History of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

History of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Background The Sagrada Familia, one of Barcelona’s most recognizable emblems, is Spain’s most popular tourist destination. Many visitors from all over the world travel to this unfinished church because it is regarded as a superb example of modernist architecture created by architect Antoni Gaudi. The fact that this stunningly gorgeous Roman Catholic … Read more

History of the Forbidden City

History of the Forbidden City

Background The Forbidden City is a sizable enclosure with crimson walls and yellow-glazed roof tiles that is situated in the center of Beijing, the capital of China. The precinct is a little city, as its name suggests. The Forbidden City is made up of more than 90 palace compounds, containing 98 buildings, … Read more

History of The Guggenheim in New York City

History of The Guggenheim in New York City

Background The Museum of Non-Objective Painting, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s first art gallery in New York, opened its doors in 1939 after the organization’s founding in 1937. Many visitors had their first exposure to great works by Vasily Kandinsky as well as those by his followers, including Rudolf Bauer, Alice Mason, … Read more

History of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

History of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

Background The Hagia Sophia, whose name translates to “holy wisdom,” is a domical structure that was first erected as a cathedral in Constantinople (currently Istanbul, Turkey), in the sixth century A.D. It has two levels and is centered on a huge nave with smaller domes towering above and a large dome over … Read more

History of the Roman Colosseum in Rome

History of the Roman Colosseum in Rome

Background Rome’s renowned Colosseum, a magnificent example of ancient architecture, is well known around the world. Around 6 million people travel to Rome each year to see this oval amphitheater, and for good reason. Its continued standing even after 1942 is not only admirable but astounding and demonstrates how far ahead of … Read more

History of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

History of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Background On the eastern side of Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine River within Paris, France’s 4th arrondissement, rises Notre-Dame Cathedral, often known as Notre Dame de Paris (“Our Lady of Paris”) or simply Notre Dame. It is a monument to history and religion. This well-known Catholic cathedral, dedicated … Read more

History of Sydney Opera House, Sydney

History of Sydney Opera House, Sydney

Background The Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1973, is a magnificent example of 20th-century architecture that combines various threads of innovation and ingenuity in both architectural form and structural construction. The building, a magnificent urban sculpture located at the end of a peninsula jutting into Sydney Harbour, has had a lasting … Read more

History of The Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku

History of The Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku

Background The Heydar Aliyev Center is a masterpiece of architecture. It illustrates the amazing feats of engineering and architecture. The Heydar Aliyev Center, a 57,500 sq. meter. The building was constructed in Baku, Azerbaijan. This remarkable building complex was created by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and is renowned for its elaborate design … Read more

History of Athenian Acropolis, Athens

History of Athenian Acropolis, Athens

Background The Greek word “acropolis” (which translates to “high city”) can apply to any of the numerous fortresses built on rocky, higher territory throughout Greece, but the Acropolis of Athens is the most well-known. The Acropolis is a prehistoric settlement perched high above Athens, Greece, on a limestone hill. Over the years, … Read more

History of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat Cambodia

Background One of the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia is the temple complex known as Angkor Wat, which is situated in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was built during the Khmer Empire, which ruled over much of modern-day Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos from the 9th to the 15th century.  History Vishnu, … Read more