It’s not every day that you gain the opportunity to walk into an area with traces of human civilization dating back thousands of years. Much of our mysterious past as humans have either crumbled with time or been paved over to make way for modern construction. Yet, despite these constant changes, the world is still filled with tons of life-changing historical sites to visit.
By no means is this list meant to comprise all the historical sites that exist. However, these five locations will change your life upon having the chance to visit them. In no particular order, each of these man-made historical wonders reveals a key, unlocking some kind of mystery about our ancient past.
Often hailed as one of the most mind-blowing sites for its sheer size, the Pyramids of Giza are over 3,000 years old and saturated in mystery. The best part of these historical marvels? No one has quite been able to satisfy the answer to how they got there. Not only is each one of the three main pyramids exactly aligned with the Three Kings in the constellation of Orion, but some of the chambers inside also align with the solstices. Was it aliens? A feat of human engineering? Or something stranger? As they say, the truth can be stranger than fiction, and for that, the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza qualify as being life-changing.
Deep in the mountains of southern Peru, the ruined city of Machu Pichu sits high atop a sunlit peak. This ancient Incan city has rightfully earned the recognition as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” This spectacular site is not easily accessed though, and to catch a glimpse of it you’ll have to work for it. The best way to witness Machu Pichu is to head south from Cusco and then take a four-day hike up into the mountains. There is the option of taking a train to reach the peak, but hiking through scenic canyon walls to discover the city surely contributes to being a life-changing and memorable experience.
One of the most fascinating things about Rome is that thousand-year-old historical structures still stand beside more modern constructed buildings. This is the case with the Roman Colosseum, where Italian bistros sit across the street from a place where gladiators once fought to the death thousands of years ago. The Colosseum has the power to change lives because it transports the spectator back to a civilization that, at one time, ruled a large majority of Europe. Though most of the Colosseum is off-limits due to its crumbling infrastructure, taking a tour through the arena is still possible and it certainly ranks as one of the most incredible things to do in Rome.
This ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the Yamuna river is another stunning historical site. Built as a testament to undying love, the Taj Mahal was constructed to honor the deceased wife of Emperor Shah Jahan in the mid-1600s. It is truly an architectural masterpiece, with styles combined from Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architecture. For this reason, the Taj Mahal draws in nearly 3 million guests each year. Unfortunately, the excess of air pollution in the area is slowly eroding the white marble, but this makes the reason to visit all the greater.
Though the list could go on and on, the Great Wall of China seems like the best possible location to round off our list. To put it simply, the Great Wall of China is massive, estimated to be at least 13,000 miles in length. This incredible undertaking was originally conceived of by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century BC to keep Mongol invaders out of the country. Though the Great Wall was built in sections over the next two-thousand years, it’s hard to fathom how big this Chinese monument is. On these grounds, visiting the Great Wall of China can be incredibly transformative, as it is virtually unlike anything else in existence today.
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