Chinese Colosseum. The great Wall of China. History and legends. The Roman Colosseum - a giant from the past

The only construction site of man

Which is visible from space,

And with its power it surprises century after century -

The great Wall of China.

(SergePhil)

Each country is associated with one specific image-symbol. For local residents and all foreigners arriving in the country, the Great Wall of China has been and will be a symbol of China. At the entrance to the restored part of it there is an inscription made by Mao Zedong: “If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.”

The wall is one of the largest and most skillful civil engineering structures in the world. It stretches from the Liaodong Gulf, northeast of Beijing through Northern China to the Gobi Desert. Data on its length are different and vary. The distance from one end to the other is 2450 km, but if you take into account the other ramparts extending from it, you get 6000-6500 km. Currently, scientists want to carry out a topographic survey to determine the exact length of the wall.

The width of the top of the Wall made it expensive for military units. At the same time, 5 infantrymen or cavalrymen could march in a row. Indeed, it served only to patrol the border and completely block mountain trails, which cannot be covered by other means. In the era of cold steel, the Great Wall of China reliably protected trade routes and protected peasants from raids by nomads. Only betrayal was able to cross the Wall several times.

Previously, the Great Wall of China was an obstacle on the path of everyone who sought to get to China. Several special checkpoints were made in the Wall, which were closed at night and under no circumstances were to be opened. No exceptions were made even for the emperor.

Only in 1644, after the conquest of China by the Manchus and the accession of a new dynasty, the Great Wall of China became unnecessary and was abandoned.

Along its entire length, fortresses, forts, and signal towers were torn down, and the wall and watchtowers were only slightly damaged by time. Nowadays, several areas are open to tourists; the most interesting is the unrestored Symatai area. In 1962, the Great Wall of China was included in the list of Chinese national monuments, and in 1987 - in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Nowadays, scientists have been able to unravel the composition of the mortar that the Chinese used to hold bricks together during construction - its main component turned out to be a viscous rice mass.

Under the influence of time and weather conditions, the Great Wall of China is gradually collapsing, and local residents use bricks as building material for their houses and outbuildings. The Chinese government is currently developing projects to restore the historical monument. A system of fines has been introduced for various violations during visits.

2.2 Colosseum

O symbol of Rome! Proud inheritance

Left time for me too

Centuries of magnificent power-hungers!

(BetakiBasil)

The Flavian Colosseum-Amphitheater is an amphitheater, one of the largest arenas, an architectural monument of Ancient Rome.

For a long time, the Colosseum was for the residents of Rome and visitors the main place for entertainment spectacles, such as gladiator fights, animal persecution, naval battles (naumachia). It is located in a hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills, in the place where there was a pond that belonged to the Golden House of Nero. The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater because it was a collective structure of the Flavian emperors. Construction was carried out over 8 years, in 72-80. n. e.

Like other Roman amphitheatres, the Flavian Amphitheater is an ellipse in plan, the middle of which is occupied by the arena and the surrounding concentric rings of seats for spectators. The Colosseum differs from all buildings of this kind in its size. This is the most grandiose ancient amphitheater: the length of its outer ellipse is 524 m, the major axis is 187.77 m, the minor axis is 155.64 m, the length of the arena is 85.75 m, its width is 53.62 m, its height its walls are from 48 to 50 meters. With such dimensions, it could accommodate about 50 thousand spectators.

The walls of the Colosseum were built from large pieces or blocks of travertine stone or travertine marble, which were quarried in the nearby city of Tivoli. The blocks were connected to each other by steel ties with a total weight of approximately 300 tons; local tuff and brick were also used for the internal parts. The Flavian Amphitheater was built on a concrete foundation 13 meters thick.

