The Ultimate Landmark Quiz

Think you know where most of the world’s most famous landmarks are located? You might be surprised! Let’s begin with an easy one. Select the location of the landmark below to get started. Best of luck!

Is this popular landmark located in Marseille or Paris?

Eiffel Tower

 

This is the Eiffel Tower. It is named after Gustave Eiffel and finished on March 31, 1889. It is the tallest structure in the city located in Northern Central France. The city is the most populous area in the country.

Taj Mahal

 

This landmark is the Taj Mahal. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan authorized the construction of the mausoleum in 1632. Jahan would use the temple to store his wife Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb. Workers finished the building’s central area in 1643. As for the city, it is on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Temple of Kukulcán

 

This landmark is the Temple of Kukulcán, located in the city of Chichen Itza. The Mayans originally built it. If anyone wants to visit the city, it is in Yucatán state. Yucatán bought the area in 2010 from a private owner. Chichen Itza archeological site is a huge tourist attraction for the country.

Mount Rushmore

 

Check out the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The mountain has four 60-foot sculptures of U.S. presidents designed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum. They include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The memorial’s location is in the Black Hills of a Midwestern State.

Great Pyramid of Giza

 

This is the Giza pyramid complex. It includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx of Giza. People constructed these structures between 2600 and 2500 BCE in Ancient Egypt. Tourists can find this site southwest of the city centre of a particular city.

The Colosseum

 

This is the largest ancient amphitheater on the planet. People can find it in the capital of Italy. The Colosseum started construction under Emperor Vespasian and finished under Titus in 80 AD. The purpose of theater was for gladiatorial contests and other public events such as dramas, animal hunts, and more.

Christ the Redeemer

 

This landmark is Christ the Redeemer. It is a statue of Jesus Christ in a Brazilian city. French Sculptor Paul Landowksi designed it, and Brazilian engine Heitor da Silva Costa built it. They completed the sculpture in 1931. Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet tall and sits on Corcovado Mountain.

Sydney Opera House

 

This is the Sydney Opera House in Australia. People can spot it on the banks of Sydney Harbour. The landmark opened on October 20, 1973. Danish architect Jørn Utzon designed the performing arts centre while an Australian architectural team constructed it.

Leaning Tower Of Pisa

 

This landmark is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is a bell tower right outside the Pisa Cathedral. Visitors can see it in central Italy. The city completed the structure in 1372, though the architect is still up for debate. The tower leans due to the land not being about to support the tower’s mass completely.

Golden Gate Bridge

 

This is the Golden Gate Bridge. It connects San Francisco, California, to the rest of the county. Construction for the bridge only took four years and opened in 1937. It was the longest and highest suspension bridge ever constructed at the time. The state named it a California Historic Landmark in 1987.

Machu Picchu

 

This landmark is Machu Picchu. It was an Inca citadel founded in 1450. For some reason, the Incans abandoned the site around 1572. The citadel is in the Cordillera Oriental, the eastern part of the Andes. Machu Picchu is one of the country’s most visited locations for tourists.

Sistine Chapel

 

Check out the Sistine Chapel. It is in the Apostolic Palace. Pope Sixtus IV commissioned the chapel’s construction for religion and papal processes. The workers finished the landmark in 1481. Pope Julius II had Michelangelo paint the chapel’s ceiling. It took from 1508 to 1512 to complete. If someone wants to visit the Sistine Chapel, they have to go to a specific city-state.

The Parthenon

 

This landmark is the Parthenon. It is an ancient temple for a goddess in Greece. The citizens completed the structure in 438 BCE. At different historical points, the Parthenon became a worship center for other religions. For example, it was a Christian church and later an Islamic mosque. Eventually, it became heavily damaged. In 1975, the Greek government began a restoration and stability effort for the temple.

Sagrada Família

 

Take a look at the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. Tourists can visit it on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. The architect Antoni Gaudí redesigned the original plans and gave the building a Gothic Revival and Art Nouveau aesthetic. Construction began in 1882 through private donations. Technically the minor basilica is still not complete. It was not until 2010 that Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church.

Stonehenge

 

This is Stonehenge. It is a prehistoric monument located in England. It is one of the United Kingdom’s most iconic landmarks. It received the Scheduled Ancient Monument status in 1882, thanks to British legislation to defend historical markers. Archeologists think people built the structure around 3000 BCE and 2000 BCE.

