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Hagia Sophia
Emperor Diocletian had commissioned a tetrarchy to maintain the vast roman empire. He divided the empire in two, Western Rome and Eastern Rome. Western Rome encompassed the western half of the Roman empire which contained countries like France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, whereas the Eastern empire encompassed countries like turkey, Greece and the Balkans states. When western Rome fell, the eastern portion created vassal states on the fallen western side.
When the empire split in two, the western portion maintained it’s religion of polytheism whereas the Eastern portion diverted away from polytheism and accepted Christianity. Emperor Constantine the first was the first Christian roman emperor. Upon finding the main administrative capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, Emperor Justinian the first had created the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia functioned as the religious and personal residence to Justinian the first and future Byzantine emperors.
The city of Timbuktu
Timbuktu, also known in French as Tombouctou, is a city in the country of Mali founded in 1100 AC / CE by Tuareg Nomads. It is a historical hotspot for trade on the the trans-Saharan gold and salt caravan route and served as a centre of Islamic culture. The city is located on the southern edge of the Sahara, about 8 miles (13 km) north of the Niger River.
Within the Sankore University established in Timbuktu in 1324 is a 25,000-student university and other madrassas that spread Islam throughout Africa from the 13th to 16th centuries. Sacred Muslim texts were carried great distances to Timbuktu for scholars from Cairo, Egypt, Baghdad, Iraq, and more. The great teachings of Islam, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine and law, were collected and produced here in several hundred thousand manuscripts.
Ancient
Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria, was a lighthouse built by Sostratus of Cnidus of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The construction was completed during the reign of Soter’s son Ptolemy II in about 280 B.C., and for many centuries, it was one of the tallest man-made structures in the world, estimated to have been at least 100 meters tall in overall height.
Unfortunately, between 956 and 1323 A.D., the light house was severely damaged by three earthquakes and became an abandoned ruin. It survived in part until 1480, when the last of its stones were used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay, making it the third longest surviving ancient wonder after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the Great Pyramid of Giza.
However, in 1994 a team of French archaeologists dove into the water of Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor and discovered some remains of the lighthouse on the sea floor. In 2016 the Ministry of State of Antiquities in Egypt had plans to turn submerged ruins of ancient Alexandria, including those of the Pharos, into an underwater museum where divers could view the many statues, stone sphinxes, and remains of the lighthouse.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Resonating in modern day Southern Iraq, Babylonia was established. Babylonia was not a unified single state, instead two countries, Akkad and Sumeria. Throughout Babylonian’s history, the two countries were constantly in war. The constant battles between each other had degraded the countries and eventually led to their collapse. Furthermore, the two countries were battling between the Ammonites, who eventually took over them (akkad and sumeria) unifying Babylonia and creating the Babylonian empire. The empire had pushed their administrative sector to Babylon, which became the capital city. The city of Babylon was open to trade.
As Babylonia’s status grew, their central hub also grew. To support their status and prominence, they created various architectural masterpieces. One such structure was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The emperor of the Babylonia empire, king Nebuchadnezzar II had commissioned the building to be a gift for his wife. Construction finished around 600 BC and the hanging garden became an example of Babylon infrastructure and creativity. Within the garden, there was an irrigation system that provided water for the vegetation. Unlike other structures, the irrigation system was something to marvel about because it was new and unknown.
Finalists
Stonehenge-A monument that stands on the Salisbury plains and built throughout the stone age to the bronze age, Stonehenge became a significant part of English society. Stonehenge symbolises England’s history and identity.
Stonehenge is a mystery to archaeologists and historians. The purpose of Stonehenge has always been debated between historians. Many historians had accumulated evidence proclaiming Stonehenge to be a ceremonial site used by druids of ancient Briton. However, others speculated the usage was to be burial monument, meeting ground for chiefdoms or an astronomical computer (tell the time and stars). Even though the purpose is debated, the construction is agreed upon by all to have begun around 6000 BCE. Stonehenge was constructed through 6 phases. Those 6 phases spanned around the stone age to the bronze age.
England’s Salisbury plains ,during the construction of Stonehenge, was filled with many ethnic groups and therefore it is unknown who built Stonehenge. Archeological evidence proved that Mesolithic hunters and gathers.
Sydney opera house
The Sydney Opera house is a multi-venue performing arts center in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour and built on a site sacred to the local Gadigal people for thousands of years, the opera house is one of the most recognisable buildings of the twentieth century, widely regarded as one of the world’s most famous and distinctive buildings.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed by an Australian architectural team by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II, the building is comprised of multiple performance venues, which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, and are attended by more than 1.2 million people.
On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the National Trust of Australia register since 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory since 2000, the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List since 2005.
Canada
Old Quebec City
Old Quebec was founded by a French explorer by the name of Samuel de Champlain for the construction of his first Abitation in 1608. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the site grew larger and was established atop the promontory of Cap Diamant for strategic and military advantages. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, numerous bastions, gates, and other defensive works which surrounds Old Quebec to this day, making old Quebec one of the most successfully preserved fortified city from colonial times and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
The town is separated into two sections, the lower town concentrated around place royale and the upper town surrounded by the many defensive structures. Together, the town cover a surface area of approximately 135 hectares (1.35 km).
Others
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is known to be one of the greatest achievements of 17th century French art. Listed as a World Heritage Site for over 40 years, the palace is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV 12 miles west of Paris in Versailles. Louis XIII built a simple hunting lodge on the site of the Palace of Versailles in 1623 and replaced it with a small château in 1631–34. Louis XIV expanded the château into a palace in several phases from 1661 to 1715, and in 1682, Louis XIV moved the seat of his court and government to Versailles, making the palace the capital of France.
During the French revolution, the palace of Versailles was largely abandoned and emptied as the royal family and capital of France returned to Paris in 1789. However, since 1995, under the management and direction of the French Ministry of Culture, the palace has been restored and about 15,000,000 people visit the palace, park, or gardens of Versailles every year, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.