Chinese Colosseum. Chinese copies of European cities. Palace of Parliament, Romania

I have heard more than once that famous world architectural landmarks are copied in China, but I did not think that on such a scale.

Just look:

Tower Bridge is perhaps one of the most impressive and famous landmarks of the capital of the former British Empire - the mistress of the seas - London. However, a copy of the bridge also exists in China and is twice as large as the original. Against the backdrop of China's rapid industrial growth and financial development, replicas of world-famous landmarks are being built here like mushrooms after rain. The Middle Kingdom already has a fake version of the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and the White House.

Also, in the near future, the Chinese are going to build a life-size replica of the Titanic for $160 million. Check out 17 versions of iconic landmarks from around the world that can be seen in China.

The bridge, which spans the river in the city of Suzhou, is 40 meters high and has four towers instead of two. Its construction cost $15 million.

A double replica of London's Tower Bridge exists in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It was built in 2012 but only gained widespread attention when photos of it were published last month. While it does not have a lift bridge, it does have a dual carriageway, allowing cars to pass over it.

A model of the Athens Parthenon was built at a theme park in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.

A 354-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower looms over a gated community in Tianducheng, China.

The architecture and landscaping imitates the Parisian style.

A replica of the Harbor Bridge in Beijing, China, leads to the fake Sydney Opera House, one of Australia's most beloved landmarks.

The Roman Colosseum in Macau, China, seats 2,000 spectators and is an outdoor concert venue.

The Arc de Triomphe rises more than 10 meters high in Zhanguan, China.

The concrete Great Sphinx of Giza rises above an unfinished theme park in Chuzhou, China.

Inspired by the Moscow Kremlin, this white-walled, gold-domed complex in Beijing's Mentougou district costs around $3.5 million.

The village of Florence in Yunging, China occupies approximately 200,000 square meters of former corn fields with Italian architecture and bridges.

The Grand Canal even goes through Chinese Florence.

The Parisian iconic Louvre Pyramid was designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. This version in Chongqing Municipality looks a little gloomy.

Beijing has its own White House, sandwiched in a theme park that also features knockoffs of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the Capitol.

The luxurious Chateau Lafite hotel imitates the 17th-century Chateau Maisons-Laffite, which embodies French Baroque architecture.

The construction of a replica of the city of Hallstatt (Austria) cost the municipality of Huizhou, China, $940 million.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, located in Shanghai, is located more than 5,000 kilometers away from the real original. However, tourists take selfies against its background, which are almost impossible to distinguish from the original. So you can go to China, and post your photos on social networks and sign that you are joining classical Italian architecture.

Address: Italy, Rome
Start of construction:'72
Completion of construction:'80
Coordinates: 41°53"24.7"N 12°29"32.7"E

Brief history and description

The Colosseum, one of the most monumental monuments of the Roman era, is a symbol of Italy to the same extent as the Eiffel Tower is for France or the Kremlin for Russia.

Bird's eye view of the Roman Colosseum

The monument received the name “Colosseum” in the Middle Ages from the distorted Latin word “colosseum” (colossal), and in Imperial Rome it was called the Flavian Amphitheater - in honor of the imperial dynasty. The amphitheater was built in 8 years - construction began by Emperor Vespasian in 72 and completed in 80 by his son Titus. The opening of the Colosseum was marked by 100 days of entertainment. During this time, several thousand warriors and 5 thousand wild animals brought from Africa died in gladiatorial tournaments.

The theater's arena had a sliding floor that raised and lowered, and with the help of a water supply connected to the Colosseum, the stage was filled with water and naval battles were staged. Up to 3,000 gladiators could fight in the arena at the same time, and 50 thousand spectators, frantically demanding “bread and circuses,” tensely watched the bloody battles, chariot races and theatrical performances. The scale of the celebrations dedicated to the opening of the Colosseum could only be matched by the bloody celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Rome in 248, when dozens of lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, giraffes, horses, donkeys and hyenas were killed in just 3 days.