Thanks to the many entrances located evenly around the entire perimeter of the building, the public could fill the Colosseum in 15 minutes and leave in 5. The Colosseum in Rome had 80 entrances, of which 4 were intended for the highest nobility. The simpler spectators entered the amphitheater from under the arches of the lower floor, marked with numbers from I to LXXVI, and climbed to their seats along the stairs, of which there were also 76. These seats were located around the entire arena in the form of rows of stone benches, rising one above the other. The lower row, or podium, was assigned exclusively to the emperor, his family, senators and vestals, and the emperor had a special, elevated seat.

Since ancient times, the Colosseum has been considered a symbol of the greatness of Rome. “As long as the Colosseum stands,” the pilgrims said in the 8th century, “Rome will stand; if the Colosseum disappears, Rome will disappear and with it the whole world.” In 246, under Emperor Decius, during the celebration of the millennium of Rome, the Colosseum was a theater of magnificent spectacles, where, according to the memories of that era, 32 elephants, 60 lions, 40 wild horses and dozens of other animals were killed: moose, zebras, tigers, giraffes and hippopotamuses. But already in 405, Emperor Honorius banned gladiator fights, and later animal persecution was also prohibited. The Colosseum ceased to be the main arena of Rome. At the end of the 13th century, the Colosseum in Rome was turned into a quarry. The houses of 23 prominent aristocratic families were built from it, 6 churches were built from it in the 14th-15th centuries, in 1495 the office of the Pope was built from the material of the Colosseum, and in the 16th century bridges were built from the “giant’s” squares.

Subsequently, the arena of the legendary Roman amphitheater was associated for quite a long time with the torment of early Christians. Thus, in 1744, the Colosseum was consecrated in memory of the Christian martyrs who died here in battle with wild animals in front of the rampaging Roman crowds. The cross still stands in the center of the Colosseum.


Even schoolchildren know about the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. But there are many lesser-known buildings around the world that can lay claim to being architectural wonders.

1. Palace of Parliament, Romania


The world's largest and most expensive civil administrative building is located in Bucharest. The Palace of Parliament was built on the orders of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Built in 1984, the building in neoclassical style has 12 floors (8 of them underground), 3,100 rooms with total area 330,000 square meters.

The project cost is 3.3 billion euros. To build the Palace of Parliament, it was necessary to demolish a fifth of the center of Bucharest, including most of it historical districts, more than 30 churches and synagogues and about 30,000 homes.

2. Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali


The Great Mosque of Djenne was built in 1907 in the Niger Delta region (central Mali). The three minarets of the mosque are constantly shrouded in scaffolding, and renovation of the mosque in April-May has already become a local tradition. The structure was built from clay bricks, sand and a mortar of mud and plaster. In summer, under the harsh African sun, the building's material dries out and cracks, which is why annual repairs are required.

3. Derawar, Pakistan


The 40 bastions of the monumental Derawar fortress stand right in the middle of the desert. The walls of the fort are 30 meters high and form a circle with a diameter of one and a half kilometers. Ironically, most Pakistanis are not even aware of the existence of this magnificent structure in the middle of Cholistan.

To get to the fortress, you need to hire a guide with an SUV and drive for 24 hours through the desert from the city of Bahawalpur. To visit the fortress you need special permission from the Amir, the local ruler.

4. Chand Baori, India


The Chand Baori Well is one of the most underrated attractions in India. The walls of the structure are built in the form double stairs, which symmetrically descend 13 floors (30 meters). At the very bottom there is a pool with emerald green water.

Built by King Chanda of the Nikubha dynasty between 800 and 900 AD, Chand Baori always had cool water despite the heat and drought of Rajasthan.

5. Stari Most, Bosnia and Herzegovina


Old Bridge was built from 456 stone blocks in 1566 by the Ottoman Turkish architect Mimar Hayrudin. An arched bridge crosses the Neretva River in the Bosnian city of Mostar. Its width is 4 meters, length is 30 meters, and height is 24 meters. The bridge is one of the country's most recognizable landmarks and one of the best examples of Islamic architecture in the Balkans.

In the 1990s, the bridge was destroyed by Bosnian Croats during the Bosnian War. It took almost 10 years after the war to reconstruct it.