Statue of Liberty

 

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. It is in New York City. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the copper statue with Gustave Eiffel doing the metal framework. The Statue was a gift from France to the U.S. It symbolizes Freedom, including independence from Britain and abolition of slavery.

Neuschwanstein Castle

 

Check out the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Kin Ludwig II wanted to create this castle as a retreat. Instead of using public funds, Ludwig used personal fortune and borrowed money to help construct it. Eduard Riedel was the architect behind the building, and he used Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine styles. The castle never saw completetion but opened to the public after Ludwig’s passing in 1886.

The Gateway Arch

 

The Gateway Arch is in a Midwestern U.S. city. The project’s inception came from civics leader Luther Ely Smith in 1933, who wanted a monument riverside to boost the economy. In 1947, Architect Eero Saarinen designed the arch. Construction started in 1963 and concluded in 1965. As of 2022, the Gateway Arch remains the world’s tallest arch.

Palace of Versailles

 

Palace of Versailles is about 12 miles away from Paris. Its origins began as a small château constructed under Louis XIII. His son Louis XIV turned the château into a palace starting in 1661. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles also took place in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919 helped end the State of War between Allies and Germany. As of 2022, the building has 357 mirrors inside.

Victoria Falls

 

This natural landmark is Victoria Falls. Scottish Missionary David Livingstone named it after Queen Victoria. The falls are also called The Smoke That Thunders. The landmark is the largest waterfall globally, with a height of 354 feet (108 meters) and a width of 5,064 feet. (1,708 meters).

Shrine of Liberty

 

This is the Shrine of Liberty in Texas. It used to be a Spanish mission church from 1755 to 1793. At the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, it played a key part. The chapel later became a Quartermaster Depot for the U.S. Army. Today the building serves as a memorial for the Alamo defenders.

The Forbidden City

 

This landmark is the Forbidden City. The Yongle Emperor Zhu Di commissioned construction for the palace. It took over a million workers and fourteen years (1406 to 1420) to build the structure. Inside it contains several imperial gardens and temples. The Forbidden City served as home to many more Chinese Emperors and was a former political center for the Chinese Government.

The Great Barrier Reef

 

This is the Great Barrier Reef located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia. This natural landmark has 900 islands and 2,900 separate reefs. It is the world’s largest reef system stretching over 1,400 miles. People can even see the Great Barrier Reef from space.

Big Ben

 

This is the Great Bell nicknamed Big Ben. It is the striking clock inside Elizabeth Tower. People can see Big Ben in London. Architect Augustus Pugin designed the tower. He chose a neo-Gothic style. Construction for the building wrapped in 1859. The tower quickly became a British cultural icon and one of the most recognizable landmarks in London.

Statue of Unity

 

This landmark is the Statue of Unity. As of 2022, at 597 feet (182 meters), it is the tallest statue on the planet. The sculpture is a portrayal of statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel. It cost the equivalent of US$370 million and took 57 months to finish with 250 engineers and 3000 workers.

Angkor Wat

 

Angkor Wat is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world. It is also the most significant religious complex in terms of land area. Construction began sometime in the early 12th century under Suryavarman II. Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hind god Vishnu before worshipers changed it to a Buddhist temple at the end of the century.

Arc de Triomphe

 

This is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the arch’s construction in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Jean Charlgrin started as the architect and passed away. Jean-Nicolas Huyot took over the work. After completing the project in 1836, King Louis-Phillip dedicated the arch to those who fought in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. In 1921, after World War I, the Unknown Soldier was buried at the base.

Burj Khalifa

 

As of 2022, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. It has a height of 2,722 feet (829.8 m). Architect Adrian Smith designed the skyscraper. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the firm he works for, also designed the Sears Tower in Chicago, so they know a thing or two about big buildings. Construction began in 2004 and wrapped in 2009.  One decision behind the skyscraper was for the city to create a larger tourism economy.

The Louvre

 

This landmark is the Louvre in France. It is the most-visited museum globally, housing over 35,000 works of art and 380,000 objects, including paintings, sculptures, archaeological finds, and more. The museum opened in 1793. Originally it was the residential palace for French Kings. In front, the Louver Pyramid was designed by architect I. M. Pei and completed in 1988. It was a part of the 1981 initiative, the Grand Louvre Project, to expand and remodel the Louvre.

