100 most beautiful places on earth. The most unusual places on earth

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Antarctic ice sheet
Antarctica
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Antarctica (translated from Greek - "the opposite of the Arctic") is a continent located in the very south of the Earth, the center of Antarctica roughly coincides with the southern geographic pole. The area of the continent is about 15 million km? (of which 1.6 million km? are ice shelves).
Antarctica was discovered in 1820 by a Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. The first to enter the mainland in 1895 were the captain of the Norwegian ship Antarctic Christensen and the teacher of natural sciences Karlsten Borchgrövink.
Antarctica is the most high continent Earth, average height the continent's surface above sea level is over 2000 m, and in the center of the continent it reaches 4000 meters. Most of this height is the permanent ice sheet of the continent, under which the continental relief is hidden and only ~ 5% of its area is ice-free - mainly in West Antarctica and the Transantarctic Mountains: islands, coastal areas, the so-called. "Dry valleys" and individual ridges and Mountain peaks(nunataks), towering above the icy surface.
The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest on our planet and is approximately 10 times larger than the nearest Greenland ice sheet. Is it concentrated ~ 30 million km? ice, that is, 90% of all land ice. The average thickness of the ice layer is 2500-2800 m, reaching maximum value in some areas of East Antarctica - up to 5 kilometers. A feature of Antarctica is a large area of ice shelves (low (blue) areas of West Antarctica), accounting for ~ 10% of the area that rises above sea level; these glaciers are the source of record-breaking icebergs. In winter (summer in the northern hemisphere) the area sea ice around Antarctica increases to 18 million km?, and in summer decreases to 3-4 million km?.
According to the Antarctic Convention, Antarctica does not belong to any state. Only scientific activities are allowed. The placement of military installations, as well as the entry of warships and armed ships south of 60 degrees latitude, is prohibited. Due to the severity of the climate, Antarctica has no permanent population. The temporary population of Antarctica ranges from 4000 people in summer to 1000 people in winter.

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Salar De Uyuni
Bolivia
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Saline Uyuni is a dry salt lake in the south of the Altiplano desert plain in Bolivia at an altitude of about 3650 m above sea level. Has an area of more than 10.5 thousand km? and is the largest salt marsh in the world. Located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni in the departments of Oruro and Potosi in the south-west of the country. The inner part of the lake is covered with a 2–8 m thick layer of table salt. During the rainy season, the salt marsh is covered with a thin layer of water and turns into the world's largest mirror.
About 40 thousand years ago, this area was part of Lake Minchin. After it dried up, there were two lakes that currently exist: Poopo and Uru-Uru, as well as two large salt marshes: Salar de Coipasa and Uyuni. According to experts, the Uyuni salt marsh contains a reserve of 10 billion tons of salt, of which less than 25 thousand tons are extracted annually. Thanks to the development of tourism on the Uyuni salt marsh locals they began to build hotels from salt blocks in which you can stay overnight. In addition, the Uyuni Salt Flats is an ideal tool for testing and calibrating remote sensing instruments on orbiting satellites. Clear sky and the dry air of Uyuni allow satellites to be calibrated five times better than using the ocean surface.

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Sand dunes of the Sahara
North Africa
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The Sahara is the largest desert on Earth, with an area of about 9 million km? less area United States of America. Sahara is located in North Africa, on the territory of more than ten states (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan). The Sahara defies categorization within one type of desert, although the sandy-rocky type is predominant. There are many regions in the desert: Tenere, Greater Eastern Erg, Greater Western Erg, Tanezruft, Hamada al-Hamra, Erg-Igidi, Erg-Shesh, Arabian, Libyan, Nubian deserts. The name "Sahara" is the Arabic translation of the Tuareg word "tener", meaning desert.
In 2008, an international team of scientists from Germany, Canada and the United States, as a result of research, found that the Sahara turned into a desert about 2,700 years ago as a result of very slow climate evolution. Scientists managed to make such conclusions based on the study of geological deposits raised from the depths of Lake Joa, located in the north of Chad. According to research results, 6 thousand years ago, trees grew in the Sahara and there were many lakes. Thus, this work of scientists refutes the existing theory about the transformation of this part of Africa into a desert 5500 years ago and the fact that the process of desertification took only a few centuries.
In the Sahara, about 160 thousand mirages are observed annually. They are stable and wandering, vertical and horizontal. Even special maps of caravan routes have been compiled with an assessment of the places where mirages are usually observed. These maps show where wells, oases, palm groves, and mountain ranges appear.

