The idea behind this 15 historical places in the world list was to spark some bucket list wanderlust in you.
It was initially 5 sites then there were 10.
The more I continued my research – the more bucket list wonders I found.
I know what you’re thinking now – “He needed to do research to find Angkor Wat, the Easter Island, and the Pyramids? Lol, such an avid traveler.”
Actually, the research was centered around their history and the myths and legends that surround them.
I was looking for the “Wow” factor they would induce upon first sight.
I admit I haven’t been to all of these amazing historical places in the world…yet.
They are on my bucket list, though. Now it’s time to make them part of yours too!
Table of Contents
- Angkor Wat and the Siem Reap Temples
- The Pyramids And The Sphinx of Giza
- Machu Pichu
- Stonehedge
- Borobudur
- Petra
- Chichen Itza
- The Colosseum
- The Terracotta Army
- Valley of the Kings
- Angkor Wat and the Siem Reap Temples
Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia.
Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area,
Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century.
They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations.
UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.
2.The Pyramids And The Sphinx of Giza
Egypt is home to one of the only remaining wonder of the Ancient World: The Great Pyramids of Egypt. The pyramids are monumental tombs for pharaohs from the 4th dynasty and relics of Egypt‘s Old Kingdom era of ancient egyptian civilization constructed around 4,500 years ago. It is not hard to see how the giza pyramid collection is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Even by today’s standards, they are an incredible feat of engineering and just as awe-inspiring and magnificent in the 21st-century as they would have been millennia ago. Today, just a short journey for Cairo, they continue to fascinate and bewilder visitors, travellers, historians and archeologists who cannot fathom how exactly the Giza pyramid were built and how this Ancient Egyptian civilization would have transported, quarried and raised some 2.3 million white limestone blocks, that would have weighed almost 3 tonnes each. The construction of the nearby enigmatic monument of the sphinx statue (Sphinx Egypt) is equally puzzling, a 74 m long monument carved out of the limestone bedrock of the Giza Plateau.When people talk about the Pyramids of Giza, they are usually referring to three pyramids constructed in ancient timesbetween 2589 and 2504 B.C.(bce) The ancient Egyptian pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure were built in that order, constructed by their monarchical namesakes, King Khufu, pharaoh Khafre and pharoah Menkaure as mortuary complexes.
3.Machu Pichu
Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna
4.Stonehedge
Stonehenge, prehistoric stone circle monument, cemetery, and archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Though there is no definite evidence as to the intended purpose of Stonehenge, it was presumably a religious site and an expression of the power and wealth of the chieftains, aristocrats, and priests who had it built—many of whom were buried in the numerous barrows close by. It was aligned on the Sun and possibly used for observing the Sun and Moon and working out the farming calendar. Or perhaps the site was dedicated to the world of the ancestors, separated from the world of the living, or was a healing centre. Whether it was used by the Druids (Celtic priests) is doubtful, but present-day Druids gather there every year to hail the midsummer sunrise. Looking toward the sunrise, the entrance in the northeast points over a big pillar, now leaning at an angle, called the Heel Stone. Looking the other way, it points to the midwinter sunset. The summer solstice is also celebrated there by huge crowds of visitors.
5.Borobudur
The Temple of Borobudur or sometimes "Barabudur" is a Mahayana Buddhist temple located close to Muntilan on the island of Java in Indonesia. Built during the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty (c. 650-1025 CE), Borobudur remains the world's largest Buddhist temple. The Buddhists among the Javanese population performed pilgrimages and other rituals at Borobudur until around the 14th and 15th centuries CE when the temple was abandoned as many Javanese converted to Islam. Rediscovered in 1814 CE, Borobudur has since then been the subject of immense research and archaeological investigations by the Dutch and Javanese. UNESCO designated Borobudur as a World Heritage Site in 1991 CE following a restoration in the 1970s and 1980s CE overseen by President Suharto (1967-1998 CE) and UNESCO, and the iconic temple continues to play a powerful role in shaping Indonesian aesthetics, architecture, and cultural identity. Borobudur is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia.
6.Petra
Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture.
7.Chichen-Itza
This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is revealed in their stone monuments and artistic works. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. Several buildings have survived, such as the Warriors’ Temple, El Castillo and the circular observatory known as El Caracol
8.The Colosseum
Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.
9.The Terracotta Army
The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. The figures vary in height according to their roles, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians
10.Valley of the Kings
Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings (Wadi Biban al-Muluk) has 63 magnificent royal tombs from the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC), all very different from each other. The West Bank had been the site of royal burials from the First Intermediate Period (2181–2055 BC) onwards. At least three 11th-dynasty rulers built their tombs near the modern village of Taref, northeast of the Valley of the Kings. The 18th-dynasty pharaohs, however, chose the isolated valley dominated by the pyramid shaped mountain peak of al-Qurn (The Horn). The secluded site enclosed by steep cliffs was easy to guard and, when seen from the Theban plain, appears to be the site of the setting sun, associated with the afterlife by ancient Egyptians.
Egypt is home to one of the only remaining wonder of the Ancient World: The Great Pyramids of Egypt.
The pyramids are monumental tombs for pharaohs from the 4th dynasty and relics of Egypt‘s Old Kingdom era of ancient egyptian
civilization constructed around 4,500 years ago.
It is not hard to see how the giza pyramid collection is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Even by today’s standards,
they are an incredible feat of engineering and just as awe-inspiring and magnificent in the 21st-century as they would have been millennia ago.
