Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, which is 8 miles north of

Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing
stones set within earthworks. Archaeologists estimates that it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to
2000 BC. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of
the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu at
Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. The shape of a pyramid is thought to be demonstrative of the
descending rays of the sun. Many pyramids were polished with reflective white limestone, in order to
give them a glow when viewed from a distance.
The Colosseum was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. It was built 7080 AD. It can
accommodate 60,000 seated and 10,000 standing. There are 80 entrances so anyone could enter
and leave quickly. It is the largest amphitheater ever built and it is considered one of the greatest
works of architecture and engineering.

Known as the largest church in the world, the St. Peters Basilica is also the most popular
Christian church today. It is known as a place of pilgrimage especially among Catholics and is
considered among the holiest Catholic sites. This church is also regarded as the greatest
building of its age in terms of architecture.

Located on a ridge outside the city of Agrigento, Sicily lie the remains of seven Greek
temples called the Valley of the Temples. The Temple of Concordia, built in the 5th century
BC, is the best preserved in the Valley and is one of the largest and best preserved Doric
style temples still standing. The Doric columns are 7 meters (22 feet) high including the
capitals and have a diameter of 1.3 meters (4.5 feet) at the base. Other temples include the
Temple of Juno, used for the celebration of weddings, and the Temple of Heracles, the
oldest Temple at the site which today consists of only eight columns.
The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis is one of the most popular tourist attractions in
Greece and a visit to Athens is not complete without visiting this temple. The construction of
the Parthenon started in in 447 BC, replacing and older temple that was destroyed by the
Persians, and completed in 432 BC. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house a massive
statue of Athena Parthenos made from ivory, silver and gold. Sometime in the 5th century
the statue was looted by one of the Roman Emperors, and taken to Co

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built about 2,500 years ago.
It was built by Nebuchadnezzar II, to make his wife Amytis happy
because she didnt like the Babylonian desert. She had lived in
Persia, which had many plants and fountains.
The Hanging Gardens were known to be in Mesopotamia, near
what is now Baghdad, Iraq. It was located by the Euphrates River. It
was about 350 feet tall and was covered with trees, flowers, lawns,

plants, fountains, pools, and miniature water falls. It had every kind
of plant available in the kingdom. It was made of mud brick and
stone, a series of teracces, one on top of the other. The plants
couldnt survive without water, so they had to pump water from
the Euphrates River to flow down through channels to the plants.
nstantinople, where it was later destroyed. During its long life the Parthenon has also
served as a fortress, a church, a mosque and as a powder magazine.
Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for
Ottoman Empires. Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum at the Turkish Republic, Hagia
Sophia has always been the precious of its time

Hadrianeum or Sepulcrum Antoninorum, structure in Rome, Italy, that was

originally the mausoleum of the Roman emperor Hadrian and became the
burial place of the Antonine emperors until Caracalla. It was built in AD 135
139 and converted into a fortress in the 5th century. It stands on the right bank
of the Tiber River and guards the Ponte SantAngelo, one of the principal
ancient Roman bridges. In plan, the fort is a circle surrounded by a square;
each corner of the square is protected by an individually designed barbican, or
outwork, while the central circle is a lofty cylinder containing halls, chapels,
apartments, courtyard, and prison cells.
The famous tower of babel story from Gen 11:1-9 has strong Mesopotamian echoes. The passage
contains explicit references to aspects of Mesopotamian civilization: the physical environment (the
plain of Shinar,Gen 11:1), geography (Babylon, called babel in Gen 11:9), building techniques (using
bricks and bitumen instead of stone and mortar, Gen 11:3), urbanism (let us build ourselves a city,
and a tower, Gen 11:4), and political phraseology (to make oneself a name, Gen 11:4, that is, to
become famous through monuments). All these are known features of Mesopotamian civilization in the
second and first millennium B.C.E.