A lot of buildings, monuments and bridges are recognizable enough to make it onto a postcard for their home city. However, some are so iconic they’ve come to represent not only their metropolitan area, but their country too.
From the Parthenon in Athens to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, these architectural wonders have become truly emblematic of their locations. To celebrate these spectacular sights, we’re taking a look at some of the most magnificent.
Think of Athens and one of the first images to pop into your head will probably be that of the Parthenon. The most prominent structure in the Acropolis complex, the Parthenon was built in the mid-5th century BC as a sanctuary for the goddess Athena. In the 6th century AD, it was turned into a church and, during the Ottoman rule of Greece in the late 15th century, it became a mosque.
The building is one of the most important surviving structures from the classical period. Partially destroyed by exploding ammunition stores in 1687, the Parthenon was further damaged in the early 1800s when British aristocrat Lord Elgin removed many of the remaining marbles. Despite these historic scars, the building remains one of the architectural highlights of Greece.
In a country with more than its fair share of incredible architecture, the Alhambra stands out as one of the most iconic attractions. Construction was started way back in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the founder of the Emirate of Granada. Additions, renovations and adjustments have been made over the years, resulting in a building that’s completely unique and culturally priceless.
When you look at the Alhambra, it’s easy to see the Islamic, Christian and Spanish influences in its design. Made up of a citadel, numerous palaces, gardens, a church, mosque, fortified structures and even its own water supply, the huge complex has everything you’d need to comfortably sit out even the longest of sieges.
Built around 700 years after work on the Alhambra began, Christ the Redeemer has become incredibly famous in a very short space of time. Designed by Frenchman Paul Landowski, the statue was constructed between 1922 and 1931. The sculpture itself is 30 meters high and is perched at the top of the 700-meter Corcovado Mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
In the years since it was built, the Art Deco sculpture has become emblematic of both Rio and Brazil. In fact, there are few sights in the country that are as instantly recognizable, or as instantly evocative, as this open-armed Christ. In 2007, this impressive landmark was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
One of the most famous bridges in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge links the city of San Francisco to Marin County. Designed by Joseph Strauss in 1917, the bridge is 1.7 miles long and carries around 120,000 cars per day. Its iconic color is now officially known as ‘International Orange’ and, like Christ the Redeemer, it’s been named as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The complex bridge took around 4 years to finish, becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time on completion. Today, the bridge serves both as an essential crossing point and as an integral part of the San Francisco skyline.
Learn more about the Golden Gate Bridge here.
Get up close to the surprising details in these iconic artworks
Have you ever wondered what your favorite paintings look like up close? Zoom in to millions of artworks with Google Arts & Culture to admire the brushstrokes and spot hidden details you've never seen before. Here are 12 you'll love...
The Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh
Zoom in to the artwork to see the cracks in the paint...
The Tower of Babel, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Zoom in to the artwork to spot the tiny horses...
Jadeite Cabbage, by unknown
Zoom in to the artwork to spot the hidden grasshopper...
The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt
Zoom in to the artwork to spot the layers of gold leaf...
Radha and Krishna in the Boat of Love, by Nihâl Chand
Zoom in to the artwork to see the individual blades of grass...
Hare, by Albrecht Dürer
Zoom in to the artwork to see what's reflected in the hare's eye...
The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein the Younger
Zoom in on the artwork to spot the optical illusion of a skull...
Textile length, 'Bird' by William Morris
Zoom in to the artwork to see the individual threads in the fabric...
No Woman, No Cry, by Chris Ofili
Zoom in to the artwork to find the tiny photographs...
Detroit Industry, North Wall, by Diego Riviera
Zoom in to the artwork to see the brushstrokes of the mural...
Ceiling for the Paris Opéra, by Marc Chagall
Zoom in to the artwork to see the colors in the petals...
Sailing, Storm Bay, Tasmania, by Haughton Forrest
Zoom into the artwork to see the sailor in the other boat...
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Welcome to the bazaar! In this miniature painting, perhaps from the school of the famous Hindu artist, Nainsukh, the complex bustle of the marketplace is captured in a great sweep. But the 'commotion' is also very detailed. Let's look and listen...
These women, selling huqqa (tobacco smoked through a shared water-pipe) calmly make their voices (and their product!) known amongst the general hubbub. They're proving very popular.
The women are richly bejewelled, wearing traditional necklaces and bangles.
The patrons enjoy sucking on the huqqa pipes, bubbling away. Tobacco was introduced into Medieval India, and, before long, an Akbar physician had invented the huqqa for social smoking through several pipes. Shisha bars are still popular worldwide today!
A mulla (an educated theologian) in a green fur-lined coat, distinguished by a white flowing beard, stands hesitantly in the centre of the commotion, his education and bearing inhibiting him from voicing his active demand for the huqqa as vociferously as others in the crowd.
The market attracts people from all walks of life to hawk their wares. Not just merchants, but soldiers, too. Watch our for that lance, it looks sharp!
Speaking of hawks, this bird trainer has a tame (but poised) bird of prey on his arm, its beady eye looking out at us, the viewers. The bazaar's commotion is social, but is there a slight sense of menace?
But the gleaming yellow eye and sharp beak of the hawk are offset by the dove, a universal symbol of peace. The painted marketplace is a clamour of signs, sounds, and symbols.
A woman watches the scene from a palace window, her head in a halo and a flower held in her hand. She is obviously refined and beautiful, and her calm power seems to make the noise below fade into the distance. She, like, us, watches the commotion unfold through a frame.
Nainsukh's name literally translates as "joy for the eyes", and this rich painting, drawing on his style, is certainly a visual feast. Hopefully this audio tour has helped Commotion in the Bazaar to be a joy for the ears, too.