Top 10 Most Beautiful Architectural Marvels in the World - Mytour.vn

Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world, and some Western historians believe that the beauty of this architecture is unmatched by any other. Taj Mahal is entirely built of white marble. The breathtaking scenery, especially at sunrise and sunset, is unparalleled. Taj Mahal seems to shine brightest under the moonlight. On a misty morning, visitors experience Taj Mahal as if immersed in the beauty of this place when viewed from across the Yamuna River.

The Taj Mahal was built as a gift from King Shah Jahan to his late wife, and it is likened to a tear drop on the cheek of time, a testament to the enduring love the king had for his beloved wife. The construction was carried out by 20,000 workers tirelessly for 22 years, with a total cost of building the Taj Mahal amounting to 320 million rupees (equivalent to 1 billion USD at that time). The walls of the temple are clad in Tibetan marble and are adorned with all 28 types of precious and semiprecious stones, creating the most magnificent palace in India at that time. And to this day, the monument continues to captivate many, cherished as a timeless symbol of love.

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Alexandria City (Egypt) is the most famous ancient public library, established on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea from the 3rd century BC under the reign of Emperor Ptolemy II. This library is part of a vast architectural complex, including a museum, an observatory, a botanical garden, and meeting rooms. Despite being destroyed in wars, the Library of Alexandria is still considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world with hundreds of thousands of rare books at that time. Not to be forgotten, the government built a new library named Alexandrina, 200 meters away from the famous library of the past. Combining the library with the cultural center of Alexandrina is the revival and development of the Library of Alexandria - where everyone can satisfy their thirst for knowledge by learning and appreciating the values of reading culture.

The Royal Library of Alexandria, both a large library and a cultural center, is built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the city of Alexandria, Egypt. The building is among the top 42 most architecturally significant buildings on the planet and was once honored as the largest library in the world with a vast space and a main reading room of 70,000 m2 accommodating up to 2,000 people and about 8,000,000 volumes. Additionally, it includes 4 museums, 4 temporary art exhibition halls, 15 permanent exhibition rooms, 200 study rooms for scholars and researchers, an auditorium, and a laboratory to restore manuscripts, specialized libraries for maps, media, the blind and visually impaired, youth, and children... Holding significant cultural importance, Alexandrina Library attracts about 800,000 tourists annually, becoming an indispensable destination for tourists visiting the mysterious land of Egypt.

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum

is the leading contemporary art museum in Latin America. The museum is located in Curitiba, Brazil. As a high-end display space for art objects, contemporary architectural design, the museum is the design of the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, inaugurated in 2002 with the participation of former President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Oscar Niemeyer. When newly opened, the museum was called “Novo Museu” - The Museum of the Future. In 2003, after renovation and the addition of a new section, the museum was renamed the Oscar Niemeyer Museum to honor the great architect.

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum is a complex consisting of two works: a box-shaped building - an educational facility, converted into a museum with 3 floors of exhibition space, and a concrete tower shaped like an eye for photo exhibitions. The main building of the complex consists of three floors of exhibition space. This work was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1967. The underground floor is a space for permanent exhibitions, conference rooms, laboratories, technical rooms, and administrative rooms. The permanent exhibition honoring Oscar Niemeyer is held in the basement. This exhibition displays photos and architectural project models by him. The “Sculpture Courtyard” in the basement showcases works by famous artists.

The 1st floor is a space for events and receptions. The 2nd floor has 9 exhibition rooms, accessible through ramps, staircases, and elevators. The exhibition rooms host short exhibitions for visual arts, architecture, and design. Most of the museum's important works are located in the 9 rooms on this floor. Painters Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol are among the famous names whose works have been exhibited here.

Winter Palace is a majestic architectural marvel located on the banks of the Neva River in the former capital of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Today, the Winter Palace is part of the Hermitage Museum, one of the three largest art museums in the world, showcasing 3 million valuable works. The palace bears the Baroque art style, designed by the Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Situated on a vast 90,000 m2 estate with over 700 lavishly decorated rooms.

Winter Palace sits on a plot of land with three facades facing expansive public spaces. One side of the palace stretches along the riverbank for over 200 meters. The square facade of the palace features three prominent entrance arches leading to the main courtyard. The remaining facade overlooks the Admiralty - where the delicate elements of the original Rastrelli design are preserved in the design and decoration. Despite the precise balance in the facade structure, each segment has its own formula in the decorative design on the walls and the spacing of the accompanying columns, the distribution of columns creating a consistent rhythm with a spread in the horizontal direction, 250 columns segmenting around 700 windows, the columns around decorated with 20 different patterns reflecting various decorative motifs, including lion masks and peculiar shapes that Rastrelli accumulated over more than three decades.