Today, just a short journey for Cairo,
they continue to fascinate and bewilder visitors, travellers, historians and archeologists who cannot fathom how exactly
the Giza pyramid were built and how this Ancient Egyptian civilization would have transported,
quarried and raised some 2.3 million white limestone blocks, that would have weighed almost 3 tonnes each.
The construction of the nearby enigmatic monument of the sphinx
statue (Sphinx Egypt) is equally puzzling, a 74 m long monument carved out of the limestone bedrock of the Giza Plateau.
When people talk about the Pyramids of Giza, they are usually referring to three pyramids
constructed in ancient timesbetween 2589 and 2504 B.C.(bce)
The ancient Egyptian pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure were built in that order,
constructed by their monarchical namesakes, King Khufu, pharaoh Khafre and pharoah Menkaure as mortuary complexes.
3.Machu Pichu
3.Machu Pichu
Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna
4.Stonehedge
Stonehenge, prehistoric stone circle monument, cemetery, and archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Though there is no definite evidence as to the intended purpose of Stonehenge, it was presumably a religious site and an expression of the power and wealth of the chieftains, aristocrats, and priests who had it built—many of whom were buried in the numerous barrows close by. It was aligned on the Sun and possibly used for observing the Sun and Moon and working out the farming calendar. Or perhaps the site was dedicated to the world of the ancestors, separated from the world of the living, or was a healing centre. Whether it was used by the Druids (Celtic priests) is doubtful, but present-day Druids gather there every year to hail the midsummer sunrise. Looking toward the sunrise, the entrance in the northeast points over a big pillar, now leaning at an angle, called the Heel Stone. Looking the other way, it points to the midwinter sunset. The summer solstice is also celebrated there by huge crowds of visitors.
5.Borobudur
The Temple of Borobudur or sometimes "Barabudur" is a Mahayana Buddhist temple located close to Muntilan on the island of Java in Indonesia. Built during the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty (c. 650-1025 CE), Borobudur remains the world's largest Buddhist temple. The Buddhists among the Javanese population performed pilgrimages and other rituals at Borobudur until around the 14th and 15th centuries CE when the temple was abandoned as many Javanese converted to Islam. Rediscovered in 1814 CE, Borobudur has since then been the subject of immense research and archaeological investigations by the Dutch and Javanese. UNESCO designated Borobudur as a World Heritage Site in 1991 CE following a restoration in the 1970s and 1980s CE overseen by President Suharto (1967-1998 CE) and UNESCO, and the iconic temple continues to play a powerful role in shaping Indonesian aesthetics, architecture, and cultural identity. Borobudur is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia.
6.Petra
Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture.
7.Chichen-Itza
This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is revealed in their stone monuments and artistic works. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. Several buildings have survived, such as the Warriors’ Temple, El Castillo and the circular observatory known as El Caracol
8.The Colosseum
Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.
9.The Terracotta Army
The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. The figures vary in height according to their roles, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians
10.Valley of the Kings
Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings (Wadi Biban al-Muluk) has 63 magnificent royal tombs from the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC), all very different from each other. The West Bank had been the site of royal burials from the First Intermediate Period (2181–2055 BC) onwards. At least three 11th-dynasty rulers built their tombs near the modern village of Taref, northeast of the Valley of the Kings. The 18th-dynasty pharaohs, however, chose the isolated valley dominated by the pyramid shaped mountain peak of al-Qurn (The Horn). The secluded site enclosed by steep cliffs was easy to guard and, when seen from the Theban plain, appears to be the site of the setting sun, associated with the afterlife by ancient Egyptians.
Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting.
It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls,
terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments.
The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna
4.Stonehedge
Stonehenge, prehistoric stone circle monument, cemetery, and archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain,about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Though there is no definite evidence as to the intended purpose of Stonehenge,
it was presumably a religious site and an expression of
the power and wealth of the chieftains, aristocrats, and priests who had it built—many of whom were buried in the numerous barrows close by.
It was aligned on the Sun and possibly used for observing the Sun and Moon and working out the farming calendar.
Or perhaps the site was dedicated to the world of the ancestors, separated from the world of the living, or was a healing centre.
Whether it was used by the Druids (Celtic priests) is doubtful, but present-day Druids gather there every year to hail the midsummer sunrise.
Looking toward the sunrise, the entrance in the northeast points over a big pillar, now leaning at an angle, called the Heel Stone.
Looking the other way, it points to the midwinter sunset. The summer solstice is also celebrated there by huge crowds of visitors.
5.Borobudur
The Temple of Borobudur or sometimes "Barabudur" is a Mahayana Buddhist temple located close to Muntilan on the island of Java in Indonesia. Built during the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty (c. 650-1025 CE), Borobudur remains the world's largest Buddhist temple. The Buddhists among the Javanese population performed pilgrimages and other rituals at Borobudur until around the 14th and 15th centuries CE when the temple was abandoned as many Javanese converted to Islam. Rediscovered in 1814 CE, Borobudur has since then been the subject of immense research and archaeological investigations by the Dutch and Javanese. UNESCO designated Borobudur as a World Heritage Site in 1991 CE following a restoration in the 1970s and 1980s CE overseen by President Suharto (1967-1998 CE) and UNESCO, and the iconic temple continues to play a powerful role in shaping Indonesian aesthetics, architecture, and cultural identity. Borobudur is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia.6.Petra
Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture.
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