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If asked to name a type of art, most folks might suggest a painting or maybe theater. Poetry and music might also come to mind. But if you stop and think about it, the buildings and monuments around us also have a lot of artistic qualities. Perhaps they were not made to be “art,” but, just like the applied arts, there is a lot of thought and creativity put into everything from churches to bridges.
We’ve gathered some beautiful examples of possibly lesser known architectural wonders from around the world. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts and personal examples in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Wat Rong Khun, Thailand
Ann Jeppesen 8 months ago
Gorgeous, but also looks like a place a bone Fay would live in. Like it’s made with the bones of their enemies. But not as creepy.
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#2
Stari Most "The Old Bridge", Mostar, Bosnia And Herzegovina
turk 8 months ago
I was there in December last year. Absolutely stunning. It's been rebuilt since the Croatians bombed it in the 90's, when they tried to conquer Bosnia. Mostar is a beautiful little city, particularly on the river, where there are nice little hotels and restaurants.
Victoria 8 months ago
Was it Croats or Serbs who did the bombing? I didn't know Croats wanted to conquer Bosnia. But in that civil war everyone was fighting everyone, so maybe I'm remembering wrong.
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Chand Baori, India
Architecture stands at the crossroads of function and beauty, elegantly blending engineering with artistic expression. At its core, architecture is about shaping spaces that people inhabit, move through, and experience, but the true power of the discipline lies in its ability to evoke emotion and meaning, just like any other art form.
From the soaring arches of Gothic cathedrals to the clean lines of modernist skyscrapers, buildings can inspire awe, comfort, contemplation, or delight simply through their form, materials, and the way they interact with light and environment.
#4
Urnes Stave Church, Norway
Lee Gilliland 8 months ago
Love stave churches. They're all made with axes and trunnels (tree [wooden] nails).
#5
Himeji-Jo Castle, Japan
#6
Meenakshi Amman Temple, India
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 8 months ago
And still has some colour after all the years of weathering. Amazing.
One reason architecture qualifies as art is its emphasis on composition. Architects arrange elements, columns, windows, walls, and voids, much like painters organize color on a canvas or sculptors carve volumes from marble. Balance, rhythm, contrast, and harmony play crucial roles. A facade with a rhythmic pattern of windows can feel musical, guiding the eye in a deliberate dance.
#7
Baalbek, Lebanon
#8
The Pyramids Of Meroe, Sudan
#9
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, USA
Shaggy 8 months ago
I know this one is a heritage site, but 1/2 the houses in NM look like this... LOL
Sarah Gerber 8 months ago
We visited there. The local guide was very knowledgeable. It is fascinating. There are some small local artist's shops, so you can support the community.
A building’s silhouette against the sky becomes a drawn line in three dimensions, and the interplay of solids and spaces invites observers to appreciate the choreography of form. Materiality and texture further reinforce architecture’s artistic resonance. Stone can be carved into intricate reliefs that cast delicate shadows, while polished steel reflects its surroundings like a living mirror.
#10
Trakai Castle, Lithuania
turk 8 months ago
I got engaged in Trakai in 2019! The castle is very well maintained. I would also recommend seeing Vilnius, the capital of the country.
Egle Kalonaityte 8 months ago
Why would it not be in a good state. It was rebuild from scratch in 1960s. Counting 60 years of age. It is somewhat a bit looking like original based on findinhs. Still love it, sill not really original...
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Tiebele Village, Burkina Faso
#12
Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Cusco, Peru
Warm timber panels carry the grain and knots of their origin, lending a tactile, almost emotional quality to interiors. Even concrete, often seen as cold and utilitarian, can be sculpted, patterned, or colored to reveal surprising warmth and nuance. These material choices, handled with creative sensitivity, transform mere structures into works of art.
#14
Chan Chan, Peru
#15
Great Mosque Of Djenne, Mali
Liz Siemens 8 months ago
I recall watching the yearly mud plastering tradition the locals do to preserve this building on “Human Planet” (I think that’s what it was!) this building is built from mud bricks which are durable but they need to re plaster it with mud once a year to protect it during the rainy season. The whole community takes part in this process, it was really neat.
Light is a sculptor’s tool in the architect’s palette. The way sunlight filters through stained-glass windows, casting vibrant patterns on cathedral floors, is a masterpiece of color and movement. In minimalist spaces, slits or courtyards can channel rays to highlight textures or to create shifting plays of shadow throughout the day.