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Angkor
Cambodia
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Angkor is the capital region of the Khmer Empire of the 9th-15th centuries, which dominated the entire South-East Asia where Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are preserved - outstanding monuments of medieval Khmer art. Angkor stretches 24 km from west to east and 8 km from north to south. It is located on the shores of Lake Tonle Sap about 240 km northwest of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
The construction of this grandiose temple complex continued for four centuries. It was started by the founder of the Angkor dynasty, Prince Jayavarman II in 802, and the last temple complexes were erected by King Jayavarman VII in the XII century. After his death in 1218, construction ceased. The builders of Angkor have completed their centuries-old project. According to another version, the Khmer Empire simply ran out of deposits of sandstone. Interestingly, all of Jayavarman II's successors followed his building principles. Each new ruler completed the city in such a way that its core was constantly moving: the center of the old city turned out to be on the outskirts of the new one. This is how this giant city gradually grew. Each time a five-tower temple was erected in the center, symbolizing Mount Meru, the center of the world. As a result, Angkor Wat turned into a whole complex of temples.
Until our time, Angkor has come down not quite as a city, but rather a city-temple. During the Khmer Empire, residential and public buildings were built from wood, which is quickly destroyed by the hot and humid tropical climate. In the construction of temples, sandstone stones were most often used. The fortress walls were made of tuff. This explains the relatively good preservation of religious and fortifications in the absence of residential buildings. However, during the heyday of the empire, more than a million people lived in Angkor Thom alone, which is more than any European city at that time.
The Ta Prohm Temple was built by Jayavarman VII in memory of his mother. Now it is interesting because it was not cleared of the jungle. The temple appears to bear the seal extraordinary beauty, here the entire surface is covered with a cloak of tree roots and lush greenery. Since the end of the civil war in Cambodia and the inclusion of the Angkor complex in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, active restoration work has been carried out in other churches.
Preah Khan (in Khmer "sacred sword") is a huge temple built in honor of the victory over the tyam by King Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12th century. According to another version, the temple was dedicated to the memory of the king's father. Back in the late nineties of the XX century, like Ta Promkh, it was a jungle-covered ruin with gigantic trees growing on them. Now restorers from the United States are working there. The vegetation has already been almost completely removed.
The most beautiful monument of the entire Angkor complex is the most famous and well-preserved Angkor Wat temple, which was built over thirty years during the reign of Suryavarman II. After the death of the king, the temple took him into its walls and became a tomb-mausoleum.
In the fortress of Angkor Thom located at a distance of two kilometers, the central Bayon temple and its fifty-four huge towers, each of which is decorated with four images of Buddha, deserve special attention. According to one version, a portrait of the king himself was presented in the image of the Buddha. This temple was the last large religious building built in Angkor.
This booming tourist centre It has international Airport and many modern hotels... The distance from the center of Siam Riap to the main temple of the complex - Angkor Wat is about 5 km.

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The Amazon Rainforest
South America
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Great Barrier Reef
Coral Sea, Australia
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Big Barrier reef- a ridge of coral reefs and islands in the Coral Sea, stretching along the northeastern coast of Australia for 2300 km. In the northern part, its width reaches 2 km, in the southern - 150 km. Most of the reefs are underwater (which are exposed at low tide). In 1979, the Marine National Park was founded here with an area of over 5 million hectares.
The history of the Great Barrier Reef goes back about 18 million years. Modern history its development lasts about 8000 years. New layers are still appearing on the old foundation. The main body of the reef encompasses over 2,100 individual reefs, which are surrounded by nearly 540 barriers that form offshore islands. There is a lagoon between the Reef and the coast. This area of shallows rarely exceeds a depth of 100 m. From the sea side, the slopes of the reef fall steeply thousands of meters into the sea. The barrier at this point is affected by waves and winds. Coral growth is fastest here, while reefs lose the most in areas where waves and temperatures reach extreme heights. building material... Most of the free material is woven into the reefs and forms new rocks, thus there are constant, alternating processes of destruction and subsequent restoration on the reef.
Due to the variety and color underwater world on the territory of the Reef, as well as almost always warm transparent sea water, this place is incredibly popular among tourists, especially those who are fond of diving. For this reason large islands located next to the Great Barrier Reef have turned into luxury tourist resorts.

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Victoria Falls
Zambia, Zimbabwe
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Victoria - a waterfall on the Zambezi River in South Africa... Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The waterfall is about 1800 meters wide and 128 meters high. Scottish explorer David Livingston visited the falls in 1855 and named it after Queen Victoria. Previously, the waterfall was known among the local population as "Thundering Smoke" ("Mosi-oa-Tunya").
The waterfall is located approximately in the middle of the course of the Zambezi River. Above the falls, the Zambezi flows over a flat basalt slab in a valley bounded by low and sparse sandstone hills. There are islands along the river, the number of which increases as you approach the waterfall. The waterfall itself was formed at the place where the Zambezi falls sharply into a narrow crevice. Numerous islets divide the waterfall on the ridge, forming channels. Over time, the waterfall retreated upstream, gnawing itself more and more crevices. These crevices now form a zigzagged river bed with sheer walls. Victoria Falls is about twice the height of Niagara Falls, and more than twice as wide as its main part ("Horseshoe"). Falling water creates spray and fog that can rise to heights of 400 meters or more and are visible up to 50 kilometers away.
The waterfall was practically not visited by people until a railway was built here in 1905. After commissioning railroad they quickly gained popularity and maintained it until the end of British colonial rule. A tourist city has grown up on the side of Zimbabwe. In the late 1960s, the number of tourists declined due to guerrilla warfare in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and the detention of foreign tourists during the reign of Vennett Konda in independent Zambia. Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 brought relative peace, in the 1980s the region went new wave tourism. By the late 1990s, nearly 300,000 people visited the falls annually. In the 2000s, the number of tourists visiting Zimbabwe began to decline due to unrest over the rule of Robert Mugabe.

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Serengeti National Park
Tanzania, Kenya
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Serengeti National Park is a national park on the territory of the Serengeti savanna, located in Tanzania and Kenya. Savannah stretches from the north of Tanzania, east of Lake Victoria, to the south of Kenya and covers an area of about 30 thousand km?. The name comes from the Masai word "siringet", meaning "stretched area". The Serengeti is located at an altitude of 920 to 1850 m above sea level and its landscape varies from long or short grass in the south to hills covered with forests in the north. The Serengeti is characterized by congregations (over 1.5 million heads) of wild ungulates (antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, hippos), the usual elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyenas, etc. Year-round continuous migration of large herds of ungulates, which looking for a watering hole, is considered one of the most striking seasonal phenomena in the wild.
The world's largest flock of lions, or, as zoologists call it, the lion's pride, was discovered in the Serengeti Park in 2005. The pride consists of 41 lions. They are led by three adult males, each of which is 10 years old. The pack also includes eight 4-year-old lionesses and 9 young "princesses" who are two years old. There are also 13 lion cubs living in the pride, aged from 4 months to a year. Nowhere in Africa has there been such a large flock before.
For the first time, Europeans learned about these places only in 1913. Unfortunately, like all the territories of the British colonies in East Africa The Serengeti Plains quickly became a site of mass pilgrimage for European hunters. The national park was founded in 1940 due to the danger of extermination of large animals by numerous hunters, both local and from other countries.

