Architecture
Sydney Opera House
Sydney, Australia
Jørn Utzon's sail-like shells made it a symbol of Australia and a World Heritage Site.
Opened: 1973 · Style: Expressionist modern
Map / Architecture
Famous architecture around the world: temples, palaces and landmarks
Buildings are history you can walk into. This page lists the architecture on the atlas by country, from ancient temples and mosques to cathedrals, palaces and modern landmarks.
Open any pin for a short description and a link to read more. Comparison sets put the same kind of building from different places side by side.
54 pins in 29 countries.
Jump to a country
- Australia 1
- Brazil 2
- Cambodia 1
- China 2
- Egypt 1
- Ethiopia 1
- France 3
- Germany 1
- Greece 1
- India 15
- Indonesia 1
- Italy 2
- Japan 1
- Jordan 1
- Malaysia 1
- Mali 1
- Mexico 1
- Morocco 1
- Myanmar 1
- Peru 1
- Russia 1
- Singapore 1
- Spain 3
- Taiwan 1
- Tunisia 1
- Turkey 2
- United Arab Emirates 2
- United States 3
- Uzbekistan 1
Questions about architecture
What are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
They are places that UNESCO has recognised as having outstanding universal value to humanity, such as the Pyramids of Giza or the Taj Mahal. More than 1,200 sites are listed across the world.
What is among the oldest monumental architecture?
Gobekli Tepe in Turkiye, with carved stone enclosures about 11,000 years old, is among the oldest known monumental structures, though new discoveries can change such rankings.
Architecture: Australia
Architecture: Brazil
Architecture
Cathedral of Brasília
Brasília, Brazil
Oscar Niemeyer's cathedral has curved concrete columns that form a crown shape, with stained glass filling the gaps between them.
Built: Consecrated 1970 · Style: Modernist
Architecture
Christ the Redeemer
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A 30-metre statue of Jesus with open arms on top of Corcovado mountain, looking out over Rio.
Completed: 1931 · Style: Art Deco statue
Architecture: Cambodia
Architecture
Angkor Wat
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Built for King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple and later used for Buddhist worship, it is among the largest religious monuments in the world.
Built: Early 12th century · Style: Khmer
Architecture: China
Architecture
Forbidden City
Beijing, China
The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with hundreds of buildings arranged along a strict central axis.
Built: 1406–1420 · Style: Chinese imperial
Architecture
Potala Palace
Lhasa, Tibet, China
A white-and-red palace-fortress high above Lhasa, once the winter home of the Dalai Lamas, with over a thousand rooms.
Built: 17th century · Style: Tibetan
Architecture: Egypt
Architecture
Great Pyramid of Giza
Giza, Egypt
Built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, it was the tallest human-made structure in the world for thousands of years.
Built: c. 2560 BCE · Style: Ancient Egyptian pyramid
Architecture: Ethiopia
Architecture
Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela
Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Eleven churches carved downward into solid rock. Beta Giyorgis is shaped like a cross, and the site remains a living place of pilgrimage.
Built: 12th–13th century · Style: Rock-cut
Architecture: France
Architecture
Mont-Saint-Michel
Normandy, France
A tidal island crowned by a medieval abbey, where the sea retreats far away at low tide.
Built: Abbey from the 11th century · Style: Romanesque and Gothic
Architecture
Eiffel Tower
Paris, France
Built for the 1889 World's Fair, the iron lattice tower was meant to stand temporarily but became the symbol of Paris.
Built: 1889 · Style: Wrought-iron lattice
Architecture
Notre-Dame de Paris
Paris, France
A cathedral on the Île de la Cité with flying buttresses and rose windows. A major fire in 2019 destroyed the roof and spire, and the cathedral reopened in December 2024 after restoration.
Built: 1163–c. 1345 · Style: French Gothic
Architecture: Germany
Architecture
Neuschwanstein Castle
Bavaria, Germany
A fairy-tale castle commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria on a rocky hill in the Alps. It was never finished.
Built: From 1869 · Style: Romanticist
Architecture: Greece
Architecture
Parthenon
Athens, Greece
A temple to Athena on the Acropolis, whose columns are subtly curved to look straight. It is widely seen as a symbol of ancient Greece and of democracy.
Built: 447–432 BCE · Style: Doric temple
Architecture: India
Architecture
Taj Mahal
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
A white marble mausoleum commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, famed for its symmetry, central dome and inlaid stonework.
