With 2019 coming to a close and the holidays just around the corner, we’re taking a break from the usual technology talk to showcase some of the most incredible global landmark construction projects throughout history.
The Great Wall of China
Built for defense and border control, the Great Wall of China spans more than 13,000 miles and, timewise, is the longest construction project in the history of the world. Beginning around 770 BC and ending around 1644 AD, certain Great Wall stretches were built by six different dynasties, most notably the Ming dynasty. As construction became more sophisticated, the Chinese used bricks, granite and rocks to build walls 25’ tall and up to 30’ wide.
The Taj Mahal
Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal sits on the right bank of the Yamuna River in the Indian city Agra. Persian Mughal design elements combine to offer the greatest construction achievement in all of Indo-Islamic architecture. Masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and artisans from the entire empire worked on the Taj Mahal. The project took more than 20 years to complete, with a 20,000-person workforce constructing the structure.
Eiffel Tower
Just two short years, two months and five days separated the Eiffel Tower from digging to completion. Built with precision and in record time for that period (1887 – 1889), Eiffel Tower construction featured 50 engineers and designers, upwards of 300 laborers on-site and 7300 tons of iron. Each of the 18,000 pieces of the Eiffel Tower was design and calculated down to the nearest tenth of a millimeter, then put together to form new pieces. After completion, it received two million visitors during the World’s Fair in 1889, and averages seven million today.
Golden Gate Bridge
Known as “The Bridge That Couldn’t be Built,” the Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco to Marin County over the Golden Gate Strait. Strong tides, wind, fog and the San Andreas Fault made this construction project seem like an impossibility. Designed by Joseph Baermann Strauss, the construction site featured safety precautions unheard of in the bridge building world. In a time when one workman died for every million dollars spent, hard hats, glare-free goggles and a $130,000 safety net were implemented for safety.
Construction makes the limited seem limitless, with projects spanning centuries and structures reaching new heights and lengths. These incredible construction projects showcase some of the greatest feats in engineering and architectural history, and remind mankind of the span of our possibilities.
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