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Petra
Jordan
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Petra - the capital of Edom, or Idumea, later the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, main city the sons of Esau. The city is located on the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 meters above sea level and 660 meters above the surrounding area, the Arava valley, in the narrow Siq canyon. The passage into the valley is carried out through the gorges located in the north and in the south, while from the east and west the cliffs drop vertically, forming natural walls up to 60 meters in height. Petra was located at the crossroads of two important trade routes: one connected the Red Sea with Damascus, the other - the Persian Gulf with Gaza off the coast Mediterranean Sea... Departing from Persian Gulf the spice caravans had to bravely endure the harsh conditions of the Arabian desert for weeks until they reached the coolness of the narrow Siq canyon leading to the long-awaited Petra. There, travelers found food, shelter and cool life-giving water.
The annual rainfall in Petra is only about 15 centimeters. To get water, local residents cut canals and reservoirs right in the rocks. Over time, almost every drop of rain in and around Petra was collected and preserved. Thanks to the water that the inhabitants of Petra skillfully saved, they could grow crops and raise camels. In addition, they were able to build a city - the center of trade. Until now, along the entire length of the Siq canyon, water flows through winding stone canals.
For hundreds of years trade brought great wealth to Petra. But when the Romans opened sea routes to the East, the land trade in spices came to naught and Petra gradually became empty, lost in the sands. Many buildings of Petra were erected in different epochs and under different owners of the city, including the Edomites (18th-2nd centuries BC), Nabateans (2nd century BC - 106 BC) , Romans (106-395 BC), Byzantines and Arabs. In the 12th century A.D. e. it was owned by the crusaders. The first European of modern times to see and describe Petra was Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss traveling incognito. Next to the ancient theater, you can see a building from the era of the Edomites or Nabateans. Monuments built after the 6th century BC. e. practically not, because in that era the city had already lost its significance.
The inhabitants of Petra masterfully mastered the art of working with stone. The very name "Petra", which means "rock", is associated with a stone. The Nabateans, who built the city, carved houses, crypts and temples from stone blocks. The famous rock-cut temple-mausoleum of Al-Khazneh, "The Treasury of the Pharaoh", as the Arabs call it, was created in the II century. - possibly in connection with the visit to Syria by Emperor Hadrian. The exact purpose of the structure is not fully understood.
The territory of Petra covers a large area. From the center, where the ruins of numerous buildings, no longer rocky, but built in the traditional way, of stone, are well preserved, it stretches for several kilometers. The main street, stretching from east to west across the city, was built during the Roman rule. A majestic colonnade stretches on both sides. The western end of the street rested against a large temple, and the eastern one ended with a three-span triumphal arch. Ed-Deir, a monastery carved into the rock at the top of the cliff, is a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high. Judging by the crosses carved on the walls, the temple served for some time as a Christian church. Today, about half a million tourists come to Jordan every year to see Petra, whose buildings bear witness to its glorious past. As tourists walk the cool one-kilometer-long Siq Canyon, around the bend, the Treasury opens up, a majestic building with a facade carved out of a huge rock. This is one of the best preserved buildings of the first century. The building is crowned with a huge stone urn, which supposedly contained gold and precious stones. The canyon gradually expands, and tourists find themselves in a natural amphitheater, in the sandstone walls of which there are many caves. But the main thing that catches your eye is the crypts carved into the rocks. The colonnade and amphitheater testify to the presence of the Romans in the city in the first and second centuries.

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Great Wall of China
China
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The Great Wall of China (translated from the Pinyin language - "Long wall of 10,000 li") is the largest architectural monument. Passes through northern China for 6350 km. The construction of the first wall began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi-Huangdi (Qin dynasty), during the period of the "Warring States" (V-III centuries BC) to protect the state from the raids of the nomadic Xiongnu people. At that time, a fifth of the country's population took part in the construction, i.e. about a million people. The wall was supposed to serve as the extreme northern line of the possible expansion of the Chinese themselves, it was also supposed to protect the subjects of the "Middle Empire" from the transition to a semi-nomadic lifestyle, from merging with the barbarians. The wall clearly fixed the boundaries of Chinese civilization, contributed to the consolidation of a single empire, just made up of a number of conquered kingdoms.
During the Han Dynasty (3rd century AD), the Wall was extended westward to Dunhuang. A line of watchtowers was also erected, extending into the depths of the desert, to protect trade caravans from nomadic raids. Those sections of the Great Wall that have survived to our time were built mainly during the Ming dynasty (14th - 17th centuries). In this era, the main building materials were bricks and stone blocks, which made the structure more reliable. During the Ming reign, the Wall stretched from east to west from the Shanhaiguan outpost on the shores of the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost at the junction of the modern provinces of Gansu and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Manchurian Qing dynasty (mid-17th century - early 20th century), having overcome the Wall with the help of the betrayal of Wu Sangui, treated the Wall with disdain. During the three centuries of her reign, the Great Wall almost collapsed under the influence of time. Only a small section of it near Beijing - Badaling - was maintained in order - it served as a kind of "gateway to the capital."
In 1984, at the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a program for the restoration of the Great Wall of china funded by Chinese and foreign companies and individuals. A 60-kilometer stretch of the wall in the Mingin region of the Shanxi region in the northwest of the country is reported to be actively eroded. The reason is intensive management methods Agriculture in China, starting in the 1950s, which led to the drying up of groundwater, and as a result, this region became the main source and center of the origin of powerful sandstorms. More than 40 km of the wall has already disappeared, and only 10 km are still in place, but the height of the wall in some places has decreased from five to two meters.