6. The Great Wall of India

Everyone has heard about the Great Wall of China, but few know that India has its own Great Wall, also known as Kumbhalgarh. Located in the state of Rajasthan, the 4.5 meter thick wall stretches 36 km and has seven fortified gates.

The Great Wall of India was built in 1443 by order of Rana Kumbha, a local ruler, to protect his fort located on the hill above. In the 19th century, the wall was completed, and now there are more than 360 temples behind it.

7. Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque, Iran


Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque is an architectural masterpiece of Iranian architecture from the Safavid era. Located 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 does not have a single minaret or courtyard. This can be explained by the fact that the mosque was never intended for public use, but served as a place of worship for the women of the Shah's harem.

The prayer hall can be reached through a long underground corridor. The dome of the mosque is completely covered with tiles, the color of which changes throughout the day from cream to pink.

The New Seven Wonders of the World is a project whose goal was to search for the modern seven wonders of the world. Selections of the new seven “wonders of the world” from the known ones architectural structures world events took place via SMS, telephone or Internet. In total, 90 million people around the world took part in the selection of new wonders of the world. The result was announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon. The results of this voting caused outrage, because many equally beautiful and famous landmarks were not included in the finals. Nevertheless, here it is seven in the form in which the voters determined it. We admire and evaluate, and also share our impressions in the comments. There are detailed stories about many miracles on LifeGlobe, with many interesting facts and photographs. To get there, just follow the links in the article.

Competition “7 New Wonders of the World” Organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Werber. On July 7, 2007, the day of the “three sevens,” the new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. They were the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the city of Petra in Jordan, the Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, the Indian City of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Mayan Pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza (Mexico). Let's talk about each of the Wonders of the World in more detail.

the great Wall of China

The largest architectural monument, passing through China for 8851.8 km. This building is rightfully considered the greatest achievement of world civilization. The Great Wall of China is truly unique and surrounded by many mysteries. In terms of the grandeur of its structure, the Great Wall of China has no equal in the history of world architecture. From its highest points you can admire the breathtaking panorama.


For a long time there was a myth that Great Wall- the only structure that can be seen from space. However, this turned out to be just a delusion. The myth that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space has been very popular in China for quite some time. When American astronauts said they could not detect it from space, many in China attributed this to the fact that the astronauts were foreigners. But later, the first Chinese cosmonaut Yang Liwei and, finally, the second pair of Chinese “taikonauts” confirmed the disappointing observations of the Americans.


Capital of Edom or Idumea, later capital of the Nabataean kingdom, main city sons of Esau. The city is located on the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 meters above sea level and 660 meters above the surrounding area, the Arava Valley, in the narrow Siq canyon. The passage to the valley is through gorges located in the north and south, while from the east and west the rocks drop vertically, forming natural walls up to 60 meters in height. These days, about half a million tourists come to Jordan every year to see Petra, whose buildings testify to its glorious past.


It was in Petra that the climactic scenes of Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed, as well as scenes of Michael Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.


Taj Mahal

Mausoleum-mosque, located in Agra, India, on the banks of the river. Yamuna. The Taj Mahal is considered the best example of Mughal style architecture, which combines elements of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became an object World Heritage UNESCO, has been called "the pearl of Muslim art in India, one of the universally recognized masterpieces of heritage, as well as a new wonder of the world admired all over the world."


Statue of Christ the Redeemer

UNESCO representatives also do not recognize the results of this vote. This decision was justified in this organization by the fact that not all inhabitants of the earth had the opportunity to take part in the vote. In many parts of the world there are still no mobile phones or internet.

The Vatican also expressed its note of protest, accusing the organizers of the online voting for the seven new wonders of the world of deliberately ignoring Christian monuments. Although the short list of contenders includes the monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral, Rome is convinced that these works of art were included in the list of finalists only due to political pressure from these two countries, notes the London newspaper The Times.

Perhaps there is no more or less educated person who has not heard about the seven wonders of the world. Many architects and designers, creating the next masterpiece building, hope that perhaps the time will come when it will be considered one of the eighth miracles.