Built: 1632 – c. 1653 · Style: Mughal
Architecture
Fatehpur Sikri
Agra district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Emperor Akbar built this planned capital in the 1570s and left it within about fifteen years. Its palaces and courtyards survive in red sandstone.
Built: 1570s · Style: Mughal, red sandstone
Architecture
Sanchi Stupa
Madhya Pradesh, India
The Great Stupa, a solid dome ringed by four carved gateways, is among the oldest stone structures in India and a centre of Buddhist art.
Built: From the 3rd century BCE · Style: Buddhist stupa
Architecture
Konark Sun Temple
Odisha, India
A temple designed as a colossal chariot of the sun god, with carved stone wheels and richly sculpted walls.
Built: 13th century · Style: Kalinga
Architecture
Meenakshi Temple
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
The temple complex is crowned by towering gateway towers called gopurams, covered in thousands of brightly painted sculptures.
Built: Mostly 16th–17th century · Style: Dravidian
Architecture
Hawa Mahal
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
A five-storey pink sandstone facade with hundreds of small windows that let breezes through and let royal women watch street life unseen.
Built: 1799 · Style: Rajput
Architecture
Ellora Caves
Maharashtra, India
The Kailasa temple here was carved top-down from a single rock face. The wider site holds Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monuments side by side.
Built: 6th–10th century · Style: Rock-cut
Architecture
Qutub Minar
Delhi, India
A 73-metre tower of red sandstone and marble covered in carved calligraphy, begun by Qutb ud-Din Aibak at the start of the Delhi Sultanate.
Built: From 1199 · Style: Indo-Islamic
Architecture
Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)
Amritsar, Punjab, India
The central Sikh shrine, set in a pool of water, with gilded upper floors. Its community kitchen serves free meals to many thousands of visitors every day.
Built: Late 16th century · Style: Sikh, with Mughal and Rajput influence
Architecture
Ajanta Caves
Maharashtra, India
Around thirty caves carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff, decorated with wall paintings that depict Jataka tales and are among the finest ancient Indian art.
Built: 2nd century BCE – 5th century CE · Style: Buddhist rock-cut
Architecture
Khajuraho Temples
Madhya Pradesh, India
Medieval temples famous for the detailed sculptures covering their walls, which depict gods, musicians, dancers and everyday life.
Built: 950–1050 · Style: Nagara
Architecture
Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Built by Rajaraja Chola I, with a 66-metre tower topped by a single granite capstone. It is the finest example of Chola architecture.
Built: c. 1010 · Style: Chola Dravidian
Architecture
Lotus Temple
Delhi, India
A Bahá'í house of worship shaped like a half-opened lotus, with 27 white marble petals. It welcomes people of all faiths.
Built: 1986 · Style: Modern, flower-shaped
Architecture
Mysore Palace
Mysuru, Karnataka, India
The palace of the Wadiyar rulers, with domes, arches and stained glass. It is lit by about 100,000 bulbs on Sundays and during Dasara.
Built: 1912 · Style: Indo-Saracenic
Architecture
Charminar
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
A square monument with four slender minarets, built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and surrounded by one of the city's busiest bazaars.
Built: 1591 · Style: Indo-Islamic
Architecture: Indonesia
Architecture
Borobudur
Central Java, Indonesia
A Buddhist monument of stacked terraces decorated with thousands of relief panels and many stupas.
Built: 9th century · Style: Buddhist monument
Architecture: Italy
Architecture
Colosseum
Rome, Italy
A vast oval amphitheatre that held tens of thousands of spectators, with stacked arches and carefully planned entrances and exits.
Built: Completed 80 CE · Style: Roman amphitheatre
Architecture
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
The bell tower began to tilt during construction because of soft ground. Engineers stabilised it in the 1990s and 2000s.
Built: 1173–1372 · Style: Romanesque
Architecture: Japan
Architecture
Himeji Castle
Hyōgo, Japan
Nicknamed the White Heron Castle, it is the best preserved of Japan's original castles and was never destroyed by war or fire.
Built: Present form 1601–1609 · Style: Japanese castle
Architecture: Jordan
Architecture
Petra
Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
A Nabataean city carved into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs. Its best-known facade, the Treasury, is cut directly into the rock.
Built: Around the 1st century BCE · Style: Nabataean rock-cut
Architecture: Malaysia
Architecture
Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Twin 452-metre towers linked by a sky bridge. They were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004.