View of the Colosseum from the Labican road

The 1000th anniversary of the “eternal city” became the last day of life for 2000 gladiators. Gladiatorial battles and animal persecution continued to take place in the Colosseum arena until the 4th century. Once, in the midst of one of the battles, the monk Telemachus rushed onto the stage of the Colosseum and began to separate the gladiators. The indignant public stoned an innocent old man to death, and this murder shocked Emperor Honorius so much that he banned bloody fun as contrary to the spirit of Christianity. Gladiatorial games fell into decline also because difficult times came for Rome, the city was constantly subject to raids by vandals.

Architecture of the Colosseum

Like other Roman amphitheatres, the Colosseum is shaped like an ellipse with an arena in the center. Around the arena there are gradually increasing seats for spectators in 4 tiers. Seats were distributed depending on the social status of those present: on the 1st tier there were boxes for the highest nobility, and on the 2nd - marble chairs for honored guests, and persons belonging to the equestrian class or having the rights of Roman citizenship, on the 3rd - wooden benches for commoners.

View of the Colosseum from the Arc de Triomphe of Constantine

On the 4th floor, a huge linen canvas was attached using ropes, creating a shadow over the arena on hot days. Thanks to the passages arranged around the entire perimeter of the amphitheater, the public could quickly take their numbered seats in just 15 minutes. Under the Colosseum arena there were underground passages, cages with deer, bears and lions, as well as complex lifting mechanisms that made it possible to transport gladiators and animals upstairs in a matter of minutes and erect lush decorations. From the outside, the Colosseum is a four-tiered structure.

The first three floors are formed by arcades of 80 arches, and the last is built in the form of a high solid wall with small rectangular windows. The arched openings are richly decorated with attached semi-columns with entablatures made in Tuscan, Ionic and Corinthian artistic designs. The walls of the Colosseum are built from large blocks of travertine, fastened together with steel brackets with a total weight of approximately 300 tons. Only the supporting structures of the Colosseum have survived to this day, and the statues and stucco moldings that decorated the arches were either destroyed by barbarian tribes or destroyed by time.

Inside the Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum - a giant from the past

In 476, the Roman Empire fell, but the Colosseum still stands majestically in the 21st century between the hills of Rome, on the site where there once was a pond belonging to the “Golden House” of Nero. By the way, according to one version, the name “Colosseum” comes from the huge bronze statue of the Colossus of Nero, 30 m high, that stood nearby. Despite the fact that in the Middle Ages the Colosseum lost more than 2/3 of its original mass due to earthquakes and builders who pulled it down into stones, the structure still inspires admiration for its grandeur. In 2007, the Colosseum was included in the list of "

1. Meenakshi Temple

Meenakshi Temple is without a doubt one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world. It is located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is named after the Hindu goddess Meenakshi. The temple is crowned with fourteen gopuras - towers up to 50 meters high. Five towers are located inside the temple, the rest are outside. They are covered with many relatively small painted sculptures. These are multi-armed Shivas, many-faced goddesses, priests and musicians, mythical animals, men and women - thousands of figures that are not similar to each other. Built before our era, the temple was completely destroyed in 1310 by Muslim conquerors and restored to its original form at the end of the 14th century.

2. Giant Buddha in Leshan

The world's largest stone Buddha statue is located near the Chinese city of Leshan. Next to her, people feel like insects, because the height of the giant Buddha is 71 meters. The monk Hai Tong began carving the statue into the rocks to calm the spirits of the river waters, which allegedly overturned the boats. The work was completed 90 years after his death, in 803.

3. Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque

A magnificent example of Safavid-Iranian architecture stands in the center of the Iranian city of Isfahan. The Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque is unique in that it does not have a courtyard, nor does it have a single minaret. It was originally built for women from the Shah's harem and women entered the prayer hall through a winding underground corridor. The mosque was built over 17 years - from 1602 to 1619.

