Top 6 Unknown Architectural Wonders
We've all heard of the Coliseum, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal. But what about the world’s undiscovered architectural wonders: the man-made marvels which majority doesn't know? Here is a list of the top 6 unknown architectural wonders of all time !
6. Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali
Built in 1907, the Great Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud structure in the world, constructed almost entirely of sun-baked earthen bricks, sand and a mud-based mortar and plaster. It is considered one of the greatest achievements of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1988.
5. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Iran
Located in Naghsh-i Jahan Square in the city of Isfahan, the stunningly elegant mosque was built between 1603 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I. The mosque is unusual in that it features no minarets or courtyard. This was probably because the mosque was never intended for public use, but rather served as the worship place for the women of the shah’s harem.
As such, the prayer hall is reached through a long, twisting, underground hallway, and the decoration on the mosque is extraordinarily exquisite.
The dome makes extensive use of delicate tiles that change color throughout the day, from cream to pink. Inside the sanctuary you can marvel at the complexity of the mosaics that adorn the walls and the extraordinarily beautiful ceiling, with its shrinking, yellow motifs. The shafts of sunlight that filter in through the few high, latticed windows produce a constantly changing interplay of light and shadow.
4. Great Wall of India
We have all heard of the Great Wall of China, but few know that India also has its own Great Wall. The Great Wall of India, also referred to as Kumbhalgarh, is the second-longest wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China. Located in Rajasthan, the wall is 4.5m thick in some areas, extends for 36km and has seven fortified gates.
3. Palace of the Parliament, Romania
Built in 1984, the neoclassical building has 12 stories (with eight additional stories underground), and some 3,100 rooms covering 330,000 sqm. The project cost an unprecedented 3.3bn euros, but it also cost the people of Bucharest much of their city. To build the Palace of the Parliament, one-fifth of central Bucharest was razed, including most of its historical districts, more than 30 churches and synagogues and some 30,000 homes.
The patterned carpets on the main level, which run through hundreds of yards of wide corridors, were woven inside the building during construction. Weaving them outside and bringing them in was not feasible due to their sheer size.
2. Derawar Fort, Pakistan
Built more than 5000 Years ago, a fortress of monumental proportions, Derawar’s 40 stunning bastions rise from the desert in a striking square formation. Combined, the fort’s walls form a circumference of some 1,500m and stand some 30m high.
“Many people don't know about the Derawar Fort. Even most Pakistanis don't know of it.”
And for good reason: to get to the fortress, visitors must hire a guide with a four-wheel drive vehicle to make the day-long trip from the city of Bahawalpur, Pakistan through the Cholistan Desert to the fort, where special permission from the amir, or local leader, is needed to go inside.
1. Stari Most, Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Old Bridge, or Stari Most as it's called by locals, was built of 456 blocks of local stone in 1566 by the Ottoman Turkish architect, Mimar Hajrudin.
The hump-backed bridge is located in the city of Mostar, where it crosses the Neretva River. At 4m wide, 30m long and 24m high, it is one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks and is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the Balkans. In the 1990s, the bridge was destroyed by Bosnian Serb and Croat forces during the Bosnian war. After the war, the city – and the bridge – began rebuilding. It took almost 10 years to make that idea come to life, and in July of 2004 a new ‘old bridge’ was open again. While the bridge has changed since its reconstruction, one long-time tradition remains: locals still dive off the bridge into the icy waters of the Neretva to show off their bravery and skill. Be with Grin to stay up to date with the amazing world info which is very vital these days, like us on Facebook & connect with us.
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We've all heard of the Coliseum, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal. But what about the world’s undiscovered architectural wonders: the man-made marvels which majority doesn't know? Here is a list of the top 6 unknown architectural wonders of all time !
6. Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali
Built in 1907, the Great Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud structure in the world, constructed almost entirely of sun-baked earthen bricks, sand and a mud-based mortar and plaster. It is considered one of the greatest achievements of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1988.
5. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Iran
Located in Naghsh-i Jahan Square in the city of Isfahan, the stunningly elegant mosque was built between 1603 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I. The mosque is unusual in that it features no minarets or courtyard. This was probably because the mosque was never intended for public use, but rather served as the worship place for the women of the shah’s harem.
As such, the prayer hall is reached through a long, twisting, underground hallway, and the decoration on the mosque is extraordinarily exquisite.
The dome makes extensive use of delicate tiles that change color throughout the day, from cream to pink. Inside the sanctuary you can marvel at the complexity of the mosaics that adorn the walls and the extraordinarily beautiful ceiling, with its shrinking, yellow motifs. The shafts of sunlight that filter in through the few high, latticed windows produce a constantly changing interplay of light and shadow.
4. Great Wall of India
We have all heard of the Great Wall of China, but few know that India also has its own Great Wall. The Great Wall of India, also referred to as Kumbhalgarh, is the second-longest wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China. Located in Rajasthan, the wall is 4.5m thick in some areas, extends for 36km and has seven fortified gates.
3. Palace of the Parliament, Romania
Built in 1984, the neoclassical building has 12 stories (with eight additional stories underground), and some 3,100 rooms covering 330,000 sqm. The project cost an unprecedented 3.3bn euros, but it also cost the people of Bucharest much of their city. To build the Palace of the Parliament, one-fifth of central Bucharest was razed, including most of its historical districts, more than 30 churches and synagogues and some 30,000 homes.
The patterned carpets on the main level, which run through hundreds of yards of wide corridors, were woven inside the building during construction. Weaving them outside and bringing them in was not feasible due to their sheer size.
2. Derawar Fort, Pakistan
Built more than 5000 Years ago, a fortress of monumental proportions, Derawar’s 40 stunning bastions rise from the desert in a striking square formation. Combined, the fort’s walls form a circumference of some 1,500m and stand some 30m high.
And for good reason: to get to the fortress, visitors must hire a guide with a four-wheel drive vehicle to make the day-long trip from the city of Bahawalpur, Pakistan through the Cholistan Desert to the fort, where special permission from the amir, or local leader, is needed to go inside.
1. Stari Most, Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Old Bridge, or Stari Most as it's called by locals, was built of 456 blocks of local stone in 1566 by the Ottoman Turkish architect, Mimar Hajrudin.
The hump-backed bridge is located in the city of Mostar, where it crosses the Neretva River. At 4m wide, 30m long and 24m high, it is one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks and is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the Balkans. In the 1990s, the bridge was destroyed by Bosnian Serb and Croat forces during the Bosnian war. After the war, the city – and the bridge – began rebuilding. It took almost 10 years to make that idea come to life, and in July of 2004 a new ‘old bridge’ was open again. While the bridge has changed since its reconstruction, one long-time tradition remains: locals still dive off the bridge into the icy waters of the Neretva to show off their bravery and skill. Be with Grin to stay up to date with the amazing world info which is very vital these days, like us on Facebook & connect with us.
Click Here to like our Facebook page.