World Monuments I Only Know About From Playing Civilization The Video Game

1. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

   

   This enormous tomb now lies in ruins but it was originally built as a final resting place for the ruler Mausolus. It was so revered and influential that his name was given to all subsequent above ground graves. Location: Bodrum, Turkey / Date completed: 351 BC
2. •
   Petra

   

   This beautiful and winding desert city is carved into rose-colored mountains and features a hail of bullet holes on its main ruin, the Treasury; souvenirs from Bedouin tribes convinced there was mythic golden treasure inside. Location: Ma'an Governorate, Jordan / Date completed: 5th century BC
3. •
   Borobudur

   

   Uniquely situated between two volcanoes and two rivers, this gigantic Buddhist temple was buried beneath ash and covered by jungle for nearly 700 years before it was rediscovered in the 1800s. Location: Magelang, Indonesia / Date completed: 9th century
4. •
   Great Mosque of Djenné

   

   In 1996, Vogue held a photo shoot inside the mosque. The resulting risqué photos so displeased the local community that non-Muslims have been banned from entering the structure ever since. Location: Djenné, Mali / Date completed: 1200-1330
5. •
   Himeji Castle

   

   In 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake destroyed 400,000 buildings, measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale (nice) and preceded over 74 aftershocks. However, a bottle of sake on the top floor of Himeji Castle was undisturbed in the event. Location: Hyogo Prefecture, Japan / Date completed: 1333
6. •
   Uffizi

   

   Now a wolrd-renowned art museum and breath-taking streetscape, the Uffizi Gallery originally held administrative offices and the state archives. Location: Florence, Italy / Date completed: 1581
7. •
   Red Fort

   

   Designed by the same man responsible for the Taj Mahal, the rooms that housed the emperor's wives and mistresses was stripped of its silver ceiling and replaced with copper to raise money for the regime in 1712. Location: Delhi, India / Date completed: 1648
8. •
   Brandenburg Gate

   

   When it was completed in 1791, citizens were required to only walk through the gate's outer-most two gateways while royals were the only ones allowed through the middle. Location: Berlin, Germany / Date completed: 1791
9. •
   Neuschwanstein Castle

   

   The Neuschwanstein Castle was built by a German royal who wanted to pretend he was living in the Middle Ages. The Castle was also somehow inspired by his best friend's musical stylings and it is now owned by the Bavarian Palace Department. Location: Hohenschwangau, Germany / Date completed: 1892
10. •
    Prora

    

    It's commonly called the "Nazi Beach Resort" as Adolf Hitler commissioned the 20,000 bed hotel to be built through the Reich's Strength Through Joy project. It was supposed to include a movei theater and a wave pool but then the Nazis lost. So. Location: Rügen, Germany / Date completed: uncompleted but started in 1936