4. Chand Baori

Chand Baori is a step well built in the 10th century in the arid Indian state of Rajasthan. The depth of the unique 13-level structure is 30 meters. Thousands of steps, strict geometry and mathematical precision of the structure are amazing. It is no coincidence that local legends claim that Chand Baori was built by ghosts in one night - everyone who sees it has the right to doubt the man-made nature of this work of architectural art.

5. Palmyra

One of the richest cities of late antiquity (usually limited to the 3rd–6th centuries AD), it is located in one of the oases of the Syrian Desert, between Damascus and the Euphrates. Unfortunately, a tourist trip to this hot area in all respects, for obvious reasons, will have to be postponed until better times.

6. Sacsayhuaman

The temple complex in Cusco (Peru) was built in the 15th century. Less photogenic and not as famous as Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman is quite a feat of engineering. It is impossible to insert a piece of paper between the stones, which weigh up to 120 tons. Scientists are still arguing about the purpose of the structure and construction technology.

7. Great Mosque of Djenne

This is the largest clay-alluvium building in the world. The mosque is located in the city of Djenne, Mali in the floodplain of the Bani River. The old mosque building was built in the 13th–14th centuries, but the one you can admire now is almost modern - it was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Although it is difficult to talk about the age of this giant “Kulich”: local residents constantly renovate it, covering the mosque with a new layer of clay.

8. Hattusa

Not far from Ankara there is a unique place - Hattusa - the capital of the Hittite kingdom. All that remains of the magnificent city are the ruins of temples, fortresses and a huge number of scattered megalithic blocks of various sizes with images of Hittite gods.

9. Deravar

A visit to Derawar is not for the faint of heart. To get there, you need to get the emir's permission, hire a guide and rent an SUV, and then drive 4 hours through the desert from the city of Bahawalpur. But the effort is worth it - this is an incredible structure: the fort consists of 40 bastions that rise majestically above the hot sand of the Pakistani Cholistan desert to a height of 30 meters.

10. Old Bridge in Mostar

The original pedestrian bridge over the Neretva River in the Bosnian city of Mostar was built in 1566 by Ottoman architect Mimar Hayreddin during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. "Old Bridge" is one of the most valuable architectural monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Destroyed during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, the bridge was rebuilt and officially reopened in 2004.

11. Knossos

Knossos is an ancient city on the island of Crete, located near modern Heraklion. Incredibly, the oldest city in Europe, built around 1700 BC. e., the capital of the mysterious Minoan kingdom and one of the greatest architectural finds of the twentieth century, is not very well known to tourists. Of course, only ruins remain of the great structure, but the frescoes created by ancient artists (it’s scary to imagine!) three and a half thousand years ago are amazing!

12. Borobudur

Borobodur is located on the island of Java in Indonesia. The gigantic temple is built from 2,000,000 stone blocks. Until now, scientists cannot determine the exact date and duration of construction of the temple; they assume that it was erected in the 7th–9th centuries. Pilgrims ascend to its peak to symbolically pass through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of form) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).

13. Persepolis

Persepolis, literally "city of the Persians", today stands as a surviving testimony to one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. Largely built by Darius I and Xerxes the Great, this architectural marvel in Iran is especially famous for the Gate of Nations, through which all future emperors were to pass. It is located 50 km northeast of Shiraz, approximately 900 km south of Tehran.

14. Monument to Midas

During archaeological excavations in the Turkish city of Yazılıkaya, an ancient city was discovered, built around 600–700 CE. BC e. The most famous monument in the area is the Midas Monument, so named because it was believed to be the tomb of King Midas. In fact, this is not a grave, but a carved rock with a niche, covered with Phrygian inscriptions that have never been deciphered.

15. Underground temples of Lalibela

The complex of churches and tunnels built right inside the rocks is the main attraction of the small Ethiopian city of Lalibelaya. These underground temples were built more than 800 years ago. The roofs of the churches are at ground level, and everything else is underground.

There are so many amazing things in the world and for travel lovers, life will never be boring!

