Best Temples & Ruins in the World:
Top Ruins in Europe:
- The Colosseum (Rome, Italy) -- Completed in 80 AD, it is the largest amphitheatre in the world and considered one of the greatest works of architecture and engineering.
- Roman Forum (Rome, Italy) -- The most celebrated meeting place in all of history and the burial site of Julius Caesar attracts 4.5 million annual visitors.
- Pompeii (Italy) -- Buried by ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, this well-preserved ancient city offers an amazing look at how people lived 2k years ago.
- Stonehenge (England) -- One of the most famous sites in the world, it was built sometime between 2500 - 3000 BC.
Top Ruins in other parts of the World:
- Great Wall of China (China) -- This amazing structure is over 13k miles long and was built over the course of hundreds of years and several Chinese dynasties.
- Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) -- The oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one largely intact.
- Machu Picchu (Peru) -- Built around 1450 at the height of the Incan Empire, this is the largest tourist attraction in South America.
Most Impressive Temples:
- Prambanan (Indonesia) -- This 9th century Hindu temple is the largest in Indonesia and one of the largest in all of Southeast Asia.
- Shwedagon Pagoda (Myanmar) -- Also known as the Golden Pagoda, this 325 foot tall temple built sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries is a sacred Buddhist pagoda believed to contain relics of the Buddha.
- Angkor Wat (Cambodia) -- The largest religious monument in the world, this Buddhist temple (originally Hindu) was built in the early 12th century.
- St Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) -- Designed principally by Michelangelo during the Renaissance, this is one of the two largest churches in the world and burial place of Saint Peter.