The interior of the Winter Palace has undergone numerous modifications. Rastrelli's original design used similar decorative tools as those he used in previous palaces: wood and gold-plated stucco decorations, intricately designed support pillars to segment large spaces such as the Throne Room. With millions of famous artworks from all humanity, the Winter Palace has enchanted countless generations of visitors from ancient times to the present day.

Crac des Chevaliers Fortress - The fortress of the Knights in Syria is one of the fortresses built from the medieval period by the Kurds for both residential and defensive purposes. The main building material for Crac des Chevaliers is limestone and stone cladding with thick stone walls ranging from 3 to 30 meters. Crac des Chevaliers is the best preserved and most impressive fortress in the world, witnessing most of Syria's Crusades in history. The fortress is designed very scientifically, like an invincible, powerful, and indestructible war machine.

Crac des Chevaliers Fortress from the Middle Ages in Syria has been damaged during the 5-year civil war in Homs province. The fortress, built since the 11th century, will be restored along with other historical sites. The fortress is strategically located, overlooking the only road from the city of Antioch on the Orontes River to Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. This fortress is known as an impregnable stronghold.

Aya Sofya Museum is one of the most iconic architectural landmarks in Istanbul. It is a famous landmark, always featured on travel magazine covers and in the Assassin’s Creed video game. This 1500-year-old museum is considered the most important structure of the Byzantine era and one of the greatest monuments of the world. Completed in 537 AD, Aya Sofya was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. Aya Sofya Museum stands out with its central dome measuring about 32 meters (105ft) in diameter. It's a must-visit destination when traveling to Turkey.

Aya Sofya Museum means the temple of divine wisdom, the most famous memorial in Istanbul, Turkey. The museum was built by the Romans since 360, being the largest museum in the world for 1000 years (537 - 1453). The museum has an impressive architecture with 4 towers reminiscent of 4 swords ready to fight any invading enemy. Not only the majestic dignity, but also the beautiful and charming beauty of the museum makes you linger and admire the image of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus on the dome and right below is the Mihrab in the museum.

Sagrada Familia Church - The magnificent cathedral of Christianity designed by Catalan Antoni Gaudi remains unfinished to this day. This is an extraordinary structure with 18 towers shaped like spun sugar, symbols ranging from low to high representing the 12 apostles of Christ, 4 evangelists depicting the Gospels, the Virgin Mary, and the tallest tower representing Jesus. The exquisite beauty of the church, although incomplete, has attracted millions of visitors to admire it every year and is considered the icon of Catalonia - Spain. In 2010, the church was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Sagrada Familia is the largest Catholic church in the Catalan region, Barcelona, and is a famous symbol of Spain with its unique Post-Modern architecture. This church has been a highlight for tourists when visiting the city of Barcelona. The first impression of all tourists when visiting Sagrada Familia church is the overwhelming beauty of a grand architectural masterpiece with exquisite and meticulous artistry. It can be said that Sagrada Familia deserves to be considered one of the most iconic landmarks of Spain.

Imam Mosque, built by the Persian ruler, Shah Abbas (1571 - 1629), is a source of pride for Muslims and a masterpiece of world architecture. The Imam Mosque is a wonder constructed of seven-colored mosaic tiles, surrounded by four gates and vaulted walkways. The main gate, standing at 30m tall, resembles open arms welcoming and guiding the crowd outside into a sanctuary of safety and rebirth. After 400 years, this mosque still lives up to its purpose and stands as a pinnacle jewel of the new capital in Isfahan.

This stunning architectural marvel is depicted on Iran's 20,000 rial banknote, representing a source of pride for Muslims and a masterpiece of world architecture. The Imam Mosque is a wonder constructed of seven-colored mosaic tiles (dark blue, light blue, white, black, gold, green, and yellow). Additionally, the decorative calligraphic inscriptions are a unique feature of the mosque's architecture. The mosque is surrounded by four gates (iwan) and vaulted walkways. The main gate, standing at 30m tall, resembles open arms welcoming and guiding the crowd outside into a sanctuary of safety and rebirth. The vaulted roof is adorned with multicolored tiles, both inside and out, reflecting sunlight, resembling a majestic sapphire gemstone visible from afar.

Potala Palace - the heart of Lhasa, Tibet, commenced construction during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, also known as the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas. Potala is situated atop the Red Hill, towering 300m above the city - a hill believed to symbolize Avalokiteshvara and one of the three sacred hills of the capital Lhasa with over 1000 chambers of the Dalai Lamas. Today, Potala stands as a architectural wonder of the world, a renowned tourist attraction, and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

As a representative architectural complex of Tibetan Buddhism, Potala is one of the most impressive palaces in the world, situated at an altitude of 3,600 meters. Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Visiting this palace complex, tourists will explore three iconic architectural structures: the Winter Palace of Potala, Jokhang Temple, and Norbulingka Summer Palace. The buildings, constructed of wood and stone, showcase a distinctive architectural style of Tibetan Buddhism, influenced by China, India, and Nepal.