Saint Peters Basilica

 

This landmark is Saint Peters Basilica. The Old St. Peter’s Basilica, which existed between the 4th and 16th centuries, was on the verge of ruin, and discussions about replacing it came underway. Pope Nicholas V finally commissioned a new building. Construction began in 1508 under Pope Julius II. Many people helped design the church, including Donato Bramante, Carlo Maderno, and Michelangelo. Builders completed the project in 1626. The pope traditionally heads many liturgies throughout the year in the basilica.

Mount Everest

 

This natural landmark is Mount Everest. It is the tallest mountain in the world above sea level. People can find it in the Himalayas. It is 29,031.7 feet (8,848.86 meters) in height. The mountain attracts climbers from around the world. New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first successful ascent in 1953. Since then, many more have. Unfortunately, human waste from visitors has reached critical levels on Mount Everest.

The Sphinx

 

The Sphinx is an ancient limestone statue that Egyptians carved from the bedrock of the plateau in that area. Archaeologists think the Sphinx was created under the pharaoh Khafre in the 2500s BCE during the Old Kingdom. Over generations, the Sphinx continuously got buried under sand and unburied. The Egyptian government had engineers try to repair the Sphinx in 1931, with more renovations added in the 1980s and the 1990s.

Grand Prismatic Spring

 

Take a look at this natural landmark. It is the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. The spring is 160 feet deep and 370 feet wide, making it the largest hot spring in the U.S. and the world’s third-largest. Microbial mats from the mineral-rich water create the Grand Prismatic Spring’s colorful edges.

The Al-Khazneh

 

This landmark is the Al-Khazneh, which means “The Treasury” in Arabic. People can locate it in the archeological city of Petra. Historians believe the structure was a mausoleum for Nabatean King Aretas IV. The builders used sandstone to carve the structure.

The Blue Grotto

 

This is the Blue Grotto. It is a sea cave where the color blue illuminates the cavern. The cave is on the coast of an island in southern Italy. With blue reflection, light shines through the underwater cavity and hits the seawater, which gives the cave its unique lighting; very cool.

Perito Moreno Glacier

 

Take a look at the Perito Moreno Glacier. Visitors can see it at Los Glaciares National Park. It is 19 miles in length (30 km.) The glacier occasionally bisects a lake at the southern arm called Brazo Rico. The area is one of the country’s most popular tourist areas.

Bran’s Castle

 

This is Bran’s Castle in Romania. King Louis I of Hungary commissioned the region’s people to construct a stronghold as a buffer against the Ottoman Empire’s expansion in 1377. They completed the castle the following year. Today, Bran’s Castle is a museum dedicated to Marie of Romania (the country’s last queen and wife to King Ferdinand I.)

The Sahara Desert

 

The Sahara Desert is in Africa. It coverers 3,600,000 square miles (9,200,00 square kilometers) of the continent. It is the biggest hot desert on earth and the third-largest in total. The other two are the northern Arctic and Antarctica. According to NASA, the average temperature for the area is 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) during the day, and at night it lowers to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees Celsius).

Upper Antelope Canyon

 

Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is an American slot canyon in the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park. Flash floods eroding the sandstone created the unique shape of this place. Visitors cannot enter the park without being on a guided tour for safety concerns. Rain creating flash floods can be extremely hazardous in the canyon.

Cathedral of Vasily

 

This landmark is the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed. People usually refer to it as Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Tsar Ivan the Terrible IV commissioned the building in 1555 as a tribute to the siege of Kazan and Astrakhan. The building was complete in 1561. The cathedral’s architecture was completely different from the traditional Byzantine style at that time. Today, Saint Basil’s Cathedral serves as a museum.

Lake Hillier

 

This is Lake Hillier off the coast of Western Australia. It is on the biggest island of the Recherche Archipelago. People recognize the lake instantly for its pink color, likely caused by algae and certain bacteria. It is also a saline lake. The earliest written account of Lake Hillier came from British Navigator Matthew Flinders in 1802.

The Western Wall

 

The Western Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. For the Jewish people, it is a landmark for pilgrimage and prayer. It is the only existing section of the retaining wall that used to surround the Temple Mount, a holy site of Jerusalem’s First and Second Temples (destroyed by the Babylonians and Romans).

