1: Egyptian Pyramids, Temples at Luxor, Valley of the Kings
Ancient Egyptian constructions are an easy choice for number one on this list. There are hundreds, if not thousands of sites that have lasted through the millennia. They have also been studied more than perhaps anyplace else on earth, so there is a great amount of data about the rulers and engineers who imagined and executed the delivery of these timeless structures. Our trip started in Giza with the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, then to Aswan and Luxor on the Nile. The first thing that stands out is the enormous scale. The biggest rocks imaginable were used to fashion buildings (Pyramids), statues (Colossi of Memnon – especially amazing for their graffiti from tourists, in Ancient Greek! The site has been visited for thousands of years!), towering columns and obelisks. This leads to a perfect score in degree of difficulty, as its still unclear how they were able to move and position such incredibly large stones.
2: Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
Where Angkor Wat really shines is in its presentation. Its name which translates to “a temple which is a city” explains why so much effort was spent to dazzle and amaze. Where the pyramids were designed to demonstrate power, these temples were created to inspire and conjure feelings and harmonize the soul with balance and beauty. The main temple of Angkor is set inside a glimmering moat, which is the size of a lake. It is the largest religious building on earth but is proportioned in a way that doesn’t make it feel that way; there are intimate corridors and rooms that let an individual experience solitude, even when thousands of tourists are just around the corner. Some of the other temples in the area are nearly as large, but set back in the forest or jungle. In some ways they feel hidden, only noticeable by their entry gate. When pulled in to explore and passing through the gate, you experience the reveal of the large temple before you. These can be astonishing, either because of their size, overgrowth of nature, amazing carvings, or even crumbling destruction. Vising the many temples is surprising and makes you feel that you’re on a quest.
3: Petra (Jordan)
With a name that literally means “stone,” Petra is a vast and sprawling city of temples and buildings carved directly onto mountains. The stone has a rosy hue and is breathtaking at sunrise and sunset. While there were some stone blocks used, the vast majority of the structures were cut right into mountain rock. This includes an auditorium, temples, roads, steps, reservoirs, etc. The buildings tell much about the ancient Nabataeans that lived there, their merchant roots with many shops and store fronts, their Roman and Greek influences from the classical architectural design, and their religion by their altars and high point of sacrifice.
4: Tiwanaku/Isla Del Sol/Puma Punku
In many ways, this site could be higher on the list. Highlighting the skill and power of the Tiwanaku race, predecessors of the Inca, these structures blend masonry expertise with an air of mystery. With some assessments dating Tiawanku as 13,000-15,000 years old, carbon dated and generally accepted assessments date this collection of ruins as being built from around 2000 BC up until 500-700 AD, making it the 2nd oldest on this list.
5: Taj Mahal/Chand Baori Step Well
As you may have noticed, we’ve taken the liberty of combining sites built from different eras on this list. As TravelExploit is mainly concerned with destination travel, we’ve combined sites from a common destination that you would likely see as part of a single tour. These two sites in Northern India are incredibly beautiful and astonishing. The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous sites in the world. It is romantic, gorgeous, and perhaps the finest example of Mughal architecture. When touring Rajistan (Northern India) you will inevitably come across many buildings with similar design and embellishments. However, none have the profound impact of the Taj Mahal, with its white marble glistening in the early morning light. Constructed in the 1600′s, the building is the youngest on the list. Even though it is of enormous scale and employed some of the region’s finest craftsmen, it loses points for belonging to the modern era. The Muslim world was skilled in math and for making elaborate blueprints, not to mention its use of elephants to move heavy objects, something most cultures did not have available.
