Visiting world landmarks is amazing and I have been lucky enough to see many of them. Beyond the photos there are histories that truly surprise you when you learn the real story about how they were built or used. Here are some unexpected tales from my travels.
The Eiffel Tower Was Almost Tearing Down
It was built just for the 1889 World Fair and many artists hated the design because it looked like a giant metal eyesore. They only planned to keep it for twenty years so it is pretty incredible that it still stands as the icon of Paris today.
Leaning Tower Of Pisa Construction Mistake
The builders started building it on really soft soil that could not support the weight so it began to lean almost immediately. I tried some amazing pasta nearby and it was fantastic but this tower is famous mostly for just being a mistake that they somehow fixed enough to save.
The Colosseum Had Giant Sea Battles
They used to actually flood the entire arena floor so they could have full naval battles with large ships inside for everyone to watch. The engineering that went into creating those special water spectacles thousands of years ago is really hard to believe.
Great Wall Of China Is Not One Continuous Thing
It is actually a bunch of different walls built over centuries and not a single line and no you definitely cannot see it from the moon. Walking on those stone steps makes you think about all the effort put into building something so huge over mountains and deserts.
Taj Mahal Was Built For Love
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to serve as the tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. There are traditionally seven Wonders of the World, divided into ancient and modern lists, and the Taj Mahal is one of them. It took a massive team of workers many decades to complete the entire thing. The detailed white stone is so pretty to look at. This building is truly a masterpiece of love.
Stonehenge Rocks Were Moving Far Distances
Those massive stones were not always arranged like they are now as people moved them around a bit over time. The main question remains how ancient people moved such heavy bluestones for hundreds of miles from Wales without modern machines.
Pyramids Workers Were Not Actually Slaves
Archeologists found tombs nearby suggesting that highly skilled laborers and farmers built these structures and were respected for their work. They ate well including plenty of bread and meat which makes you see these ancient wonders in a completely different light.
Easter Island Statues Have Whole Bodies Underground
Researchers found that the famous heads actually sit on top of massive stone bodies. These figures are buried deep in the soil so they look much smaller than they are. Seeing the full size makes the ancient carvings feel even more incredible and very mysterious.
Brandenburg Gate Napoleon Stole The Statue
Did you know Napoleon took the statue from the gate after a war? He moved the chariot to Paris to show off his victory. The people of Berlin finally got it back later on. Now the statue represents how the city stays together and strong.
Alcatraz Started As A Military Fort
Long before it became the famous federal prison most people know about it was a coastal defense fort and a military prison. It is fascinating how the purpose of the island completely shifted over time because it is such a unique place situated right in the bay.
Niagara Falls Is Moving Backward Very Slowly
The powerful force of the rushing water makes the edge of the falls erode and retreat upstream by about a foot every single year. Scientists think that eventually the falls will move all the way back to Lake Erie which is wild to think about happening.
Petra Was Only Mostly Excavated Recently
Petra is a massive city that was carved into tall pink cliffs. It was hidden away from everyone for hundreds of years. Experts think they have only found a small piece of it. Walking through the rocks to see it is a very cool experience.
Mount Rushmore Sculpture Was Meant To Be Much Bigger
The original design was supposed to show the four presidents from the waist up but they ran out of money so they stopped with just the heads. It is still an engineering marvel to look at those massive faces carved directly into the granite mountainside.
Sydney Opera House Design Was Funded By A Lottery
The architecture was so unique and complex that the project went way over budget and took years longer to build than expected by everyone. They eventually used a state lottery to help pay for the massive construction costs so the whole country kind of helped build it.
Tower Of London Kept A Zoo Inside
For many centuries, this old castle held a massive collection of wild animals from far away. Huge lions and tall elephants lived inside the stone walls for people to see. One polar bear even swam in the river nearby while it stayed at the fort.
Christ The Redeemer Is Not Actually Solid Stone
The famous giant statue in Brazil is not made of solid stone like people think. Workers used concrete to build the base and then covered it with millions of tiny soapstone tiles. They glued every single little piece on by hand which is wild.
The Original London Bridge Is In Arizona
An American businessman bought the old bridge when it was sinking into the river and had every single stone numbered and shipped over to the USA. It is really unusual walking across a classic English bridge while visiting a city out in the hot Arizona desert.
Machu Picchu Was Never Found By The Spanish Conquerors
Because it was hidden so high in the Andes mountains this incredible Incan city was forgotten by almost everyone for centuries until someone looking for something else found it again. It is truly amazing how preserved the whole site remains because of how isolated it was.
The Great Sphinx Had A Long Nose Once
Many people think soldiers shot off the nose but ancient drawings show it was missing long before any recent wars started. The real reason it is missing is likely just natural erosion over thousands of years though some stories blame old treasure hunters instead.
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