Built: 1998 · Style: Postmodern, Islamic motifs
Architecture: Mali
Architecture
Great Mosque of Djenné
Djenné, Mali
The largest mud-brick building in the world is re-plastered each year by the whole community in an annual festival.
Rebuilt: 1907 · Style: Sudano-Sahelian mud brick
Architecture: Mexico
Architecture
Chichén Itzá
Yucatán, Mexico
The pyramid called El Castillo is aligned so that a serpent-shaped shadow appears on its stairway during the equinoxes.
Built: c. 600–1200 CE · Style: Maya and Toltec
Architecture: Morocco
Architecture
Hassan II Mosque
Casablanca, Morocco
Built partly over the Atlantic Ocean, it has one of the tallest minarets in the world and a hall that can hold about 25,000 worshippers.
Completed: 1993 · Style: Moroccan-Moorish
Architecture: Myanmar
Architecture
Shwedagon Pagoda
Yangon, Myanmar
A gilded stupa rising above Yangon, surrounded by shrines and covered in gold plates.
Built: Ancient origins, present form 18th century · Style: Burmese stupa
Architecture: Peru
Architecture
Machu Picchu
Cusco Region, Peru
An Inca mountain estate with precisely fitted stone terraces and buildings, high above the Urubamba valley.
Built: 15th century · Style: Inca stonework
Architecture: Russia
Architecture
Saint Basil's Cathedral
Moscow, Russia
Colourful onion-shaped domes crown this cathedral on Red Square, built on the order of Ivan the Terrible.
Built: 1555–1561 · Style: Russian
Architecture: Singapore
Architecture
Marina Bay Sands
Singapore, Singapore
Three hotel towers topped by a ship-shaped rooftop with a long swimming pool, a symbol of modern Singapore's skyline.
Built: 2010 · Style: Contemporary
Architecture: Spain
Architecture
Sagrada Família
Barcelona, Spain
Antoni Gaudí's basilica, still under construction, is known for its organic towers and a nature-inspired interior.
Begun: 1882 · Style: Catalan Modernisme
Architecture
Alhambra
Granada, Spain
A palace-fortress with intricate stucco, tilework and courtyards cooled by water channels.
Built: 13th–14th century · Style: Nasrid, Islamic
Architecture
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Bilbao, Spain
Frank Gehry's titanium-clad museum helped revive Bilbao's waterfront and gave rise to talk of a Bilbao effect for cities.
Built: 1997 · Style: Deconstructivist
Architecture: Taiwan
Architecture
Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan
Its stacked, bamboo-like sections recall a pagoda, and a huge tuned mass damper inside helps the tower withstand typhoons and earthquakes.
Built: 2004 · Style: Postmodern, pagoda-inspired
Architecture: Tunisia
Architecture
Great Mosque of Kairouan
Kairouan, Tunisia
One of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic West, with a square minaret and a forest of ancient columns reused from earlier buildings.
Founded: 670 · Style: Early Islamic
Architecture: Turkey
Architecture
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey
Its enormous central dome, finished under Emperor Justinian, was a landmark of engineering. The building has served as a cathedral, a mosque and a museum.
Built: 537 CE · Style: Byzantine
Architecture
Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Named for the blue İznik tiles that line its interior, it has six minarets and a cascade of domes and half-domes.
Built: 1609–1616 · Style: Ottoman
Architecture: United Arab Emirates
Architecture
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
It opened as the world's tallest building, rising 828 metres above Dubai.
Opened: 2010 · Style: Neo-futurist skyscraper
Architecture
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
A white marble mosque with 82 domes, a vast hand-knotted carpet and reflecting pools. It welcomes visitors of all backgrounds outside prayer times.
Opened: 2007 · Style: Contemporary Islamic
Architecture: United States
Architecture
Statue of Liberty
New York Harbor, United States
A gift from France, designed by Bartholdi with an iron frame by Gustave Eiffel, and for millions of immigrants the first sight of America.
Dedicated: 1886 · Style: Neoclassical sculpture
Architecture
Empire State Building
New York, United States
Built in just over a year, it was the world's tallest building for nearly forty years.
Completed: 1931 · Style: Art Deco
Architecture
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, California, United States
Painted in a warm orange called International Orange, it spans the strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay.
Opened: 1937 · Style: Suspension bridge, Art Deco details
Architecture: Uzbekistan
Architecture
Registan
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Three monumental madrasas face a central square, covered in blue tilework and geometric patterns.
Built: 15th–17th century · Style: Timurid