honor the god, but also to showcase his

devotion to justice. The frescoes and statues showcased battles of heroes to restore order and justice to

the mortal realm, such as the tasks of Heracles that were meant to restore order to the Greek religion.

Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed in an earthquake in the fifth century BCE and was mostly

buried. The site was discovered in the early eighteenth century and was excavated into the nineteenth

and twentieth century by various archaeologists. However, the full temple will never be excavated as

the marble was poached by other builders and a lot of it is in fragments. However, there is enough to

get a good idea of how and why the temple was built.


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Stonehenge in England

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monolith in Britain, a couple kilometers south of the town of Avebury.

Stonehenge is not unique-there are dozens of small and large monoliths and remains of monoliths

scattered across Western Europe and Britain, but Stonehenge is the most famous as the largest and one

that is most intact.

It is widely believed that the standing stones or Stonehenge was built in order to celebrate the sun (it is

oriented so that the solstice sunrise shines over the heel stone and into the circle of stones) and topredict astronomical events like eclipses as the Aubrey holes (holes placed near the stones) become

markers for the movements of the sun and moon.

Stonehenge was constructed in three phases over a period of over fourteen hundred years. Stonehenge

I was nothing more than a wide circle with a tall bank surrounding it with at least one break to let in the

solstice sun and possibly a couple other breaks as well. From there, it was slowly built up into the stone

monolith seen today. The stone was quarried well away from the site and brought over via river

systems, or so archaeologists believe.

The process took centuries to bring Stonehenge to the appearance it has today as different groups

worked on it. The most important stone and the oldest one in the group is the heel stone which thesolstice sun rises over. The rest of monument is made from bluestone quarried from Prescelly

Mountains over two hundred miles away and saresen stones from around twenty miles away.

Its unknown who actually built it; it was probably started by late Neolithic people and continued by the

Beaker people, descendents of the Neolithics who began the project. Archaeologists believe that the

project was started around 3000 BC and finally finished around 1500 BC.


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The Ziggurat at Ur

The Ziggurat one of the last standing monuments of the Sumarians. Built sometime in the 21st century

BCE by King Ur-Nammu and his son Shulgi, this particular ziggurat was meant to honor the citys patron

god Nanna. The ziggurat was meant to be Nannas dwelling place and as such, it stood in the center of

the city and was the center of all administration.

The ziggurat was built by stacking a total of sixty four stone and mud platforms that progressively shrunk

until the ziggurat was the shape of a tower like pyramid, though with a flat top for a temple. It was built

so that each corner faced a cardinal point and showed solidity by building the walls facing slightly inward

so that it would appear eternal. The monument was then covered in a thick layer of burnt brick in order

to protect it from the elements.

The top of the ziggurat was devoted solely for Nannas use-there was a bedchamber for a woman of the

village and the priests would bring things for the gods use. The walls of the ziggurat were covered in

names of kings and glazed in different colors.

The inside of the ziggurat has no chambers, just a thick core of mud and brick to form a spine for the

monument. The bricks were made of dried reed and mud and each weight about four and half

kilograms. The ziggurats were meant to be meeting places between heaven and earth and thus, the

stairs that came about as a result of construction were able to be traversed by humans.

Ziggurats were probably very common in ancient Sumaria, but the ziggurat at Ur is the last one standing

and so gives us the most information about Sumaria.


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Egyptian Pyramids at Giza Egypt

How pyramids were built? Any specific construction methods? Why build the pyramids? Facts and

meths about the Pyramids, and the Pyramids history. The pyramids at Giza were built during the fourth

dynasty of Egypt with the largest and oldest started around 2550 BCE and the two smaller ones

constructed soon afterward. The pyramids at Giza were built for three rulers in this dynasty: King Khufu,

Khafre, and Menkaure.

They ruled Egypt between 2589 and 2504. The pyramids were constructed between 2550 and 2490. The

pyramids were designed in order to vessels for the souls of the departed pharaohs, their queens, and

anyone else of distinction; though even commoners had tiny mound like pyramids for their spirits to

ascend on. The huge pyramids were built from stone quarried and shipped down the Nile River.

The design of the Giza Pyramids is credited to Khufus vizier Hemiunu. The pyramids at Giza were built

over the space of about sixty years by an army of skilled laborers who would move the stone from the

quarry to the site and then build up the pyramid from there. The methods by which the pyramids were

built are still being speculated, although a popular theory is that they were pushed up water slicked

ramps.

Another popular theory is that they were lifted via a pulley and ramp system. Each side of the pyramid is

the same length and corners are aligned to the cardinal points. The inside of the pyramids would be

riddled with false burial tombs and tunnels to try to foil grave robbers, although this was proven

ineffectual as the tombs were systematically looted over the centuries.

The entire pyramid was then cased in limestone so that in their finished state, they would shine brightly

and for miles around, showcasing the glory of the pharaoh encased within. The pyramids may havedulled with time, but they are no less glorious for it.


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The Great Wall of China is One of the Most Famous Monuments in the World

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