The idea of ​​holding the world competition “New 7 Wonders of the World” belongs to the Swiss traveler Bernard Weber. The population of the planet was asked to choose the seven most amazing structures created by human hands in early January 2006.

The main contenders for the honorary title of new wonders of the world were the Mayan city of Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the Inca sanctuary - the fortified city of Machu Picchu in Peru. This was announced by the foundation, which, with the support of UNESCO, conducts global voting on the Internet, ITAR-TASS reports.

In addition to Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu, the list of 10 finalists included the Acropolis in Athens, the Roman Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, stone sculptures on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, the city of Petra in Southern Jordan, the iconic Stonehenge complex in England and the stunning Taj Mahal mausoleum in Agra.

Before this final list, there was another intermediate one, the list of which included 21 buildings, including the Russian Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral.

New wonders of the world. The result of the popular vote for the wonders of the world of modern times is as follows:

• Great Wall of China;
• Taj Mahal Palace in India (Taj Mahal);
• The Colosseum in Rome (The Roman Colloseum);
• the ancient city of Petra in Jordan (Petra);
• statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro;
• archaeological complex of the Peruvian Incan city of Machu Picchu;
• pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico (Chichen Itza).

Chinese wall

The Great Wall of China is an architectural monument in northern China. The total length of all its lines is 6350 km. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. A fifth of the then population of the country, i.e., about a million people, took part in the construction. The wall was supposed to serve as the extreme northern line of the possible expansion of the Chinese themselves; it was supposed to protect the subjects of the “Middle Empire” from transitioning to a semi-nomadic way of life, from merging with the barbarians. The wall was supposed to clearly fix the boundaries of Chinese civilization and contribute to the consolidation of a single empire, just made up of a number of conquered kingdoms. The wall is a symbol of China for both the Chinese and foreigners. At the entrance to the restored part of the Wall you can see an inscription made by Mao Zedong - “If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.”

Taj Mahal Mausoleum

Located in the city of Agra in north central India. It is considered a pearl of Indo-Islamic architecture. The Mughal ruler Shah Jahan (1592–1666, reigned 1627–1658) erected this monument as the tomb of his beloved wife Arjumand Banu, better known by her title Mumtaz Mahal or Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace), who died in 1631. The width of the entire river side is raised on a platform with high (41 m) minarets at the four corners. On the western side of the platform there is a mosque, on the eastern side there is a reception hall (house for visitors). In the center of the platform there is a tomb with a square plan with beveled corners. The designs for the tomb were prepared by the best architects of the Mughal Empire. The mausoleum is located in the center of a vast rectangular area (length 600 m, width 300 m).

Coliseum

This famous amphitheater in the center of Rome was built in recognition of the services of the legionnaires and in honor of the celebration of the victories of the Roman Empire. The design concept virtually matches the style of any modern stadium and is currently perceived as a structure of original design. Today, thanks to historical films and printed publications, we are learning more and more about the brutal battles and games that were held in this arena for the entertainment of spectators.

Petra

Petra is one of the most significant attractions of Jordan, included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. This is a city carved into a mountain, which is called the Pink City due to the unique shade of the rocks. It is believed that Petra was built by the Nabateans, nomadic tribes who lived in the desert and attacked caravans. In the 7th century BC they built this city and settled in it. El Khazneh (Treasury) is the most famous monument of Petra, built in the 1st century BC. The houses of Petra are carved into the rock at different levels. They are connected by streets and terraces. You can also see monasteries, baths, tombs, and an amphitheater with 3,000 seats. The facade of the Treasury became world famous after the release of the Indiana Jones film, as the final scenes were filmed against it. The monumental structure is 30 meters wide and 43 meters high.

Christ statue

"God created the world in six days. And on the seventh he created Rio de Janeiro." This is what Brazilians joke about, referring to the truly fabulous location and beauty of their city, which was also the capital of the country until 1960, when the city of Brazil was built. This city truly has everything to become a true earthly paradise. It is surrounded by a semi-ring of mountains rising from the azure depths of the bay, and from the sea side it is as if edged by a white edge of sandy beaches in the dark green of palm trees. The symbol of the city is rightfully considered the statue of the Savior (Cristo Redentor). It stands on the top of the Corcovado hill (Corcovado means “hump” and quite aptly characterizes its shape) at an altitude of 704 meters. The height of the statue itself is 30 meters, not counting the seven-meter pedestal.

