Anjali Rajput
Must Visit Once In Life
No matter how much we used to hate our history lessons, there still lies a historophile inside us. Not everyone loves reading and exploring history, but we adore exploring historical places, esteem them, and keep them somewhere in our memories. Visiting history not only brings us to the past but makes us learn interesting facts about the place. Apparently, our world is enriched with a plethora of historical sites sculpted with deep history, art, culture, and stories. This guide confines the top historical places one must visit at least once in a lifetime. So If you want to travel far and wide to be awed by Heritage sites of the world, you must add these to your bucket list.
Why are historical places fascinating?
Our beautiful planet offers us certain places that grasp the world’s imagination! These historical places not only echos the beauty or human creativity but also open a unique window into the past. Most of the historical places are UNESCO-protected, so the magnificence of these places remains the same for wanderers like you. Here are the most sought-after historical attractions around the globe.
Petra, Jordan
Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, this place was built by Nabataeans almost 2000 years back. Inhabited since prehistoric times, this archaeological city is known for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. The place can be accessed through a narrow canyon, and tombs carved into pink sandstone cliffs. Indeed it deserves to be called “Rose City!”
Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt introduced it; until then, it was unknown; thus, it is also called ‘Lost City.’ UNESCO has declared it “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.”
The matter of attraction
- The color of the rocks, out of which it is carved, takes a red-pink hue at sunset and sunrises.
- Petra Water System; an ancient thirst quencher is worth watching. The Nabateans had the great ability to construct efficient water collecting methods in the barren deserts by carving solid rocks. This explains well how Petra survives in such hot climates!
Machu Picchu, Peru
Located in the Peruvian Andes, almost 8,000 feet above sea level, the Inca city of “Machu Picchu” is famous for the terraces and dry stone buildings of a fortified citadel. The historic place cascades down a spectacular mountain spine amidst the Sacred Valley’s toothed peaks; that place symbolizes the Incan Empire.
According to UNESCO, this Incan sanctuary in Peru is among the greatest artistic, architectural, and land-use achievements. And no wonder they added the place to its World Heritage collection 30 years back.
The matter of attraction
- One hundred fifty dry-stone wall structures ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries. Some believe that it was a ceremonial site or the estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti; however, the actual purpose of this Inca citadel is unknown.
- This place is also an astronomical observatory; its sacred Intihuatana stone accurately indicates the two equinoxes (twice a year). The sun sits directly over the stone, creating no shadow; that is something you must watch.
Easter Island, Chile
Easter Island, a.k.a ‘Rapa Nui,’ is a Chilean settlement in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Located 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile, this remote island is famous for its approximately 1,000 mammoth statues. The sculpture creates an unrivaled cultural landscape that persists in riveting travelers worldwide that are worth a glance.
The matter of attraction
- A Polynesian civilization settled here and established a strong, imaginative, authentic tradition of monumental architecture and sculptures. Rapa Nui bears a unique cultural phenomenon and is free from any external influence, thus a peaceful place to visit.
- The giant stone statues called “The Moai” are carved structures representing the Polynesian ancestors. The monuments are made from a soft volcanic rock called tuff and are vulnerable to the elements. Archaeologists even believe one day, the structures may disappear.
So, don’t wait for that day and pay a visit before they vanish!
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat is an ancient Hindu temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, anachronisms to the 12th century. With its wide moat and soggy sand castle-like towers, Angkor Wat holds a place in UNESCO’s “World Heritage sites and recognizable religious structures.”
Dispersed around 400 acres in northwestern Cambodia, the complex has architecturally momentous jungle-intertwined ruins and temples. Angkor Wat’s vast religious complex comprises more than a thousand buildings, and it is one of the world’s great cultural and heritage wonders.
The matter of attraction
- Angkor Wat temple, dedicated to the Lord Vishu, happens to be the world’s largest religious structure and marks the high point of Khmer architecture.
- Besides, it was a Hindu temple, which later became a Buddhist temple; regardless of the religion, it is visited by people from all over the world today. The temple even featured in Angelina Jolie’s movie “Tomb Raider”, 2001,” so visit and find what is so astonishing about the palace.
The Taj Mahal, India
Standing on the bank of River Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, this ivory-white marble mausoleum is the true epitome of love. The tomb was built in 1632 with white marble considering unique architecture and aesthetically balanced symmetry. Moreover, with the harmonious blending of different elements in the building, the mausoleum is a splendor of Indo-Islamic architecture.
The matter of attraction
- Who could ever think that an eternal love leading to the saga of infinite bondage could grow a bliss like “The Taj” out of a desert-like land? Indeed, it was built by the Mughal King Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, thus called the “Taj Mahal.”
- There are myths that the masons who constructed the mausoleum lost their hands because Shah Jahan wanted to ensure they would never create another masterpiece like this. Some even say the King just killed his lead architect so that he may never design and build one so great.
Well, what exactly is the truth is carved on the marble and is in the air of Agra! Just don’t miss out on this place if you really want to witness the best historical place in India, and the world.
Packing it up
From ancient ruins to palaces and footsteps of ancient civilizations, the world has a lot to offer when it comes to historical places. So pack your rucksack and gear up for an amazing voyage through time! Also, you don’t have to be a history buff to relish these historical places; these places greet everyone and allow you to cherish and breathe in for life! You must visit these antique yet marvelous places and capture the beauty through your eyes or cameras before you die. Happy Traveling!
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