The Pulpit Rock

 

This natural landmark is Preikestolen, also called The Pulpit Rock in Rogaland county, Norway, above the Lysefjorden. The unique structure is a cliff that has a flat top. It is about 1,982 feet (604 meters) high with an 82 feet x 82 feet (25 meters x 25 meters) surface. It has become a popular site with thousands of tourists visiting every year, including BASE jumpers.

Ayer Rock

 

Uluru, aka Ayer Rock, is an extensive sandstone formation at the continent’s center. It is a hallowed landmark to the Pitjantjatjara people. Humans settled near the inselberg as early as 10,000 years ago. Europeans who reached Uluru began mapping the area in 1872. Since the 1930s, it has become a popular spot for tourists.

Hyperion

 

People speculate that Hyperion is the largest tree in the world. It is a coast redwood. We should mention that it is not in the picture. We used another one just to emphasize how large these plants can get. The Hyperion is 379.1 feet tall (115.55 meters). The tree may be around 600 to 800 years old. People can see it at Redwood National Park, though the location to get there is a secret.

The Cathedral of Florence

 

This landmark is the Cathedral of Florence. It is a significant tourist attraction for the city and the biggest church in Italy. Architect Arnolfo di Cambio designed the structure, though he did not get to see its completion after he passed away. The city completed the base in 1367 though it was still unfinished. In 1418 architect Filippo Brunelleschi won a competition to design the dome. The city finished building it in 1436, and Pope Eugene IV consecrated the cathedral. As of 2022, the Cathedral of Florence still has the world’s largest brick dome.

Lake Baikal

 

This natural landmark is Lake Baikal. It is the largest freshwater lake globally and has 22-23% of the world’s fresh surface water. The lake stretches 12,248 square miles. It is also the deepest lake, with a depth of 5,387 feet (1,642 meters). The lake is popular with tourists. The Russian Government announced that the Baikal area was a special economic zone in 2007.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

 

This is the Hamilton Pool Preserve. It used to be a popular swimming location, but the local government no longer permits the activity due to falling rocks and other structural issues. Reservations are now necessary to visit. The area formed thousands of years ago after erosion caused an underground river to collapse. The location is also a well-liked area for filmmakers with movies such as “Teeth” (2007), “Predators” (2010), and “The Tree of Life” (2015) shooting there.

Brandenburg Gate

 

This landmark is the Brandenburg Gate. Prussian King Fredrick William II ordered its creation. Builders constructed the gate from 1788 to 1791. Architect to the Prussian court, Car l Gotthard Langhans designed Brandenburg Gate. He drew inspiration from the Acropolis in Athens. In 1793 a statue of Quadriga was placed on top of the gate. Johann Gottfried Schadow was responsible for the sculpture.

Shiprock

 

This is Shiprock. It is an inselberg that is 1,583 feet (482.5 meters) high. The structure is a volcanic neck, which means black dikes of igneous rocks and volcanic breccia make up its odd geological formation. The landmark also plays a vital role in Navajo Nation’s traditions and religion. Rock climbing is not allowed, but some people have still made the ascent.

The Grand Palace

 

This is the Grand Palace in Thailand. King Phutthayotfa Chulalok commissioned the construction of the place in 1782 after he moved the location of the capital city in the country. Many buildings, halls, and pavilions make up the palace, with more additions constructed throughout the years. The structure in the picture is Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall. The Royal government worked from these grounds until 1925.

Mendenhall Glacier

 

This is the Mendenhall Glacier. People can find it in Alaska in the Mendenhall Valley. It is 13.6 miles (21.9 km) and is federally protected. Visitors wanting to see the glacier or the surrounding area can go to the Visitor Center year-round. One trail allows people to see the ice caves underneath the glacier. The landmark typically gets over 500,000 tourists a year (many coming from cruise ships).

Salar de Uyuni

 

This Salar de Uyuni in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosi. It is the largest salt flat globally that stretches 3,900 square miles (10,000 kilometers). After it rains, a thin layer of water transforms the flat into the largest mirror on the planet, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) across. Outside of tourists, the area has become popular for movies. For instance, the filmmakers used the location in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017).

Paro Taksang

 

This is the Paro Taksang, a Buddhist monastery in the Para Valley. People built it into the Himalayan cliff face in the 17th century. Ancient ruler Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye commissioned the building in 1692. The legend behind the monastery is that it sits in the area where Padmasambhāva brought Buddhism to the country while riding a tiger.