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Grand Canyon
Arizona, USA
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The Grand Canyon, or the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon is one of deepest canyons in the world. Located on the Colorado Plateau, Arizona, USA, in the territory national park Grand Canyon. It is cut by the Colorado River in the thickness of limestone, shale and sandstone. The canyon is 446 kilometers long. The width (at the plateau level) ranges from 6 to 29 kilometers, at the bottom level - less than a kilometer. Depth - up to 1600 meters.
Initially, the Colorado River flowed across the plain, but as a result of the movement of the earth's crust about 65 million years ago, the Colorado Plateau rose. As a result of the rise of the plateau, the angle of inclination of the current of the Colorado River changed, as a result of which its speed and ability to destroy the rock lying in its path increased. First of all, the river eroded the upper limestones, and then took on deeper and older sandstones and shales. This is how the Grand Canyon was formed about 5-6 million years ago. The canyon is still growing due to ongoing erosion.
Native Americans (Indians) knew about the Grand Canyon thousands of years ago. The first signs of human life in the canyon include rock paintings that were created by the Indians about 3 thousand years ago. In 1540, the Grand Canyon was discovered by a group of Spanish soldiers, commanded by García López de Cardenas, traveling in search of gold. Several Spanish soldiers, accompanied by Hopi Indians, tried to descend to the bottom of the canyon, but were forced to return due to lack of drinking water... Since then, the canyon has not been visited by Europeans for more than 2 centuries. The first scientific expedition to the Grand Canyon, led by John Weasley Powell, took place in 1869. Powell explored and described the canyon. In 1903, US President Theodore Roosevelt visited the canyon and declared it a national monument in 1909.

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Taj Mahal
Agra, India
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Taj Mahal is a mausoleum-mosque located in Agra, India, on the banks of the Yamuna River. The construction time dates back to about 1630-1652. Built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth (later Shah Jahan himself was buried here). Inside the mausoleum there are two tombs - the shah and his wife. Their burial place is located in the same place as the tombs, but underground. The Taj Mahal is a five-domed structure with a height of 74 m on a platform, with 4 minarets at the corners (they are slightly inclined to the side of the tomb in order not to damage it in case of destruction), which is adjoined by a garden with fountains and a pool. The walls are lined with polished translucent marble inlaid with gems. Turquoise, agate, malachite, carnelian, etc. were used. Marble has such a feature that in bright daylight it looks white, at dawn it looks pink, and on a moonlit night it looks silvery.
More than 20,000 craftsmen from all over the empire, as well as craftsmen from Central Asia, Persia and the Middle East were invited to build the complex. On the other side of the river, a twin building of black marble was supposed to be located, but it was not completed. A gray marble bridge was supposed to connect the two buildings.
The mausoleum has numerous symbols hidden in its architecture and layout. For example, on the gates through which visitors to the Taj Mahal enter the park complex surrounding the mausoleum, a quote from the Koran addressed to the righteous and ending with the words “enter my paradise” is carved. Considering that in the language of the Mughals of that time, the words "paradise" and "garden" are spelled the same, one can understand the plan of Shah-Jahan - to build a paradise and place his beloved within it. On the left side of the tomb is a red sandstone mosque. On the right is an exact copy of the mosque. The whole complex has axial symmetry. The tomb has a central symmetry with respect to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. The only violation of this symmetry is the tomb of Shah Jahan, which was built there after his death.

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Iguazu Falls
Brazil, Argentina
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Iguazu Falls is a complex of waterfalls on the Iguazu River, located on the border of Brazil (Paraná State) and Argentina (Misiones region). The falls are located on the border of the Argentine and Brazilian Iguazu National Parks. The name Iguazu comes from the words in the Guarani language: i (water) and guazu (large). Legend has it that God wanted to marry a beautiful Aboriginal woman named Naipu, but she fled with her lover in a canoe. In anger, God cut the river, creating waterfalls, dooming lovers to eternal fall. The falls were discovered in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Don Alvaro Nunez Caseso de Vaca, who went to the South American jungle in search of gold and adventure.
The complex is 2.7 km wide and includes approximately 270 individual waterfalls. The height of the fall of the water reaches 82 meters, but at most waterfalls - a little more than 60 meters. The largest waterfall is Garganta del Diablo ("Devil's Throat") - a U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long. This waterfall marks the border between Brazil and Argentina. During the dry season, visitors can see two separate waterfalls in the shape of two crescents. During the dry season, there are fewer rainfalls and the water level in the Iguazu River decreases. As a result, less water flows into the Iguazu Falls, so it splits into two separate falls. During wet season these two crescent moons join together to form one big waterfall approximately 4 kilometers wide.
Many islands (including quite large ones) separate the waterfalls from each other. Most of the waterfalls are located within the territory of Argentina, however, from the Brazilian side it opens good view on "The Devil's Throat". In the vicinity of Iguazu, there is a national park where visitors can view wildlife and vegetation. Boat excursions are available on the Parana and Iguazu rivers. You can also visit the Itaipu Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world.

