We all know a little bit about some of the famous landmarks and places to see in the world, whether learning about them in school or from adding them to our own travel bucket lists or some other research reason. But much of the true history and unique tidbits behind these monumental locations tends to be more hidden, since so many of us want to visit them or just see the surface of their existence. Let’s talk about some of the lesser known fun and interesting facts about the world’s most famous landmarks.
Sphynx
As the sphynx is such a popular monument, let’s start here. For one, historians believe that the original model of this was painted in bright colors when it was made. And secondly, if you know about mythology you’d notice this is not a true sphynx as those have wings and female faces.
New Zealand: The Beehive
This one is particularly attractive as a landmark simply because the modern look is very unique to the area. The Beehive is where New Zealand’s government conducts business, and the most interesting thing about it is there’s a swimming pool for parliament members in the basement!
Taj Mahal
Many fun facts exist about the Taj Mahal. For one, it took 1,000 elephants to help haul lumber and materials to construct this. And secondly, the base is actually made of weak material, because of that it is constantly at risk of collapse. Plus, multiple duplicates have been made.
Big Ben
Big Ben is the bell located in what’s now named the Elizabeth Tower since 2012 in honor of the Queen. It in fact has a prison located in it, and has an extra light in the tower that was once used to allow Queen Victoria to know when parliament members were there after hours.
Great Wall of China
Ever wonder how this massive creation stayed put so long? Ironically, the mortar that was used to hold the bricks together is actually made with sticky rice; something we know of from many different Asian cuisines.
These are great for adding in to travel plans as ways to immerse yourself in the area, teaching your kids or family, or just keeping in your mind to know a bit more about the world around you. Fun facts are a great and really easy method for learning things that you can retain and that aren’t often discussed, which is why these interesting tidbits were some of our favorites to include today about some of the world’s most famous landmarks. Hopefully you took the time to read and learn something new today in this list!