杰克.塞隆长大:世界著名建筑物介绍

Ancient
The Great Sphinx of Egypt, one of the wonders of ancient Egyptian architecture, adjoins the pyramids of Giza. It is 240 feet long. It is approximately 4,500 years old. A 10-year, $2.5 million restoration project was completed in 1998.

The Parthenon of Greece, built on the Acropolis in Athens, was the chief temple to the goddess Athena. It was believed to have been completed by 438 B.C. The temple remained intact until the fifth century A.D. Today, though the Parthenon is in ruins, its majestic proportions are still discernible.

The Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater) of Rome, the largest and most famous of the Roman amphitheaters, was opened for use A.D. 80. It consisted of three stories and an upper gallery. The Colosseum was rebuilt in stone in the third century A.D. Its seats rise in tiers, which in turn are supported by concrete vaults and stone piers. It could seat between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators. It was principally used for gladiator fights. Today it is in partial ruins and the home to thousands of stray cats.

The Pantheon at Rome, begun by Agrippa in 27 B.C. as a temple, was rebuilt in circular form by Hadrian (A.D. 118–128). Literally the Pantheon was intended as a temple of “all the gods.” It is remarkable for its perfect preservation today, and it has served continuously for 20 centuries as a place of worship.

Later European

St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, one of the great examples of Byzantine architecture, was begun in the ninth century. It was partly destroyed by fire in 976 and was rebuilt in 1071 as a Byzantine structure.

The Cathedral Group at Pisa (1067–1173) is one of the most celebrated groups of structures built in Romanesque-style. It consists of the cathedral, the cathedral's baptistery, which is where people are baptized, and the Leaning Tower. The cathedral and baptistery are built in multicolored marble. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is 179 feet high and leans more than 16 feet out of the perpendicular. It is doubtful that the architects intended to have the tower lean.

The Alhambra (1248–1354), located in Granada, Spain, is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Muslim architecture. It was designed as a palace and fortress for the Moorish monarchs of Granada. It is surrounded by a heavily fortified wall more than a mile in perimeter.

The Tower of London is a group of buildings and towers covering 13 acres along the north bank of the Thames. The central White Tower, begun in 1078 during the reign of William the Conqueror, was originally a fortress and royal residence, but was later used as a prison. The Bloody Tower is associated with Anne Boleyn (the second wife of Henry VII; she was beheaded) and other notables.

Westminster Abbey, in London, was begun in 1050 and completed in 1065. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1245–1250. Originally the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, the abbey is one of England's most important Gothic structures.

Notre-Dame de Paris (begun in 1163), one of the great examples of Gothic architecture, is a twin-towered church with a steeple over the crossing and immense flying buttresses supporting the masonry at the rear of the church.

The Duomo (cathedral) in Florence, Italy, was founded in 1298, completed by Brunelleschi and consecrated, or declared sacred, in 1436. The oval-shaped dome dominates the entire structure.

The Vatican is a group of buildings in Rome that includes the official residence of the pope. The Basilica of St. Peter, the largest church in the Christian world, was begun in 1450. The Sistine Chapel, begun in 1473, is noted for the art masterpieces of Michelangelo, Botticelli, and others. The Basilica of the Savior (known as St. John Lateran) is the first-ranking Catholic Church in the world, for it is the cathedral of the pope.

The Kremlin in Moscow, is a walled fortress surrounding palaces, cathedrals and government buildings. It is the seat of the government of Russia. The center of the Kremlin is called Cathedral Square. Assumption Cathedral is a spectacular example of Byzantine architecture. It is where czars were crowned. Construction of the Kremlin dates back to the thirteenth century.

The Palace of Versailles in France, which contains the famous Hall of Mirrors, was built during the reign of Louis XIV and served as the royal palace until 1793.

The Eiffel Tower, in Paris, an open, ironwork structure, was built for the Exposition of 1889. It is 984 feet high (1,056 feet, including the television tower). It was named for its designer, the engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.

Asian and African
The Taj Mahal (1632–1650), at Agra, India, was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife. The white marble tomb is considered by some to be the most perfect example of the Mogul style. Others consider it the most beautiful building in the world. Four slim white minarets, or towers, flank the building, which is topped by a white dome. Shah Jahan had to create an entire town for the 20,000 men who needed nearly 20 years to build the structure.

Angkor Wat, outside the city of Angkor Thom, Cambodia, is one of the most beautiful examples of Cambodian or Khmer architecture. The sanctuary was built during the twelfth century. For hundreds of years it was hidden, swallowed up by the jungle. Once uncovered, massive temples, gates, and canals with picture carvings told much about life in the Kmer empire. No one knows why the complex was abandoned.

The Great Wall of China (228 B.C.?), designed specifically as a defense against nomadic tribes, has large watch towers that could be called buildings. It was built by Emperor Ch'in Shih Huang Ti and is 1,400 miles long. Built mainly of earth and stone, it varies in height between 18 and 30 feet.

United States

Rockefeller Center, in New York City, extends from 5th Ave. to the Avenue of the Americas between 48th and 52nd Streets (and halfway to 7th Ave. between 47th and 51st Sts.). It occupies more than 22 acres and has 19 buildings.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, at 112th St. and Amsterdam Ave. in New York City, was begun in 1892 and is now in the final stages of completion. When completed, it will be the largest cathedral in the world: 601 feet long, 146 feet wide at the nave, 320 feet wide at the transept, part of a church that crosses the nave at right angles. The east end is designed in Romanesque-Byzantine style, and the nave and west end are Gothic.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, at 5th Ave. and 50th St. in New York City, has a seating capacity of 2,500. The nave was opened in 1877, and the cathedral was dedicated in 1879.

The World Trade Center, in New York City, was dedicated in 1973. Its twin towers were 110 stories high (1,350 feet), and the complex contained over 9-million square-feet of office space. A restaurant was on the 107th floor of the North Tower. Both towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

The Statue of Liberty sits on her own island in New York City. Fredéric Auguste Bartholdi, of France, designed the 152-foot high, steel-reinforced copper statue. The French gave Lady Liberty to the United States as a memorial to France and the United States' partnership during the American Revolution. President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue for the United States on Oct. 28, 1886.

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, is one of the most recognizable structures in the U.S. It was designed by Joseph B. Strauss. This elegant suspension bridge has a main span of 4,200 feet. Main span is the longest distance between the two main supports.

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