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Giza pyramids
Egypt
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The Giza pyramid complex is located on the Giza plateau in the suburbs of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments is located at a distance of about eight kilometers towards the center of the desert from the old city of Giza on the Nile. This ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of the Pyramid of Khufu (known as the Great Pyramid and Pyramid of Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafra and the Pyramid of Menkaur, as well as a number of smaller accompanying buildings known as the “queens” pyramids, sidewalks and valley pyramids. The Great Sphinx is located on the east side of the complex, facing east.
Pyramid of Cheops (or Khufu) is the largest of Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" that has survived to this day. Initially, the height of the pyramid was 146.6 meters, (about a fifty-story skyscraper), however, due to the loss of the crown granite block - the pyramidion - as a result of an earthquake, its height has now decreased by 9.4 meters and is 137.2 meters. The length of the side of the pyramid is 230 meters. It is composed of approximately 2.3 million stone cubes, stacked in 203 tiers (originally 210). The average weight of a stone is 2.5 tons, but there are also larger ones, whose weight reached 15 tons. The time of construction is unknown. According to one of the legends, the pyramid was built in the XXVI century BC. e. Pharaoh Khufu (2590–2568 BC), in Greek his name sounded like "Cheops". The architect of the pyramid is considered to be Chemiun, the vizier and relative of Cheops. According to Herodotus, 100,000 workers, who replaced each other every three months, built the pyramid for about 20-25 years. But this figure raises doubts among modern scientists. According to their calculations, only 8,000 people could easily build a pyramid without interfering with each other.
Since antiquity, no one has entered the Cheops pyramid, although the descending tunnel was visited even in Roman times, as evidenced by the inscriptions in the underground chamber; the description of this chamber was made by Strabo. The first who entered the pyramid after the Romans was the Caliph Abu Jafar al-Ma'mun in 832, having cut through a passage more than 17 m long (it is through it that in our time tourists get inside the pyramid). He hoped to find there the untold treasures of the pharaoh, but found there only a layer of dust. Inside the Cheops pyramid there are two burial chambers, one above the other.
The pyramid of Khafre (or Khafre) is the second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid. Built in the middle of the XXVI century. BC. the structure with a height of 136.5 m (originally - 143.5 m) was named Urt-Khafra ("Khafra is great" or "Honored Khafra"). Although Khafra's pyramid is smaller than that of his father Khufu, its position on a higher hill and its steeper slope make it a worthy rival. Great Pyramid... Two rather large chambers and two intersecting passages that lead to a horizontal corridor represent a rather modest space in relation to the Khufu pyramid. The Khafre pyramid was just an element of the funeral complex.
The Pyramid of Mikerin (or Menkaure) is the southernmost, latest and lowest of the three Egyptian pyramids at Giza. Contrary to the nickname "Heru" (high), it barely reaches 66 m in height, and the length of the side of its base is 108.4 m. accession. The Menkaur pyramid stands out somewhat from the general picture of buildings in Giza.
Despite its small size, considered a sign of decline, the Menkaur pyramid was the most beautiful of all pyramids. The potential of the builders of the Menkaur pyramid was enormous, as evidenced by one of the monoliths used in the memorial temple of Menkaur. Its weight is estimated at over 200 tons. Replacing a block of this size, the heaviest on the Giza plateau, was a true technical feat. The colossal statue of the seated king from the central chapel of the temple - one of the largest in the era of the Old Kingdom - is an excellent proof of the skill of the pharaoh's sculptors.
The Great Sphinx is the oldest surviving monumental sculpture on Earth. Carved out of a monolithic limestone rock in the form of a colossal sphinx - a lion lying on the sand, whose face - as has long been considered - is given a portrait resemblance to the Pharaoh Khefren (c. 2575-2465 BC). The statue is 73 meters long and 20 meters high; there was once a small sanctuary between the forepaws.
The Sphinx statue is turned to face the Nile and the rising sun. Almost all ancient Eastern civilizations saw in a lion a symbol of a solar deity. Since ancient times, it was customary to depict the pharaoh in the form of a lion destroying his enemies. The ancient Egyptian name for the Great Sphinx remains unknown. The word "sphinx" is Greek and literally means "strangler." The opinion that this word came to Greece from ancient Egyptian is unfounded. The medieval Arabs called the Great Sphinx "the father of horror".
Circumstances and exact time the construction of the Sphinx is still mysterious. The opinion of ancient authors, accepted in modern literature, that its builder was Khefren (Khafru), is confirmed only by the fact that during the construction of the temple, stone blocks of the same size were used for the statue as in the construction of the neighboring pyramid.
Even more confusing the question of the customer of the statue is the fact that the face of the statue has Negroid features, which is at odds with other surviving images of Khafru and his relatives. Scientists who used a computer to compare the face of the Sphinx with the signed statues of Khafru concluded that they could not represent the same person. Since the 1950s. in popular literature, the dating of the Sphinx to the period of the Old Kingdom began to be questioned. It has been argued that the lower part of the sphinx is a classic example of erosion caused by prolonged exposure to water. The last time the corresponding level of precipitation was observed in Egypt was at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, which, according to the supporters of this theory, indicates the creation of the statue in the Pre-Dynastic period or even earlier. The relatively small size of the head prompted the Boston historian Robert Schoch to suggest that the statue originally had a lion's face, from which one of the pharaohs ordered to carve a mysteriously smiling human face in his own image and likeness. This hypothesis has not found acceptance in the scientific community.
The statue lacks a one meter wide nose. Most often, you can hear that this part of the statue was knocked off by a cannonball during the Napoleonic battle with the Turks at the Pyramids (1798); in other versions of the legend, the place of Napoleon is taken by the British or the Mamelukes. The falsity of this opinion is indicated by the drawings of the Danish traveler Norden, who saw the noseless sphinx already in 1737.
Although the absence of a nose can be explained by the "natural wear and tear" of the sculpture (centuries-old effect of wind and moisture), it seems more plausible to explain that in 1378 a Sufi fanatic, catching the fellahs bringing gifts to the Sphinx in the hope of replenishing their harvest, was filled with anger and recaptured the "idol "Nose, for which it was torn to pieces by the crowd. Indeed, then for the local residents, the Sphinx was a kind of talisman, the ruler of the Nile, on which, as they believed, the flood level of the great river and, accordingly, the fertility of their fields depended.
Over the years of its existence, the Sphinx was buried up to its shoulders in the sand. Attempts to unearth it were already undertaken in antiquity by Thutmose IV and Ramses II. In 1817, the Italians managed to clear sand from the entire chest of the Sphinx, and it was completely freed from millennial sand deposits in 1925.