Old Faithful

 

This landmark is the Old Faithful. It is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It has erupted almost every 44 minutes to two hours since 2000. Explorers in the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition gave the geyser its name in 1870. One member, Nathanial P. Langford, wrote in his account that they chose “Old Faithful” because the geyser spouted at regular intervals.

Great Blue Hole

 

This is the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. It is a giant marine sinkhole 1,043 feet across (317 meters) with a depth of 407 feet (124 meters). A marine sinkhole is a cave flooded by rising water, often after quaternary glaciation. Recreational scuba is common in the hole. Discovery Channel placed it number one on “The 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth.”

The Moai

 

The statues are called the Moai. The Rapa Nui people on an island in eastern Polynesia carved these monoliths. They built hundreds of them between 1250 and 1500. Visitors can find most of them at Rano Raraku. Given their size and height (the tallest is 33 feet, and the heaviest was 80.7 tons), archeologists still debate how the Rapa Nui moved them.

Grand Staircase-Escalante

 

This is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The U.S. president created the monument through the Antiquities Act in 1996. The monument has many attractions. The one in the picture is a Toadstool Hoodoos, and it will take about a 1.5-mile hike to reach it. The monument itself is bigger than the state of Delaware.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

 

This is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Turkey. People commonly refer to it as the Blue Mosque. Sultan Ahmed I, commissioned the project as a way to demonstrate Ottoman dominance, despite losing significant battles with the Safavid Persia. He used the treasury to fund it. Construction began in 1609 and ended in 1616. It was essential to architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa that the building emphasize size and grandeur. The mosque consists of five main domes plus six minarets and eight secondary domes.

Windmills at Kinderdijk

 

These are nineteen windmills at Kinderdijk. Citizens built them from 1738 to 1740. The purpose of the windmills was to maintain the water level in the polders near the Lek and Noord rivers. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the area as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The country’s windmills were listed as national monuments in 1993 and are protected.

Thor’s Well

 

This is called Thor’s Well. It is in the area called Cape Perpetua. It is a sinkhole with some unique characteristics. At high tide, waves go beneath the bowl. Water fills the cavern until it bubbles or spurts from the top. The water goes back into the hole after the process. The whole natural event makes Thor’s Well look like it is draining continuously.

Taos Pueblo

 

This is Taos Pueblo. It belongs to the Taus people, who have lived in the area for years. They believe their ancestors built most of the current buildings in the picture between 1000 and 1450 CE. The architectural style of the adobe buildings was for structures to be close together and become narrower near the top. Initially, they had few windows or doorways.

Lake Atitlán

 

Lake Atitlán is located in the Sierra Madre mountain range. It is a very important tourist attraction for the country. There are many villages around the area. The properties of the lake allow them to grow a variety of crops, including corn and onions. Elements of Mayan culture still remain prevalent by the lake. Atitlán is also the deepest lake in Central America.

The Pamukkale

 

This natural site is the Pamukkale in Denizli Province. It is known worldwide for its thermal spring water. It has 17 hot springs, with some as warm as 212 degrees Fahrenheit. That does not mean there aren’t some tourists who can’t swim in. Romans used to use the pools as a spa. There is one visitors can swim where they can see pillars and remains of Roman buildings below the water.

Space Needle

 

This landmark is the Space Needle in Washington state. Edward E. Carlson was the chief organizer of the World’s Fair. He came up with the tower idea and drew a flying saucer concept on a napkin. The Space Needle only took 400 days to build and opened to the public on April 21, 1962, for the Century 21 Exposition. The tower is 605 feet high (184 meters), and in 1999, this city’s preservation board designated it a historic landmark.

Meteor Crater

 

This natural landmark is the Meteor Crater in Coconino County. The creator is 3,900 feet (1,200 meters) in diameter and 560 feet (170 meters) deep. Scientists believe the creator is 50,000 years old and was struck by a nickel-iron meteorite 160 feet (50 meters) across. Scientists have profusely studied the crater since the 19th century. Also, in the 1960s and 1970s, NASA trained astronauts inside. Barringer Crater Company currently owns the site.

