8 Most Extraordinary Buildings In Asia
- The Siq that leads to the Petra building literally means ‘’the shaft’’ and is nowhere along its 1.2 km long line wider than 3 m.
- Inside the Potala Palace in Tibet, there are more than 10,000 shrines and 200,000 different religious statues, along with thousands of other relics from Tibetan history.
- The Bahá’í faith, which served as an inspiration for the Lotus Temple in India, speaks about the Oneness of Mankind. Inside the temple, there is no religious iconography at all.
Humans have been developing their passion towards architecture for thousands of years. From the very first settlements and cave design attempts, to create a building that is both resilient, pretty to look at, and functional, was never an easy task. However, people have proved how marvelous things can emerge from rocks and sands found on this planet, and here are just some of the most extraordinary buildings you can see in Asia.
8. Lotus Temple
The city of New Delhi in India is home to one of the most gorgeous temples ever to be made. Created from 27 petal-shaped white marble pieces, this 70 m high building was completed in 1986 and has been a home to people all over the world, no matter what religious beliefs got them there.
7. Himeji Castle
Close to the city of Kyoto in Japan, a stunning castle stands high. A very complex building, not only in terms of its design but also in the way it served as a sophisticated defense mechanism. There is a network of 83 buildings that create this castle, and the approach to the castle is hard, as many of the sideways lead to a dead end. From 1333, it has not sustained any kind of damage, either from natural causes or from human intrusion.
6. Potala Palace
This is not only the most famous palace in Tibet but possibly in the whole world. The Potala Palace served as a home to different Dalai Lamas for more than 200 years, but it was converted into a museum in 1959. Thirteen stories high, with more than a thousand rooms inside, this palace is 3,700 m above sea level.
5. Petra
If unique is the name of the game, Petra is the one to take the win. Located in the ancient city of Ma’an in Jordan, this building is made directly into a red rock mountain. It was built in the 5th century BC, and it covers an area of 264 square kilometers. Even the entrance to the building inside the mountain is a spectacular sight in itself: the Siq is a 1.2 km long passage leading to the entrance of Petra.
4. Hagia Sophia
A prime example of the wonders that were created in the Byzantine style of architecture is this former mosque, known as Hagia Sophia. Today, this is the most extraordinary museum you can visit in Istanbul, Turkey. It was made in the 6th century, under emperor Justinian.
3. Burj Khalifa
One building that crushes all previous records in categories of being the biggest everything must be the Burj Khalifa. If you ever visit Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, you can not miss the 829.8 m high skyscraper! Cost of the tallest manmade structure in the world: $1.5 billion.
2. Dome Of The Rock
This Islamic architectural masterpiece is located on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Probably the most iconic shrine in the world serves as a testament to Muhammad, who ascended to heaven from that spot after his voyage from Mecca to Jerusalem.
1. Great Wall Of China
The name of this monumental achievement does not sell it short. Although the myth surrounding it says that you can see it from space, the Great Wall of China can only be seen from Earth’s orbit if the weather is perfectly clear, with the help of magnification.
This large wall is more than 20,000 km long, and the building period spread across 2,000 years! What started in 220 BC under the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang was mostly finished by the Ming dynasty by 1644. The purpose of the wall was to serve as protection for Chinese territory against intrusive nomadic groups.