The idea for this structure originated in 1922, when the centenary of Brazilian independence was celebrated. A well-known weekly magazine then announced a competition of projects for the best monument - a symbol of the nation. The winner, Hetor da Silva Costa, came up with the idea of ​​a statue of Christ with his arms outstretched, embracing the entire city. This gesture expresses compassion and at the same time joyful pride. Da Silva's idea was received with enthusiasm by the public also because it crossed out the previous plan to erect a grandiose monument to Christopher Columbus on Mount Pan de Asugar. The church immediately got involved, organizing donations across the country to finance the project. As a result, nine years later the statue was already standing in its place.

Before work began, architects, engineers and sculptors met in Paris to discuss all the technical problems of installing the statue on a hilltop, where it was exposed to all winds and other meteorological influences. French sculptor Paul Landowski then began modeling the head and arms while engineers began developing the frame. The scale of the task before them is clearly demonstrated by the following statistical parameters: the head of the statue weighs 35.6 tons, the hands weigh 9.1 tons each, and the arm span is 23 meters.

The statue was then transported from Paris to Rio de Janeiro and installed on Corcovado Hill. On October 12, 1931, its first grand opening and consecration took place; by this day, the lighting installation was also installed. In 1965, Pope Paul VI repeated the consecration ceremony, and the lighting installation was also updated for the occasion. Another great celebration took place here in the presence of Pope John Paul II on October 12, 1981, when the fiftieth anniversary of the statue itself was celebrated.

Built in 1885, the tram line now leads almost to the top of the hill: the final stop is just forty meters below the statue. From there you need to climb 220 steps of a staircase to the pedestal on which the observation deck is located. From here you can clearly see the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema stretching on the right hand, and on the left the giant bowl of the Maracana, the world's largest stadium, and the international airport. From the sea side rises the unique silhouette of Mount Pan di Azucar.

Machu Picchu

The city is located on the top of a mountain range at an altitude of 2057 meters above the Urubamba River valley in what is now Peru. Machu Picchu (literally "old peak") is sometimes called the "lost city of the Incas." This city was created as a sacred mountain retreat by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec a century before the conquest of his empire, around 1440, and functioned until 1532, when the Spanish invaded the Inca Empire. In 1532, all its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared. The conquistadors never reached Machu Picchu. This city was not destroyed. But we know little about him. Neither the number of inhabitants nor even its real name is known.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a pre-Hispanic city in what is now Mexico. This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centers in the Yucatan Peninsula. Over the course of approximately a thousand years of history, various peoples have left their mark on the appearance of the city. Maya, Toltec and Itza ideas about the world and the universe were reflected in stone monuments and works of art. The combination of Mayan building technology with new elements from central Mexico makes Chichen Itza one of the most important examples of the Maya-Toltec civilization in the Yucatan. Several buildings survived, such as the Temple of the Warriors, "El Castillo" and the circular observatory known as "El Caracol".

Acropolis

The ancient Greek temple of the Acropolis, also known as the Parthenon, earns its place on the list for its prominence among the architectural symbols of past and present history. The Acropolis on the “Holy Mountain” in Athens meant strength and protection for the inhabitants of the city. Today the Parthenon is an international symbol of Greek civilization. The symbolic image of this temple is depicted on the UNESCO logo as a sign of traditions of culture and education.

Eiffel Tower

The creation of the architect Gustav Eiffel, this tower of a unique style has become a symbol of Paris and all of France as a whole. The tower is known not only in France, but is also very popular in the Western world. Before the construction of the Empire State Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest creation of human hands. Six million people visit the tower every year. The tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889.