Buckingham Palace

 

Buckingham Palace is the royal residence in London. King George IV commissioned the Palace in 1820, though the site’s history goes farther back. John Nash was the first architect of the palace, but George let him go when he went over budget. Edward Blore finished the work. In 1837, Buckingham Palace turned into the royal residence, with Queen Victoria becoming an occupant.

Mammoth Cave

 

This is Mammoth Cave. It is the longest known cave system in the world, with 420 miles (680 km) of surveyed passageways. Today, people are still making discoveries with new paths continuously found. Mississippian-aged limestone strata covered by a sandstone coat make up the cave’s material. It became a national park in 1941 and a World Heritage Site in 1981. It is one of the state’s most popular attractions.

Potala Palace

 

This landmark is the Potala Palace, located on Ri Marpo (Red Mountain) in Lhasa Valley. The modern Palace began under Lozang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, in 1645. Workers finished it in 1649. After construction, the site remained a winter palace of the Dalai Lamas until 1959. The palace has since become a museum.

Caño Cristales River

 

This is the Caño Cristales river, also called the “River of Five Colors.” People can find it in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta. The unique color comes out between June-November after a rainy period. A plant called Macarenia clavígera causes red colorization in the water. The water lacks nutrients making it hard for fish to live and other plants to grow there.

Hoover Dam

 

Check out the Hoover Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation in the U.S. proposed a dam to calm the Colorado River plus receive hydroelectric power for the Southwest. President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill approving the dam in 1928. Construction began in 1931 and finished in 1936. The Roosevelt administration called it the Boulder Dam, but Congress reverted it to the Hoover Dam in 1947. The dam is 726 feet (221.4 meters) in height and 1,244 feet (379 meters) long.

Fort Jefferson

 

This is Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park in the Gulf of Mexico. After the U.S. acquired the land, they quickly began building the fort in 1847. It remains unfinished despite the 16 million bricks they have already used to construct it. It remained in Union control during the Civil War and later became a prison. From 1903 through 1939, Fort Jefferson became a marine biology laboratory.

Ames Monument

 

This is the Ames Monument. Architect Henry Hobson Richardson designed it. The Union Pacific Railroad Company dedicated the pyramid to the Ames Brothers, Oakes Ames, and Oliver Ames Jr., whose financial and political skills helped complete the transcontinental railroad. Abraham Lincoln personally requested Oakes manage the Union Pacific portion. Workers started construction in 1880 on the monument and finished in 1882.

Lao Valley

 

This site is called the Iao Valley in Hawaii. It became a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1972. The structure in the picture is called Kuka‘emoku or the Iao Needle. It is an erosional formation that rises 1200 feet from the ground of the Valley. Locals named it after the Hawaiian god of the ocean. Old warriors used to use it as a lookout point in wars. The Battle of Kepaniwai also took place in the Valley in 1790.

Temple of Évora

 

This landmark is The Roman Temple of Évora. Supposedly people built it in the first century CE to commemorate Augustus Caesar. Over the years, the Temple has had many other uses, including a butcher’s shop and bank vault for the Castle of Évora during the 14th century. However, the Temple almost did not make it. In the fifth century, Germanic invaders nearly destroyed it. It was not until 1789 that a severe reconstruction took place and later construction in the 19th century.

Mount Kilimanjaro

 

This is Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the highest mountain in Africa and a dormant volcano. Kilimanjaro has a height of 19,340 feet (5,895 meters). The Chagga people have lived on the slopes for years. They have achieved successful agricultural methods thanks to the mountain’s soil. Missionary Johannes Rebmann was the first European to report Kilimanjaro’s existence in 1848. Today, Mount Kilimanjaro is a popular tourist destination, with many people making the trek up.

Ponte Vecchio

 

The Ponte Vecchio is in Italy over the Arno River. Before construction, many other bridges were in the same spot but kept getting swept away by floods. The city built the current bridge in 1345. They recouped the cost of construction by allowing shops on the bridge. In 1595, the government prevented butchers from using the shops to keep the bridge clean. As for the architecture, three segmental arches compose Ponte Vecchio.

Blue Lagoon

 

This is the Blue Lagoon. It is close to the lava field Grindavik next to Mount Þorbjörn. The water temperature ranges from 99 ° to 102 ° Fahrenheit or 37-39 ° degrees Celsius. Silica content in the water forms the lagoon’s unique color and appearance. The Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited attractions in the country.

