50 Of The Most Fascinating Creations Of Archaeology, Art And Architecture That Continue To Inspire Us Centuries Later

Master craftspeople carved the gigantic structure from a single piece of solid rock in a cave on a mountainside. The entire building took more than two decades to carve.

One of the biggest and most stunning stepwells in the entire world is the Chand Baori.
How is it possible without understanding of geometry, mathematics, physics, and engineering?

When archaeologists later arrived to the site, they revealed that the city was 18 stories deep and had everything needed for underground life, including schools, chapels, and even stables.

It is the region’s most important library containing about 150,000 volumes, making it the largest library in Görlitz and the region, revered for promoting knowledge sharing between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

The full statue was once over 4 metres tall and dates to circa 200 B.C.

Built in 1868 for the local Reform congregation on the site of the 12th-century Altschul, which was the oldest synagogue in the Prague ghetto.
It was called the Spanish Synagogue for its impressive Moorish interior design, influenced by the famous Alhambra. The building was designed by Josef Niklas and Jan Bělský, the remarkable interior (from 1882–83) by Antonín Baum and Bedřich Münzberger.

The Margravial Opera House, one of the masterpieces of Baroque theater architecture, built between 1745 and 1750 Commissioned by Margravine Wilhelmine, wife of Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg Bayreuth, it was designed by the famous theater architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena.

The oldest civilization in the world
The city of Sivar, also called the city of mystery and the eighth wonder of the world, is located in the "Tassili N'Ajer" series in the middle of the Djanet desert, southeastern Algeria.
The largest open-air museum includes drawings and engravings dating back more than 15,000 years, representing the oldest civilization in the world and is registered with UNESCO.

It is a covered market and one of the oldest markets in London, located in the historic centre of the City of London financial district.

These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.

This is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus. It was built in 117 A.D. to store about 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a mausoleum for Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (Roman proconsul of Ephesus).

The scrolls of the manuscripts were kept in cupboards in niches on the walls.There were double walls behind the bookcases to prevent them from the extremes of temperature and humidity.
The capacity of the library was more than 12,000 scrolls. It was the third richest library in ancient times after the Alexandria and Pergamum.

The facade of the library has two levels , with Corinthian style columns on the ground floor and three entrances to the building. There is three windows openings in the upper floor.

The statues in the niches of the columns today are the copies of the originals. The statues symbolize wisdom (Sophia), knowledge (Episteme), intelligence (Ennoia) and valor (Arete).
The interior of the library was destroyed, supposedly by an earthquake in 262 A.D., (though other evidence points to a fire during a Gothic invasion in that same year).

The mosque was first built in 1147 during the reign of the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mumin, who completely rebuilt it in the year 1158. As for the minaret, its construction was completed in 1195 during the reign of the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur. The mosque was registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, as part of the city of Marrakesh

A multidisciplinary team of scientists recently announced the discovery of the oldest human footprints in North America. These fossilized prints were made between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago along the shores of an ice age lake that once filled the Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico, in what is now White Sands National Park. This finding fundamentally changes the timeline on North American human habitation – turning back the clock of human arrival in the Americas nearly 10,000 years. The footprints were formed when ancient peoples walked over damp, sandy ground surrounding the former lake. Over time, sediment filled in the footprints as the ground hardened fossilizing the prints. Recently, erosion has resurfaced the prints, making many of them visible to the naked eye. By testing the sediment, researchers were able to carbon date the prints, with the oldest set being 22,800 years old.

Predjama Castle was built in the middle of a rocky cliff 120 meters or 400 meters high 800 years ago. The castle is partially built in a natural cave and is connected to the cave system...

These wheels are also known as "Hama wheels" or "Hama Norias" and are considered to be one of the most impressive examples of traditional water-raising technology.

The Norias of Hama were constructed during the medieval period, likely in the 14th or 15th century, although some estimates suggest they may be even older. The wheels were used to lift water from the river to nearby aqueducts and irrigation systems, which were used to water crops and provide drinking water for the people of Hama.

It consists of four temples, interconnected by staircases and bridges, perched on the cliffside over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level. The buildings are adorned with intricate carvings and paintings that depict Buddhist teachings and deities.

Honored after death with a custom reserved only for important elders and local heroes among the Dani people. It is embalmed and preserved with smoke and animal oils.

It is also known as the Valley of the Moon due to its unique landscape of red sandstone and granite rock formations that resemble a lunar surface. It has been inhabited by various civilizations throughout history, including the Nabataeans, who built the famous city of Petra.

Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3rd millennium BC. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principle sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery, often referencing literary works.

St Mary's was founded around the year AD 1130 by Bernard de Balliol, who rebuilt the nearby castle begun by his father.

The Cliff road is believed to have been created in the 13th century, during the Yuan Dynasty, by followers of He Zhizhen, the first master of the Mount Hua Sect of Taoism...