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Machu Picchu
Peru
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Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Picchu, "Old Mountain"), a city and country located 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) above sea level, important place in the history of the Incas in the pre-Columbian era. The city is located on a ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cusco ( ancient capital Empire of the Incas). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is probably the most recognizable symbol of the Inca Empire. The city was built around 1450, but was abandoned by the population a hundred years later, during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Forgotten for centuries, the city was re-discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction not only in Peru, but throughout Latin America. The city was declared a Peruvian Historic Property in 1981 and a Site World Heritage UNESCO in 1983. Also Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Machu Picchu was built in the classic Inca style, with polished dry stone walls. Its primary and most important buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of Three Windows. They are located in what is known to archaeologists as the Sacred Area of Machu Picchu. In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts from the Inca civilization that Giram Bingham removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. Currently, there are problems with the tourist flow to the city, since in 2003, Machu Picchu was visited by 400,000 tourists - for this site this is a fairly large number and the infrastructure is not adapted to such a tourist flow.
Machu Picchu was built around 1450, when the Inca Empire was at its peak of development and economic power. The city was abandoned less than 100 years later. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were exterminated by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area. Geram Bingham, an explorer of the area, along with several other scholars, initially hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca aristocracy or the spiritual center of the "Virgins of the Sun".
Another theory states that Machu Picchu was the Inca "Yakta (llacta)": a settlement built to rule the economy of the conquered areas. The city may have also been built as a prison for a select few of the Inca society, for the few who have committed heinous crimes against Inca society. Research by scholars such as John Rove and Richard Burger convinced most archaeologists that the city was defensive and not owned by the Inca emperor, Pachacuti. In addition, Johan Reinhard provided evidence that the site was selected for the founding of the holy city due to the exceptional landscape surrounding the city. One such example is that the city is located on natural mountains from which the starry sky was clearly visible, and therefore the mountains became key astronomical landmarks.
Although the citadel is located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire, the city was never found and, therefore, was not plundered and destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors, which happened to the vast majority of Inca cities and settlements. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle has grown throughout the site and few people knew of the existence of this ancient city. On July 24, 1911, Machu Picchu appeared before the eyes of Giram Bingham, an American historian who then served as a lecturer at Yale University. He was brought to the area of the ruins by local residents who often visited the site. Bingham undertook archaeological research and completed a survey of the area in its entirety. Bingham coined a name for the city, calling it "The Lost City of the Incas", which became the title of his first book. He never thanked or mentioned the people who helped him find Machu Picchu, mentioning only the "local rumor".
Bingham sought the city of Vitcos, the last refuge of the Inca High and last stronghold resistance during the Spanish conquest of Peru. In 1911, after several years of previous travel and exploration of the area, he was brought to the citadel of the Quechua people. These people lived in Machu Picchu, in the "original" original infrastructure of the Incas. Even though most of the (Inca) residents died within a century of the city's construction, a small number of surviving families survived by the time the site was "discovered" in 1911; many mummies (mostly women) were found in the city and several families still resided in the ancient city. Bingham made several trips and excavated at the site until 1915. He wrote a large number of books and articles on the discovery of Machu Picchu in his entire life.
Simone Waisbard, famous researcher Cusco claims that Enrique Palma, Gabino Sanchez, and Agustin Lizarraga left their names “engraved” on one of the rocks at Machu Picchu on July 14, 1901. This means that they "discovered" Machu Picchu before Bingham "discovered" the city in 1911. Likewise, in 1904, an engineer named Franklin may have identified the presence of ruins in the area and clearly distinguished them from a distant mountain. He told Thomas Pine, an English Christian missionary living in the area, about the site where the ruins are located. In 1906, Pine and another fellow missionary named Stuart E. McNairn (1867-1956) may have climbed up to the ruins.
In 1913, the site gained substantial notoriety after the National Geographic Society highlighted information about “ lost city Incas "in April of the same year. In 1981 the area at 325.92 square kilometers surrounding Machu Picchu has been declared a "Historic Heritage" of Peru. In addition to ruins, this area includes much of the regional landscape rich in flora and fauna.
Machu Picchu was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983, when the city was described as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and unique proof of the sophistication of the Inca civilization." On July 7, 2007, Machu Picchu was approved as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by the New Open World Corporation. As a result of environmental degradation resulting from the negative impact of tourism, which led to the active development of the neighboring town of Aguas Calientes (including poorly located tram lines designed to speed up the movement of tourists), and the construction of a bridge over the Vilcanota River ) contrary to court orders and government protests (which most likely attracted even more tourists to the site), the World Monuments Fund placed Machu Picchu on its List of 100 Most Endangered World Heritage Sites in the world in 2008.