Church of Saint George

 

This landmark is the Church of Saint George in Lalibela. People named the area after King Gebre Mesgel Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty. He commissioned the church, and according to legend, God gave him the instructions. Workers built the church using volcanic tuff and carved it downwards around 12 or early 13th century C.E. Saint George was the last of eleven churches built in Lalibela.

Hopewell Rock

 

These are the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. They are at Bay of Fundy and are covered with water twice a day due to tidal range of the bay. Sedimentary conglomerate, mudstone rock, and sandstone make up the structures. In 2016, one of the formations called Elephant Rock partially collapsed.

Caddo Lake

 

Caddo Lake is in the southern United States. The lake got its name from Caddoans or Caddo Native Americans who lived in the area until their ejection in the 1800s. Caddo Lake also contains one of the biggest cypress forests in the U.S. After the introduction of the steamboat, considerable economic development took place in the area. Since 1993, the Ramsar Convention has protected the site.

Maha Bodhi Tahtaung

 

This area is called Maha Bodhi Tahtaung. It is a religious site located in the Sagaing Region. Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung Sayadaw founded the complex. He planted thousands of Bo trees and built thousands of Buddha statues in his lifetime. It is also home to the Laykyun Sekkya Buddha statue and Reclining Buddha Statue. Workers began construction on both pieces in the 90s. As of 2022, the Laykyun Skkya statue is the third tallest in the world, standing at 381 feet (166 meters). The reclining Buddha is a respectable 333 feet (101.5 meters).

Grand Canyon

 

This natural treasure is the Grand Canyon. It is 227 miles long (466m), 18 miles wide, and has a depth of 6,093 feet (1,857 meters). It is a steep-sided canyon formed by the Colorado River. Nave Americans have lived at the Grand Canyon for thousands of years. The Pueblo people believe the site is holy. Many Americans took expeditions to explore the area in the 19th century. Today, the location receives over five million tourists annually who can sightsee, raft, hike, and take helicopter tours. The Grand Canyon became a United States national monument in 1908 and a national park in 1919.

Virupaksha Temple

 

This is the Virupaksha Temple in the Ballari district of Karnataka, India, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is on the south bank of the Tungabadra river. People constructed the temple in the 7th century C.E. Originally, the temple was a couple of shrines, but worshipers added several additions throughout the years to expand the structure. Some believe that in 1510 emperor Krishnadevaraya commissioned the three-story tower. It is a center for pilgrimage for some Hindi followers.

Mount Fuji

 

Mount Fuji is a Japanese cultural icon and is 62 miles (100 km) southwest of Tokyo. It is an active stratovolcano plus the highest mountain in the country. The landmark is one of the “Three Holy Mountains” in Japan and made the World Heritage List. Mount Fuji is 12,388 feet tall (3,776 meters). Thousands climb the mountain every year. It is especially popular from July to August due to amenities and facilities only operating in the warmest weather.

Milan Cathedral

 

This landmark is the Milan Cathedral in Italy. Construction began in 1386 under Gian Galeazzo Visconti and Archbishop Antonio. Initially, the assembly used terracotta stone but switched to Condoglian marble from Lake Maggiore. With dozens of architects, thousands of artists, sculptors, and workers, the church was mainly complete by 1965; nearly six centuries since building the church started. Milan Cathedral has a gothic style and 135 gargoyles and 700 figures, and 3,400 statues.

Great Sand Dunes

 

This is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in the San Luis Valley. The park contains the tallest dunes in North America, with some getting nearly 750 feet (229 meters). Herbert Hoover made the area a National Monument in 1932 to protect the land from gold mining and possibly the concrete business.

Alhambra

 

This landmark is Alhambra, located in the city of Granada. Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahma, the first ruler of the Emirate of Granada, commissioned the palace’s construction in 1238. Future Nasrid rulers continuously added to the site, with the most noteworthy additions completed in the 14th century under YSUF I and Muhammad V. When Christians controlled the area, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella used the site as a Royal Court. After centuries of neglect, restoration began in the nineteenth century onward. Today, the palace is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, and people widely praise it for its Moorish architecture.

