Landmarks Flashcards
(49 cards)
Abu Simbel temples
Two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in southern Egypt, on the western bank of Lake Nasser - Originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th cent. BCE, as a monument to himself y his queen Nefertari - Completely relocated in 1968 to avoid flooding from the Aswan Dam
Bolshoi Theatre
Lit. “Big Theatre” - Ballet y opera theatre in Moscow - Built 1825 in Neoclassical style - Home to Bolshoi Ballet, world’s largest ballet company
Brandenburg Gate
Monument in Berlin - Built in 1791 on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution - Sits on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel - One block to the north stands the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament (Bundestag)
Bridge of Sighs
Enclosed bridge in Venice, built in 1600 - Made of white limestone, with barred windows - Passes over the Rio di Palazzo y connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace - The view from the bridge was the last of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment
British Museum
Museum dedicated to human history, art, and culture in London - Established 1753 - Collection of approx 8 mil items, one of largest in world - Holds the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, Rosetta Stone, Egyptian artifacts, historic items from around the world
Brooklyn Bridge
A hybrid cable-stayed suspension bridge in NYC, spanning 1595 ft over the East River, y connecting Manhattan with Brooklyn - One of the oldest roadway bridges in the USA, y the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge - Completed in 1883, y designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964
Buckingham Palace
The London residence y admin HQ of the UK Monarch - Completed 1837 in Westminster - Victoria 1st to reside there - The center of state occasions y royal hospitality
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
The cathedral of the Episcopal (Anglican) Diocese of New York - Built 1892 in Manhattan - 4th largest Christian church in world - Nicknamed “St. John the Unfinished” due to lengthy time of completion y repairs
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
A church within the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem - Built 335 CE - Contains the 2 holiest sites in Christendom: Calvary (aka Golgotha), y Jesus’s empty tomb - The Immovable Ladder sits under a window on the facade - Major Christian pilgrimage site
Dome of the Rock
An Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem - Built 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik - Contains the Foundation Stone above the Well of Souls - Islamic tradition says Muhammad ascended to heaven from on the stone - Jewish tradition says Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Isaac at the stone
Faneuil Hall
Marketplace y meeting hall built 1742 in Boston - Site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, et al encouraging independence - Aka “The Cradle of Liberty” - 4th most visited USA tourist site
Gateway Arch
Stainless steel arch monument in St. Louis - World’s tallest arch (630 ft), Missouri’s tallest building, y tallest man-made monument in West Hemisphere - The centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - Built in 1965 by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen
Habitat 67
A model community y housing complex in Montreal, Quebec - Designed by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie for the 1967 World’s Fair - Considered a prime example of the Brutalism architectural style, y is one of the most famous landmarks in Canada
Hagia Sophia
Byzantine church in Istanbul - Built in 537 on orders from Justinian I - Was church, then mosque, now museum - Was seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople - Name means “Holy Wisdom”
Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō)
Japanese hilltop castle complex in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture (south central Japan) - Considered the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture - Also called “White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle” - In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara
Independence Hall
Built 1753 in Philadelphia - Place where both Declaration of Indep y US Constitution were debated y adopted - Principal meeting place of 2nd Continental Congress (1775-83)
La Scala (Teatro alla Scala)
Opera house in Milan, Italy - Built in 1778 - Regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world - Most of Italy’s great operatic artists, y many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala during the past 200 years
Lascaux
Complex of caves in SW France, near the village of Montignac - Over 600 paintings decorate the interior walls y ceilings - Paintings were made around 15,000 BCE; and mostly depict large animals, like aurochs, horse, y deer
Lincoln Memorial
American national monument located on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument - Constructed from 1914-22, designed by architect Henry Bacon, y main Lincoln statue designed by sculptor John Chester French - Site of many famous speeches, including MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)
Mahabodhi Temple
Ancient Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, NE India - Marks the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, y the site contains a descendent of the tree - Built around 7th Century CE, but with several major restorations - Includes two large shikhara towers over 50 m high
Masjid al-Haram
Lit. “The Sacred Mosque” - World’s largest mosque, in Mecca - Surrounds Islam’s holiest place, the Kaaba (cube building with its Black Stone) - Also incl. Al-Safa and Al-Marwa hills y the Zamzam Well - One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage here - Muslims face the Kaaba while praying
Nelson’s Column
Monument in Trafalgar Square, London - Built in 1843 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 - 169 ft high, surrounded by four bronze lions, y decorated with bronze relief panels cast from captured French guns
Neuschwanstein Castle
Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria - Commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat y as a homage to Richard Wagner - Completed in 1886 - German name Schloss Neuschwanstein means “New Swanstone Castle”
One World Trade Center
The main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan - Tallest building in Western Hemisphere, y sixth-tallest in the world - 1776 ft tall, 94 stories, completed in 2013 - Colloquially known as Freedom Tower
