Angkor Wat, Cambodia
A temple built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat, meaning capital monastery, was a temple in the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It is Cambodia’s best-known tourist attraction and appears on the country’s flag. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture.
The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland and are a Unesco World Heritage Site. The temples of the Angkor area number over 1,000, ranging in scale from piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world’s largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored. Visitor numbers approach two million annually.
Hagar Qim/Mnajdra Temples, Malta
Perched above the sea and overlooking the islet of Fifla, the Hagar Qim Temples are located near the village of Qrendi in Malta. Designated a Heritage Park, the area is a marvel of Maltese architectural prowess with its classic forecourts, façades, altars, chambers and pillars. The temple of Hagar Qim was excavated for the first time in 1839.
Dating back to the Ggantija period (3600-3200 BC), the site comprises the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Many of the treasures that were excavated here, including a pillar altar and “fat lady” statues, can now be seen in Valletta’s National Museum of Archaeology.
King Tutankhamun’s Tomb, Egypt
Tutankhamun was one of ancient Egypt’s minor kings, but his tomb is very famous. When Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1922, it was almost completely undisturbed – and filled with treasure!
The discovery of Tutankhamun’s intact tomb received worldwide press coverage and sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun’s burial mask remains the popular face.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was built high in the Andes Mountains by the Inca in the 15th century. Its exact purpose is unknown. Forgotten for centuries, the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. It has recently come to light that the site may have been discovered and raided several years previously, in 1867 by a German businessman, Augusto Berns. It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1983. It is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
In September of 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century.
Stonehenge, England
The entire Stonehenge site was constructed over thousands of years. The reason for building the monument and the construction techniques are still a mystery. Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. Archaeologists believe that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, however this was not the first stone structure on the site. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the Unesco’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
Terracotta Warriors, China
The Terracotta Warriors were discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a water well to the east of Mount Li. Mount Li is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors originated. It was also said as a legend that the Terracotta Warriors were real soldiers, created and burried with Emperor Qin, the first emperor of China in the third century BC, to protect and guard him in the next life. The terracotta figures are life-like and life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. The coloured lacquer finish, individual facial features, replica weapons and armour used in manufacturing these figures
created a realistic appearance.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/History/Ten-cool-sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
http://www.whatsonwhen.com