Whether it is a monument or a memorial that you wish to see, there are plenty of them around the world. A memorial is, in fact, a type of monument. Both will be about conveying messages about the individuals or events that they are commemorating.
So, lets us explore a few of them that remain standing to be counted.
Pyramids of Egypt
The Pyramids of Giza are in Cairo, Egypt. These are some of the largest pyramids in Egypt that you will see. It was the pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Khufu, who ordered their construction. It was then their architect, Hemiunu, who would see that they were finished. This was around 2570 B.C. This was more than 1,200 years before King Tut’s rule.
The Great Pyramid stands at 481 feet tall. Three large pyramids make up the Giza Plateau, but nine pyramids in total can be seen at this site. Each of the pyramids will hold the remains of Fourth Dynasty members. The royal family around this time reigned from approximately 2613 to 2494 B.C. and every one of these pyramids was built during this period. It is amazing to think just how old they are. How long ago it all was is something hard to calculate, let alone imagine and put into context.
A fascination with pyramids will be sure to draw you to Egypt. As will the Great Sphinx, which is the world’s largest monolith statue.
Great Wall of China
The second most visited monument in the world, after Notre-Dame de Paris in France, is the Great Wall of China. It is a myth that it is the only man-made object that is visible from space. This does not matter, however, because we are thinking that you might want to visit it on land as part of your holiday plans.
The Great Wall of China exists as a series of fortifications, is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1987. For these reasons alone it is worth a visit. Some might think of it as something of a cemetery because 10 million constructions workers died during its construction and are buried in its surroundings. So, it is in their memory that we should perhaps visit the result of their efforts and now marvel at the structure created.
It is no surprise that the Great Wall of China, due to its vastness, took over 1,800 years to build. Built by 6 Chinese dynasties, its length totals 21, 196 km. So, do not expect to visit it all during one holiday. This then presents us with a good excuse for a return visit.
The first person to walk the Great Wall of China in its entirety was American William Edgar Geil in 1908. His team spent five months walking the distance from the Shanhaiguan, the eastern end, to Jiayuguan, the western end. They left the legacy of a large collection of documentary records and photographs as proof they achieved the feat.
Crazy Horse Memorial (South Dakota)
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a monument under construction. Its construction began in 1948. Despite being unfinished, the site is open to tourists to see. You can still, for instance, marvel at the 87-foot-tall head of the Crazy Horse that has been completed. Without a deadline, there would seem no rush for the project’s completion. What has delayed it so far has been the harsh weather conditions experienced and the mountain’s iron content that has made carving the memorial all the more challenging.
Situated on privately held land in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, in Custer County in the US, the Crazy Horse Memorial is to exist to depict Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior. It is to be fully carved into the mountain to show him riding his horse and pointing towards his tribal land. The memorial has been commissioned by Lakota elder Henry Standing Bear.
It is well worth seeing how far carving this memorial has now got, if you are holidaying anywhere near these parts.
With just these monuments and memorials to start us off, holiday planning will never be the same again.