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July 2, 2016

We bring to your attention a dozen fantastic places on planet Earth that will amaze you with their unique, perhaps one might even say, unearthly beauty. Everyone should visit these mysterious and amazing corners of the planet at least once in his life.

The most unusual places on earth

1. Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island, Chile... Easter Island or Rapa Nui is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous mainly for its main attraction - the Moai stone statues. There is perhaps no more mysterious, mysterious, even mystical island in the world. Impressive monuments of Moai sculptures inspire in the viewer incredible delight and unjustified fear, indescribable joy and an inexplicable sense of anxiety. Everyone should definitely visit Easter Island and feel the fascinating history of the Rapa Nui people.

2. Antelope Canyon, USA

Antelope Canyon, USA Antelope Canyon is probably the most beloved and popular tourist site in USA. Fancy name Antelope Canyon got it thanks to the color of its rocks: reddish-red shades resemble antelope skin in color. For centuries, water and wind have created that fantastic relief, which today is impossible to stop looking at. The play of intricate shapes and graceful lines of the canyon cliff walls is an extraordinary and unforgettable sight.

3. Zhangye Danxia, China

Zhangye Danxia, China... Zhangye Danxia are rocks, but the rocks are not simple, but colored! The variegated mountain formations were formed due to various natural anomalies. The result is truly stunning - bright rainbow stripes adorn the mountains. To believe in the existence of such fabulous landscapes, you need to see them with your own eyes, the opening picture is really breathtaking.

4. Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordan. The oldest city Petra is considered one of the wonders of the world. The city is located in the narrow Siq canyon. At one time, the city of Petra was the richest and most prosperous shopping center... Now Petra is not only architectural monument but also a vast tourist area that attracts crowds of foreign visitors. The main advantage of Petra is the facade of the building of the Al-Khazneh temple, carved out of solid rock. Petra makes an indelible impression, be sure to visit this amazing city.

5. Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand... Phi Phi Islands are truly heaven on earth. More impressive landscape beauties cannot be found in the whole world. Beautiful beaches, clear turquoise waters and extraordinarily beautiful cliffs covered with dense tropical greenery make this place ideal for relaxation.

Caño Cristales is Spanish for crystal river. Thanks to the various types of mosses and algae growing on the bottom, the illusion is created that the waters of the river are painted in different colors: red, blue, green, yellow and even black. Therefore, Caño Crystallis is sometimes called the river of five colors. It is a real miracle to see such indescribable beauty with your own eyes.

The Socotra Islands are a World Heritage Site. They are quite inaccessible and adapted only for ecotourism. Restaurants, hotels and high level service? Forget it, because the first roads were built here just a couple of years ago. However, a visit to Socotra will be the most an unforgettable journey in your life if you dare to endure discomfort. Being here is like going to another planet. Vegetable world this land is unique: a huge number of plants growing on the island, you will not see anywhere else. This exceptional flora originated here thanks to the island's isolation and favorable climate.

8. Uyuni, Bolivia

Uyuni, Bolivia... Uyuni is the largest salt lake in the world. But the interesting feature of this lake is not only in its scale. Uyuni is a solid salt marsh with a smooth mirror surface, on which you can ride a car. In fact, Uyuni is a huge lump of salt. The lake has a high economic value for Bolivia, due to the extraction of its colossal reserves of salt. Here salt is used not only for food, it is even used as a building material. Therefore, travelers have the opportunity to stay in a real salt hotel.

The wonderful Kliluk Lake is located in British Columbia. The waters of the lake are rich in various minerals and, when evaporated, many spots of minerals are formed on the surface, which, depending on the season, are painted in different colors - an incredibly striking sight. In addition to its magical appearance, Kliluk is also famous for its healing properties.

The most beautiful places in the world have always attracted millions of tourists. Whether high mountains or endless valleys, huge seas or historic buildings. The landmarks of the planet Earth are an endless and exciting journey. We have prepared the Top 20 most beautiful places the world. Watch, discuss and share the post on social networks with your friends!

20th place - Kungur ice cave, Russia

8th place - Faroe islands, Iceland-Norway

Located between Iceland and Norway. More than 50 thousand people live on the archipelago. The total area of the archipelago is 1400 sq. Km, and includes 18 small islands, 17 of which have life. Even in the coldest month, the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. The attention of all tourists who came to this stunning place are offered: a unique landscape, green meadows, clouds, rocks and, of course, Atlantic Ocean... You will not find such beauties anywhere else!

7th place - Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve, Russia

It is located 12 kilometers from the city of Serpukhov on the left bank of the Oka River. The territory of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve with an area of 4945 hectares is forested, it is located near the northern border of the mixed forest subzone. Here visitors can see a unique phenomenon - broadleaf forests meet conifers. Vacationers who come to this place will be able to see more than 960 higher plant species. Visit the most beautiful places in Russia and this place should definitely be among them.

6th place - Yellowstone Volcano, USA

One of the most popular tourist attraction in the United States of America. Yellowstone National Park is skillfully located on the territory of three states at the same time: Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The park is famous for its waterfalls, hot springs, rich flora and fauna. This reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in March 1872. Those who saw the most unusual places on Earth, Yellowstone is always singled out in a special category.

5th place - Iguazu Falls, Brazil-Argentina

A real wonder of the world, which is located 20 km from the town of Puerto Iguazu. The legendary national park invites everyone to plunge into wonderful world Amazonian forests with incredible beauty of landscapes. A classic tour of the park is a short walk to the waterfalls. A boat trip along a turbulent river - and you are already at the foot of the world-famous waterfalls, which you saw from above just half an hour ago.