However, restless minds periodically make attempts to create their own ranking of wonders of the world. Most famous list was published at the beginning of the 21st century. Work on it was entrusted to a special non-profit foundation, The New 7 Wonders of the world. Voting was carried out via the Internet. A total of 100 million votes were collected. However, many people still doubt the correctness of the results of such a study, because voting could be done several times. Today we will tell you about the buildings that were included in the new wonderful list.

The great Wall of China

Most famous monument China, whose length is almost 9 thousand kilometers, passes through the entire Northern China. Among tourists, the most popular area is called Badaling, which is located 75 kilometers from Beijing. Construction of the famous wall began in the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e. The fence was erected in order to protect the Chinese states from attacks by Asian nomadic peoples. The wall passes through mountainous areas, following the curves of the relief. The attraction fits harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Consists of brickwork and natural mountain range. In essence, it is not a wall at all, but a ditch filled with water.

To date East End The structure has been severely destroyed, but in the west the wall retains its original appearance.

Coliseum

Italy's greatest landmark. Construction of the amphitheater began in 72 AD. e., under Emperor Vespasian. As soon as its construction was completed, grandiose games were held here, which lasted exactly 100 days. The performance featured approximately 2,000 gladiators and 5,000 wild animals brought from Africa. The Colosseum was created in the shape of an ellipse, the height of which was 48.5 meters. The building was a miracle of architectural thought of that time. The spectator seats were arranged in circles surrounding the arena. The lower tier was reserved for the boxes of the emperor and his retinue. The next 20 rows were occupied by representatives of the city authorities, and then ordinary citizens could sit.

During the Middle Ages, the ancient building began to collapse. Part of the structure collapsed, part was broken. And only Pope Benedict XIV paid tribute ancient monument. He ordered the Colosseum to be turned into a church, which would serve as a reminder of the Christian martyrs killed in the arena. Many centuries later, on July 19, 2000, the renovated Colosseum appeared in new glory before an admiring public. Today there are spectacular performances here. Of course, these are not brutal gladiator fights, but colorful theatrical shows.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer

The Brazilian statue of Jesus is a symbol of Rio de Janeiro. It is located on Mount Corcovado, at an altitude of 710 m. The height of the monument itself is 38 m. The statue seems to bless Rio, spreading its caring arms over it.

The idea of ​​creating a monument arose in 1922, when they celebrated the 100th anniversary of Brazil's independence. The modeling of the head and hands was entrusted to the French sculptor Paul Landowski. The finished statue was transported from Paris to Rio de Janeiro and installed in an unmarked place in 1931.

The brightly lit statue is visible at night from almost any part of the city. However, the best view of it opens from Mount Pan de Azucar.

Petra

Petra - that’s what it was called ancient capital Idumea and the Nabatean kingdom. Many centuries ago it was lost in the Jordanian desert. It was only in the 19th century that it was discovered by the Swiss Orientalist Johann Ludwig Burkhard.

This city is located in the Wadi Musa valley. You can get into it through several narrow gorges. The ancient monument includes numerous ruins of buildings, theaters, and temples. Many buildings have been preserved quite well. Petra is a place of tourist pilgrimage.

The first mentions of Petra date back to the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. And the areas around the city were inhabited much earlier. Initially, these territories were inhabited by the Midianites: shepherd tribes of Northern Arabia. Afterwards, many nationalities lived here.

The facade of the temple, carved into the rock, which later turned into a monastery, is amazing. Ancient builders in some incomprehensible way hollowed out the rock, creating an exquisite structure and following the architectural plan with extreme precision.

Taj Mahal

The most famous landmark in India is located in the city of Agra. The temple was built in the 17th century on the banks of the Jamna River. This mausoleum was built by Tamerlane's descendant Shah Jahan in honor of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. Therefore, the Taj Mahal is not just an architectural masterpiece, but also a symbol of love.

Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and lasted 21 years. More than 20,000 people took part in the work. The walls of the building are made of marble inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. A luxurious park is planted around the temple.

The city of Machu Picchu is the ruins of the residence of the Inca emperor Pachacutec. This residence was built in the mid-15th century. The attraction is located at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. The city is often surrounded by clouds, thanks to which there is a special atmosphere that amazes any tourist.

The city was discovered relatively recently - at the beginning of the 20th century. It was discovered by Hiram Bingham, a professor at Yale University. The lost Inca settlement contains the remains of ancient temples. In the center of the city, on the Sacred Square, there is the Temple of Three Windows, the purpose of which is still unknown. Currently, Machu Picchu is considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in Peru.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is one of the new wonders of the world. This is a Mayan pyramid complex located in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula. It includes several stunningly beautiful temples.

Chichen Itza translates to “The Mouth of the Well of the Itza Tribe.” This settlement was founded by the Mayan tribe in the 5th-7th centuries AD. e. It was the religious and political center of the tribe.

The most majestic buildings are the Temple of the Warriors, the Temple of Kukulkan, the Karakol Observatory, as well as huge stadium, intended for the Mayan ball game.

Let us note once again that this list of miracles is still disputed by many to this day, which is not surprising. After all, there is simply no single criterion by which to evaluate the greatest architectural masterpieces. Therefore, the opinion about the attractiveness of each of them is considered subjective.

March 11th, 2017

I have heard more than once that famous world architectural landmarks are copied in China, but I did not think that on such a scale.

Just look:

Tower Bridge is perhaps one of the most impressive and famous landmarks of the capital of the former British Empire - the mistress of the seas - London. However, a copy of the bridge also exists in China and is twice as large as the original. Against the backdrop of China's rapid industrial growth and financial development, replicas of world-famous landmarks are being built here like mushrooms after rain. There is already a fake version in the Middle Kingdom Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and the White House.

Also, in the near future, the Chinese are going to build a life-size replica of the Titanic for $160 million. Check out 17 versions of iconic landmarks from around the world that can be seen in China.


The bridge, which spans the river in the city of Suzhou, is 40 meters high and has four towers instead of two. Its construction cost $15 million.



A double replica of London's Tower Bridge exists in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It was built in 2012, but only attracted everyone's attention, when his photos were published last month. While it does not have a lift bridge, it does have a dual carriageway, allowing cars to pass over it.



The model of the Athens Parthenon was built in theme park in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.



A 354-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower looms over a gated community in Tianducheng, China.



The architecture and landscaping imitates the Parisian style.



A replica of the Harbor Bridge in Beijing, China, leading to the fake Sydney Opera House, one of Australia's best-loved heritage buildings.



The Roman Colosseum in Macau, China, seats 2,000 spectators and is an outdoor concert venue.



The Arc de Triomphe rises more than 10 meters high in Zhanguan, China.



The concrete Great Sphinx of Giza rises above an unfinished theme park in Chuzhou, China.


Inspired by the Moscow Kremlin, this white-walled, gold-domed complex in Beijing's Mentougou district costs around $3.5 million.



The village of Florence in Yunging, China occupies approximately 200,000 square meters of former corn fields with Italian architecture and bridges.



The Grand Canal even goes through Chinese Florence.



The Parisian iconic Louvre Pyramid was designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. This version in Chongqing Municipality looks a little gloomy.



Beijing has its own The White house, sandwiched in a theme park that also features knockoffs of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the Capitol.



The luxurious Chateau Lafite hotel imitates the 17th-century Chateau Maisons-Laffite, which embodies French Baroque architecture.



The construction of a replica of the city of Hallstatt (Austria) cost the municipality of Huizhou, China, $940 million.



The Leaning Tower of Pisa, located in Shanghai, is more than 5,000 kilometers away from the real original. However, tourists take selfies against its background, which are almost impossible to distinguish from the original. So you can go to China, and in social networks post your photos and sign that you are joining classical Italian architecture.

 

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