#16
Ruins Of Andesite Sanctuaries And Solar Disk At Sarmizegetusa Regia, Romania
#17
Derawar Fort, Pakistan
#18
Leshan Giant Buddha, China
Thoughtful manipulation of natural and artificial light can turn ordinary rooms into ethereal experiences, proving that architecture can paint with brightness and darkness just as readily as any visual artist. Context and narrative also elevate architecture into the realm of art. A building does not exist in isolation, it responds to its surroundings, history, and culture. A museum may echo classical forms to honor tradition, or deliberately clash with an ancient cityscape to provoke dialogue about progress.
#19
The Lion Gate, Hattusa, The Capital Of The Hittite Empire In The Late Bronze Age, Bogazkale, Turkey
#20
Habitat-67, Montreal, Canada
#21
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
A community center might incorporate local crafts, embedding stories and identities directly into its walls. By embedding narrative meaning into physical form, architects create structures that speak to people’s hearts and minds, much like a novel or a film. Architecture’s participatory nature distinguishes it as a living art. Unlike paintings locked behind glass or sculptures on pedestals, buildings invite interaction.
#22
Monastery Of Batalha, Portugal
#23
Rila Monastery, Bulgaria
People inhabit them, touch their surfaces, hear echoes in their halls, and form memories within their walls. The success of architectural art is measured not only by critical acclaim but by the quality of life it offers its users, the comfort of a home, the inspiration of a concert hall, or the sense of communal pride in public landmarks.
#26
Pont Du Gard, France
Ece Cenker 8 months ago
This is actually an acquaduct. The bridge was added adjacent to the Roman structure in the 18th century.
DeoManus Argentem 8 months ago
Was the only reason I traveled to Nimes as a dumb American highschooler during the traditional "backpacking around Europe before college", so even I had heard of it - I was/am a Roman history buff though. So cool!
#28
Haghpat Monastery, Armenia
In all these ways, architecture transcends mere construction and enters the realm of art. By harmonizing form, material, light, context, and human experience, it crafts environments that not only serve practical needs but also enrich our lives with beauty, meaning, and emotional resonance. Architecture, in other words, is art you can live in.
#29
Roman Ruins Of Djemila, Algeria
#30
Wartburg Castle In Eisenach, Germany
Saint_Zipcodus 8 months ago
My grandma grew up close to it. When the Iron Courtain fell and she went visiting again for the first time, Gran absolutely sped up that hill. When they arrived on the top, she gasped: Well, I completely forgot that I'm not a child anymore.
#31
Ziggurat At Ur Temple, Iraq
#32
Miagao Church, Philippines
#34
Temples Valley, Sicily, Italy
#35
Cristo Obrero Church, Uruguay
#37
Qasr Amra, Jordan
#38
Chateau De Peyrepertuse, France
Pernille 8 months ago
This is near where I live, and the trip up there is on a long steep path made by the Romans. The view is amazing from up there, but I can't help thinking how everything used to build an run the place had to be carried up there. There are many fortresses like this in the area, but my favourite is Montségur, mostly for its history during the c*****e against the Cathars.
Ace 8 months ago (edited)
What word was censored out? C*****e? Surely not even BP would do that? Edit: yes, seems that they would. FFS. Crúsade, in case it's still not clear.
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#39
Cordouan Lighthouse, France
Saeide Tohidi 6 months ago (edited)
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a methodology and technology that architects use to create digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of a building. for more info click Here. https://geovision.cloud/
#41
Knossos, Greece
#43
Ancient City Palmyra, Homs, Syria
DaisyGirl 8 months ago
ISIS partially destroyed it. Taliban us specific to Pakistan and Afghanistan only
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#45
The Torii Gate At Itsukushima Shrine, Japan
Shannon Murdock 8 months ago
It’s beautiful here. When the tide is out, people can walk all the way up to gate. People also push yen into the wood as they make a wish.
#46
Tower Of Hercules, Spain
Pittsburgh rare 8 months ago
It used to mark the west end of the Roman empire and it's the only Roman lighthouse still in use
#47
The Cathedral Of Christ The Saviour, Ukraine
Multa Nocte 8 months ago
Wiki: "The current church is the second to stand on this site. The original church, built in the 19th century, took more than 40 years to build, and was the site of the 1882 world premiere of the 1812 Overture composed by Tchaikovsky. It was destroyed in 1931 on the order of the Soviet Politburo. The demolition was supposed to make way for a colossal Palace of the Soviets to house the country's legislature, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Construction started in 1937 but was halted in 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union during World War II. Its steel frame was disassembled the following year, and the palace was never built. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the current cathedral was constructed on the site between 1995 and 2000."
