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The most famous and curious sculptures in the world

abril 24, 2020

There is no doubt that traveling, discovering new places and discovering different cultures is one of the greatest pleasures that can exist.

We love to travel, and if it were in our hands, we would never stop doing it!

One of the things that we usually do most when we travel to some place of tourism is to know its emblematic monuments, sculptures and characteristic architecture.

In addition to visiting museums and other cultural centers.

This is mainly because, throughout history, there have been many different cultures and civilizations that have left us with a large number of monuments, buildings and sculptures in the world.

Many of them are still standing and thanks to this, we can know them today.

Since we know that it is difficult to have the opportunity to see all of them, we have created this compilation with 15 of the most impressive and famous sculptures, and some curiosity about these striking and extraordinary places.

Some popular sculptures are hopelessly linked to a place or a person. Authentic icons visited annually by millions of tourists.

In the following ranking we will know what are probably the most famous sculptures in the world.

1. Moái.

These are the stone statues of Easter Island in Valparaíso (Chile).

They are believed to have been carved by Polynesians on the island between the 9th and 16th centuries as representations of their ancestors to project their supernatural power.

Its forms are curious and also the fact that times have transcended.

If you have the opportunity to travel to this region and observe them closely, you will surely be surprised.

2. Leshan Great Buddha.

Esta es una escultura que ha sido formada como un relieve de la misma región en la que se encuentra.

It is a sculpture sculpted in stone during the Tang dynasty.

It is the highest in the world that exists of a Buddha, with 71 meters and is located in Sichuan (China).

It is a marvel that you must know.

3. Stonehenge.

Large blocks of metamorphic rocks from the late Neolithic.

They are lined up to mark the rising and setting of the sun during the winter and summer solstices.

Its construction began 5000 years ago and was abandoned fifteen hundred years later, there is a great puzzle about why it was built.

A marvel with surprising antiquity, surely being in front of it should make us reflect on how finite man’s life is.

4. Colossi of Memnon.

Gigantic stone statues that were built in stone to preside over the first entrance of the three existing pylons in the Amenhotep II funeral complex in Luxor (Egypt).

They are undoubtedly majestic, and is the result of coordinated work involving a massive workforce.

5. Christ of Corcovado or Christ the Redeemer.

Located on the top of Corcovado hill at 719 meters above sea level in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

It was completed in 1921 and shows a Jesus of Nazareth over 30 meters.

In Brazil it represents one of the most visited tourist destinations, and emblematic as well.

If you have the opportunity to go to Brazil, you cannot miss this destination, you will surely enjoy it.

6. Amida Buddha.

Again we find another representation of the Buddha. This time it is a sculpture in another region, which does not have the same dimensions and height as the first one we told you about, but it is also large and wonderful.

This religious monument is located in the city of Kamakura (Japan) and testifies to the human persistence against the adversities of nature throughout the centuries.

7. Mount Nemrut.

At 2,150 meters above sea level in southeast Turkey are these 1st century BC statues.

They were commissioned to be built by King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene for his tomb, and two lions, two eagles, and different Armenian, Greek, and Persian gods can be found.

So they are not only majestic sculptures, but also represent a bit of the region’s syncretism during the 1st century B.C.

8. Statue of Liberty.

Insurance is one of the most recognized in the world. The truth that not only what it symbolizes makes it great, but it is also literally so.

It also has historical wealth due to the conditions in which it appears in North America.

This iconic New York monument was a gift from France to the US in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence and as a sign of friendship between the two nations.

9. Angel of Independence.

This monument was built in Mexico City to commemorate the Centennial of Mexican independence.

Performed as an honorary column topped with a statue of the Winged Victory holding a laurel wreath.

It is very high and it gives a great aspect to the city, also it is one of the places that you have to know if you visit Mexico City.

10. Rodina-Mat.

Monumental statue found in Kiev (Ukraine).

Known as the Motherland, it was built in commemoration of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II.

In addition to being a great sculpture due to its size, it is so because of what it represents and reminds them of Ukrainians. It is a statue that must be known if you are on that side of the world.

11. Colossal heads.

Carved 3000 years ago by the ancient Olmec civilization.

So it is a heritage and witness of the culture of the new world before its discovery.

These colossal heads are so named because of their large size and because they are part of the culture that built them.

They were sculpted from large basalt stones extracted from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas in Veracruz (Mexico).

12. Monument to the Discoveries.

Built in 1960 on the riverbank in Belém, Lisbon (Portugal), this 52-meter statue commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator and everyone who participated in the Age of «Discoveries».

It is not one of the oldest, yet it commemorates an important time in the history of Portugal, one of which they are proud.

So the greatness is in the tribute and recognition of those who brought Portugal to the corners of the world.

13. Moses.

It is one of the most famous works of Michelangelo along with David.

It is located in Rome (Italy) and is a Renaissance sculpture made of white marble in 1509 to be the central axis of the tomb of Pope Julius II.

This sculpture must be visited if you are going to Italy, so put it on your agenda.

14. Terracotta warriors.

Set of more than 8000 life-size figures that were buried inside the Mausoleum of the first emperor of China of the Qin Dynasty in the year 210 a. C.

By burying these statues it was believed that the emperor would continue to have troops under his command.

They are a work of art that also reflects the beliefs of a people in his time, and that they have survived, perhaps the emperor still commands his troops in the afterlife.

15. Atlantes de Tula (Mexico).

We return to Mexico, and it is that this country has a great cultural wealth that it has inherited through the centuries.

All the sculptures in this region are loaded with symbolism, history, culture, meaning and identity of the ancient settlers.

The Atlanteans of Tula are semi-human representations of Toltec warriors in monolithic stone, adorned with a butterfly breastplate, a knife, and a curved weapon.

And an extra: The Virgin of Peace (Venezuela).

Although not as famous as the previous ones, it never ceases to amaze us with its colossal size. With its 46.72 meters, La Virgen de La Paz, is the tallest statue in America and the tallest in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Also called the Peace Monument, it was created in 1983 by the sculptor Manuel de La Fuente and represents the Virgin of Our Lady of Peace.

It is located in the Peña de la Virgen, a place located 1,600 meters above sea level, 11 km from the city of Trujillo in the Venezuelan Andes.