4th place - Yosemite National Park, USA

The first American nature reserve, which is famous all over the world for its unique virgin nature. Nature reserve with the most high waterfall located in the state of California. Most of the films about Indians were filmed on the territory of Yosemite National Park.

3rd place - Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

This is a majestic structure, which is located near the town of Füssen in Bavaria. Amazing beauty mysterious castle literally at first glance, it enchants tourists with its magnetism. The castle was built in 1869 by Ludwig II, who wanted to recreate the era of chivalry. For the construction of this architectural masterpiece a record amount of money was spent - more than 6 million gold marks. After the death of the monarch, the castle was opened for visits, this was done in order to recoup at least part of the Money spent on construction.

2nd place - Niagara Falls, USA-Canada

The most famous waterfall in the USA and Canada. He was included in the list of the most visited attractions North America... It got its name from the Indians who lived here, and is translated as "thundering water". The width of the waterfall is 670 meters, the depth in its middle is about three meters, and the height is 51 meters. Every year 20 million tourists from all over the world come to admire the beauty of the waterfall. For maximum enjoyment of the beauty, tourists are offered observation decks, cable car, galleries and paths for pedestrians, and even an excursion to hot-air balloon and helicopters.

1st place - Grand Canyon, USA

(The grand canyon) is one of the oldest national parks in the United States of America. The Scenic Area is one of the finest natural creations on earth. It is located in the state of Arizona. Until the mid-16th century, the Grand Canyon was inhabited by the Pueblo tribe, who lived in small cavernous dwellings. The Grand Canyon is a huge tourist complex with numerous parking lots, slopes and accommodation. Many people think that this is the most beautiful place on earth!

Have you read the article about the most beautiful places in the world... Do you want to visit there? Press Ctrl + D and you will definitely come back here again!

Most of the people on our planet live according to a measured schedule, preferring to new impressions and development a calm backwater of the family and boring work. Well, to each - his own. Nevertheless, we sincerely believe that there are a huge number of places on the planet that are so beautiful that everyone should see them, without exception. Seeing these photographs, one might think that these places are on some other planets, in other galaxies, but not on Earth. Keep this list for yourself - and who knows, maybe it will help you redefine your priorities.

51. Great Blue Hole, Belize

Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole in Belize is a circular karst sinkhole with a diameter of 305 meters, extending to a depth of 120 meters. You can look at this miracle of nature either from a helicopter (the panorama opens up amazing), or from the inside (this popular place among divers). Jacques-Yves Cousteau included the Great Blue Hole on his list of 10 best places in the diving world.

52. Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy

All Venice is one big attraction. As a rule, travelers are advised to visit the Rialto Bridge, see St. Mark's Cathedral, wander through the narrow streets, and ride a gondola. And, of course, visit the famous carnival. It is a well-known fact that Venice is gradually sinking under water, and perhaps soon only memories will remain of this splendor. So don't waste a minute.

53. Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef can be viewed from the air or diving in the immediate vicinity. Lovers of the sea will be delighted. If you don't like diving, it's okay - you can go to sea on a boat with a transparent bottom, so you can see with your own eyes a variety of fauna under water. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. It includes 900 islands in the Coral Sea and about 3 thousand separate reefs.

54. Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

Cathedral Cove is considered one of the most interesting landmarks of the Coromandel Peninsula, a famous tourist destination on the North Island of New Zealand. Pure water, White sand, beautiful rocks - perfect place for a romantic picnic.

55. Shifen Falls, Taiwan

Shifen Falls, Taiwan

The locals call Shifen Falls Little Niagara because of its similar cascading shape. Shifen is located between two rocks, so the thunder of falling water can be heard for many kilometers. All slopes are covered with dense vegetation. Magnificent landscapes, a rainbow over the stream, unusual animals - this is what attracts tourists to this place.

56. Tulip Fields, Netherlands

Tulip fields, Netherlands

From the end of March to the beginning of May, the whole of Holland is changing. You will not see such a sea of flowers anywhere else in the world. Huge areas are sown with tulips of all shades: pink, blue, red, yellow, green, purple ... windmills, cities with unique architecture, canals and much more. The Netherlands will not leave anyone indifferent.

57. Antelope Canyon, USA

Antelope Canyon, USA

The bizarre rock form and soft lighting make Antelope Canyon a favorite for photographers. It got its name because of the unusual color of the striped rocks, they are somewhat reminiscent of the color of an antelope. You can visit the canyon only with a guide and only not during the rainy season: at this time, there is a great danger of flooding.

58. Eiffel Tower, France

Eiffel Tower, France

As the saying goes, see Paris and die. If you find yourself in this city, you cannot pass by Eiffel tower- a symbol not only of Paris, but of the whole of France. It can be seen from many points of the city, since the height of the structure is 325 meters. At night, the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle with hundreds of colored lights. You can even climb it, however, you have to pay a few euros for it. And, of course, be sure to take a photo against the backdrop of this most recognizable landmark in France.

59. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

The Plitvice Lakes National Park, the oldest in Eastern Europe, is located in the central part of Croatia, in the Lica-Senj County. It includes 16 large karst lakes, 140 waterfalls, 20 caves and a unique beech forest. The protected area is inhabited by bears, wolves, rare birds and other animals. The active and inquisitive traveler will love this place.

60. Tianzi Mountain, China

Mount Tianzi, China

Tianzi Mountain is one of the four most famous scenic areas of Wulingyuan Nature Reserve. The Tianzi summit is in the middle of the "golden triangle" at an altitude of 1,260 meters. This is a place of beautiful waterfalls, mysterious caves, picturesque forests and rich fauna. For those who are afraid to overcome the path through the forests on their own, there are cable cars. On them you can quickly climb to the top of the mountain.