Stromboli

 

This is Stromboli. It is an active volcano off the north coast of Sicily, Italy. Stromboli has had nearly constant eruptions for around 2,000 to 5,000 years. The last major one took place in 1921. However, explosive events still happen, with two occurring in 2019. Also, fun fact, the conclusion of Jules Verne’s book “Journey to the Center of Earth” was set on Stromboli, and it may have been the inspiration for Mount Doom in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series according to English Professor Clyde Samuel Kilby.

Huaca Pucllana

 

This South American landmark is Huaca Pucllana. The Lima people built the complex. The structure served as an administrative site for elite clergymen who oversaw the irrigation zone surrounding the area. The large walls of Huaca Pucllana might have been used for meetings, storage. The west side pyramid was the ceremonial sector. When the Wari took over, they used the structure for burying nobility. Today, Huaca Pucllana is for visitors and contains a museum, restaurant, workshops, and stores.

Crazy Horse Memorial

 

This is the Crazy Horse Memorial. People can find it in the Black Hills of Custer County. Henry Standing Bear commissioned the memorial for Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse in 1931. Crazy Horse contended against the United States federal government for encroaching on Native American territory in the 19th Century. Construction began in 1948. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski designed the project with his family taking over after he passed away. The team completed the head and face in 1998; the rest remains unfinished.

Cave of the Crystals

 

This is the Cave of the Crystals. The cave is linked to the Naica Mine. Miners discovered the location in 2000 while hollowing out a new tunnel for the company Industrias Peñoles. Researchers credit Juan and Pedro Sanchez as the first miners to stumble on it. The site contains some of the largest selenite crystals on the planet. One is 37.4 feet (11.40 meters.) The cave has gone relatively unexplored because of its scorching temperatures.

Great Mosque of Samarra

 

This landmark is the Great Mosque of Samarra. Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil commissioned the project in 848. He and his workers constructed the mosque using brick octagon piers and marble columns. They finished the building in 851. However, the mosque was destroyed in 1278 during the Hulagu Khan’s invasion. The State Organization of Antiquities began a restoration in 1956. The current minaret is 171 feet (52 meters high).

Giant’s Causeway

 

Check out the natural landmark Giant’s Causeway. The site consists of around 40,000 interlinking basalt columns. Local legend has it that the structure is the ruins of a great causeway built by giants, hence the name. In reality, volcanic fissure eruptions created the columns. As of 2022, the site is the most popular in the area. The National Trust owns and runs Giant’s Causeway.

Trevi Fountain

 

This is the Trevi Fountain. The origin of the fountain goes back to 19 BCE, where Aqueducts brought water to the fountains of central Rome. In 1730 Pope Clemens XII conducted a competition for a new fountain design. Nicola Salvi was selected, despite supposedly losing. Work began in 1732. After Salvi passed away, architect Giuseppe Pannini took over with other workers. Restorations projects also occurred at the fountain in the 1980s and the 2010s. Trevi Fountain’s iconography is iconic, and filmmakers even featured it in some classic movies such as “Roman Holiday” and “La Dolce Vita” (1960).

Rattlesnake Canyon

 

This is the Rattlesnake Canyon. The location is within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness. The area contains nine natural arches. Probably the most recognizable one is the Cedar Tree Arch at the end of the loop trail. The site is popular for running, hiking, and horseback and is open year-round.

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

 

This is Le Mont-Saint-Michel. It is an island off the coast of the Couesnon River in France. The population is relatively small, with only 29 people living there in 2019. The landmark has a unique history dating back to the sixth and seventh centuries when it was an Armorican stronghold. Duke Richard II commissioned architect William of Volpiano to construct the Abbey in the middle. He designed the church in Romanesque architecture in 1060. A commune currently runs the place. Tourism is almost their sole source of income.

Great Wall of China

 

This is the Great Wall of China. The structure is over 2,300 years old and stretches 13,170 miles (21,196.18 km). It is the longest wall on Earth. Imperial China built the structure to protect the country from nomadic groups and use it as border control. The Chinese initially constructed separate walls but began joining them during the Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BCE). The most significant additions to the wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). According to Travel and Leisure Magazine, the structure received around 10 million visitors every year as of 2017.

Washington Monument

 

This landmark is the Washington Monument in Washington DC. As of 2022, it is the world’s tallest obelisk. It is 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 meters). The monument commemorates George Washington, the United States’ first president. Architect Robert Mill designed the memorial with construction beginning in 1848. Workers finished the obelisk in 1884. Marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss are the materials that make up the structure.