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Famous landmarks like the Arc Du Triumph, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sagrada Familia have been photographed countless times by photographers from around the world. They are recognizable to most, if not all, of us. But this collection of stunning aerial photography shots gives us a birds-eye-view of these places, casting them in a totally new light.

Most of the beautiful photos are of places or things that most of us could easily identify right away. The images illustrate just how much a change in perspective, such as an aerial view, can alter. It’s also worth noting that a few of these sites, like the Pyramids of Giza and the hotels in Dubai, were designed with an aerial perspective in mind. The designs of certain Dubai hotels can only be appreciated fully from above, and some theorize that the Pyramids of Giza were meant to be aligned with the stars in Orion’s Belt.

Although taking photographs from an actual bird’s perspective is possible, most photographers prefer taking cool photos like these from hot-air balloons, helicopters, gliders, or very tall structures. A few of the photographs also seem to be taken from altitudes that even birds couldn’t reach. None of this, however, detracts from these tourist attractions’ epic beauty.

For more great examples of aerial photography, check out these photographs by Kacper Kowalski and Klaus Leidorf. (via)

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    Image credits: Judit Kovacs

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    1. Barcelona

    Image credits: Aldas Kirvaitis

    2. Central Park, New York City

    Image credits: Sergey Semenov

    3. Maze at Longleat, England

    Image credits: archive.4plebs.org

    4. Mexico City

    Image credits: Pablo Lopez Luz

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    5. Venice

    Image credits: Yann Arthus Bertrand

    6. Amsterdam

    Image credits: unknown

    7. Giza Pyramids, Egypt

    Image credits: satimagingcorp.com

    8. Niagara Falls, Canada

    Image credits: thezooom.com

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    10. Chicago

    Image credits:  Robert Elves

    11. Tulip Fields, The Netherlands

    Image credits: Normann Szkop

    12. Bern

    Image credits: imgur.com

    13. Mangroves in New Caledonia

    Image credits: Yann Arthus Bertrand

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    14. Dubai

    Image credits: unknown

    15. Dubrovnik

    Image credits: Michaelphillipr

    9. Namib Desert, Namibia

    Image credits: SysaWorld Roberto Moiola

    16. Paris

    Image credits: imgur.com

    17. Meskendir Valley, Turkey

    Image credits: Beng Lieu Song

    18. Shanghai

    Image credits: imgur.com

    19. Cape Town

    Image credits: imgur.com

    20. Moscow

    Image credits: imgur.com

    21. Athens

    Image credits: imgur.com

    22. Vancouver

    Image credits: Evan Leeson

    23. Male, Maldives

    Image credits:  Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeg

    24. Seattle

    Image credits: thatcherphotography.com

    25. Vatican City

    Image credits: Randy P

    26. Bac Son Valley, Vietnam

    Image credits: Hai Thinh

    27. Marina Bay, Dubai

    Image credits: airpano.com

    28. Rio de Janeiro

    Image credits: Antonello

    29. Terraced Rice Fields, China

    Image credits: Thierry Bornier

    30. A Lake in Pomerania, Poland

    Image credits: Kacper Kowalski