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Otto Katz 8 months ago
I keep trying to find the location of this building, it keeps coming up in Moscow.
Lee Gilliland 8 months ago
Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Oblast. It's in the center of town.
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Borobudur, Java, Indonesia
Agfox 8 months ago
The largest Buddhist temple in the World & a major Indonesian tourist attraction - hardly 'little known'
Lady Eowyn 8 months ago
Some of these places may actually be "little known' to people in other parts of the world.
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Angkor, Cambodia
#51
Palace Of The Parliament Bucharest, Romania
Chewie Baron 8 months ago
This used to be the home of the Ceaușescus. Their own personal home. It’s also the heaviest building in the world because of the amount of marble that was used.
IORN 8 months ago
Nope, no residence, just a testament to megalomania. They lived somewhere else in the city.
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Lara Verne 8 months ago
That building was extremely expensive and still isn't completelly done. A lot of rooms there is empty and unused.
#53
Vizcaya Bridge, Spain
Pittsburgh rare 8 months ago
It's like a cable car but instead of going uphill it goes over the ría, the cables are visible in the photo. I've taken it a couple times, it's the quickest way to cross.
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#63
Towers Of Bologna, Italy, 12th And 13th Century
#70
The Louvre Castle, Paris, France, 1622 At The Time Of King Louis XIII
#72
Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan
#76
Hwaseong Fortress, Korea
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
I've been here, and it's very interesting! The soldiers dress in period costumes and perform in a parade. They they'll take a picture with you.
#78
Fontenay Abbey, France
Final score:
12points
Pittsburgh rare 8 months ago
This place appeals to me at a molecular level. I'm going to visit sooner than later.
#79
1756 Old London Bridge, Longest Inhabited Bridge In Whole Europe
Chewie Baron 8 months ago
Because of the amount of piers the bridge needed (19 in total) was the reason why they were able to hold frost fairs on the Thames most winters. Because there were so many and the gaps between the piers wasn’t large, this was able to slow down the flow of the river. That then made it easier for the water to freeze over. And they had proper winters back then! This version of London Bridge stood from 1209 to 1831. Though it was affected by major fires, namely 1633 and 1666, The Great Fire.
Lee Gilliland 8 months ago
Actually that's incorrect. Those piers made the river speed up because it constricted flow and therefore stopped ice from forming upstream. The ice fairs were further upstream for this reason.The Thames froze because they had a mini ice age.
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#81
Gaitor Ki Chhatriyan, Jaipur, India
#91
Chand Baori, India
#95
Neue Elbbrücke Bridge, Hamburg
Al Fun 8 months ago
The bridge used to have beautiful neogothical towers on each side, they were demolished in 1959.
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
I saw photos about it. Why didn't they restored them?
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What do you think ?
Rose the Cook 8 months ago
There were quite a few very well known sites here like Mycenae, Angkor, Knossos and Baalbek.
Kiki Likes Sweets 8 months ago
I'm just glad to see more Asian, African and South American sites on this list.
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Rebecca O’Donnell 8 months ago (edited)
Even though some of sites are well known to some, it was very enjoyable to see pictures of places I doubt I’ll ever see.Thank you, Viktorija Strelciunaite.
persephone134 8 months ago (edited)
Another strange Bored Panda title that does not represent the content properly. Total click-bait. But perhaps they'll change their title several times over. Again.
geezeronthehill 8 months ago
Context would make most of these more interesting. Also, there were no architects when many of these structures were built.
El Cucuy 8 months ago
Umm, architecture has been in existence for roughly 10,000 years...
Load More Replies... Rose the Cook 8 months ago
There were quite a few very well known sites here like Mycenae, Angkor, Knossos and Baalbek.
Kiki Likes Sweets 8 months ago
I'm just glad to see more Asian, African and South American sites on this list.
Load More Replies... Rebecca O’Donnell 8 months ago (edited)
Even though some of sites are well known to some, it was very enjoyable to see pictures of places I doubt I’ll ever see.Thank you, Viktorija Strelciunaite.
persephone134 8 months ago (edited)
Another strange Bored Panda title that does not represent the content properly. Total click-bait. But perhaps they'll change their title several times over. Again.
geezeronthehill 8 months ago
Context would make most of these more interesting. Also, there were no architects when many of these structures were built.
El Cucuy 8 months ago
Umm, architecture has been in existence for roughly 10,000 years...
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