Sculptures on Easter Island

Easter Island is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It has the shape of a triangle with sides of 16, 18 and 24 kilometers. The island is of volcanic origin. There are 70 craters of extinct volcanoes, the largest are located in the corners of the “triangle”. There is a desert in the center of the island. One of the main mysteries of the island, which has haunted several generations of travelers and researchers, remains the completely unique stone statues - moai. These are stone idols of various sizes - from 3 to 21 meters. On average, the weight of one statue is from 10 to 20 tons, but among them there are real colossi weighing from 40 to 90 tons. The glory of the island began with these stone statues. It was completely incomprehensible how they could appear on an island lost in the ocean with sparse vegetation and a “wild” population. Who hewed them out, dragged them to the shore, placed them on specially made pedestals and crowned them with weighty headdresses? The statues have an extremely strange appearance - they have very large heads with heavy protruding chins, long ears and no legs at all. Some have red stone “caps” on their heads. A pointed, raised nose, thin lips, slightly protruded as if in a grimace of mockery and contempt. Some statues have necklaces carved in stone, or tattoos made with a chisel. The face of one of the stone giants is riddled with holes.

Stonehenge

Megalithic building on Salisbury Plain in England. Now archaeologists agree that this architectural monument was erected in three stages between 3500 and 1100. BC Stonehenge was a circular ditch with two halls and may have served as a cemetery. Stonehenge is a structure of 82 five-ton megaliths, 30 stone blocks weighing 25 tons and 5 huge so-called trilithons, stones whose weight reaches 50 tons. Folded stone blocks form arches that once served as a perfect indicator of the cardinal directions. Until recently, scientists assumed that this monument was built in 3100 BC by tribes living in the British Isles to observe the Sun and Moon. But the latest data from modern science force us to reconsider many of the conclusions of researchers.

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And VKontakte

We all know about such sights as the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. But there are other truly grandiose buildings in the world that even the most avid travelers have not heard of. But they are also worthy of attention.

Djennen Cathedral Mosque, Mali

The hundred-year-old Djenne Mosque is the largest clay-alluvium building in the world. As part of the old town of Djenne, the mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988. At the moment the mosque is closed to tourists. It is believed that this decision was made in 1996 after filming a candid photo shoot for Vogue magazine within its walls.

Chand Baori, India

The Chand Baori architectural complex, located in the small Indian village of Abaneri, is one of the oldest and deepest step wells in the world. The gigantic structure, reminiscent of an inverted pyramid, goes underground for more than 30 m; on its three walls, in perfect symmetry, there are 3,500 steps along which you can go down to the water - a small muddy green lake. Scientists are still arguing whether the well was built between the 9th and 11th centuries or 600 years BC.

Palace of Parliament, Romania

One of the most famous architectural monuments of Bucharest was built during the Socialist Republic of Romania. The palace is considered the world's largest civil administrative building, the largest parliament building, and also the heaviest administrative building in the world. The dimensions of the palace are 270 by 240 m. Height is 86 m. The underground part of the palace goes 92 m deep. The palace has 1100 rooms and 12 floors.

Old Bridge, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The pedestrian bridge over the Neretva River in the city of Mostar is a modern copy of an ancient bridge that was completely destroyed by Croatian militants in 1993. The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the entertainments of tourists and the traditional income of young people in the city is jumping into the Neretva River from the center of the Old Bridge (the height of the jump depends on the water level in the river - from 24 to 30 m).

Kumbulgarh Fort, India

Kumbulgarh Fort is surrounded by a unique wall, which in ancient times was called the “death guard”. Its length is 36 km, and its width in some places reaches 8 m. It stretches continuously along the entire perimeter of the fort, protecting it from uninvited invaders for centuries. Just to build it, it took a whole century - from the 15th to the 16th centuries. In the entire history of wars that the Great Indian Wall has seen, it has never collapsed or allowed enemies into the fort. Only the Great Wall of China is longer than the “death guard”, or, as the Indian wall was also called, “the eyes of Mewar”.