7 spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of ...

Album photos Collection N#4

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

We all know about famous attractions like the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China or the Taj Mahal. But there are other grand, ancient buildings even the most avid travelers have never heard of.

Bright Side to the rescue! Today we’d like to share with you the results of a Quora magazine survey, in which they asked their readers to name lesser known architectural landmarks of the world.

Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

The Great Mosque of Djenné is over 100 years old and it’s the largest mud-brick building in the world. In 1988, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a part of the old city of Djenné. At the moment, the mosque is closed for tourists. Presumably, these measures were taken in 1996 after a candid photoshoot for Vogue magazine took place here.

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Chand Baori, India

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Chand Baori, located in the small Indian village of Abhaneri, is one of the world’s oldest and deepest stairwells. The giant structure, resembling an inverted pyramid, goes underground for 100 feet. There are three walls that have 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry built into the sides, leading down to a small greenish lake. Scientists are still determining whether the stairwell was built between the IX and XI centuries or 600 years before our era.

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Palace of the Parliament, Romania

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Stari Most (The Old Bridge), Bosnia-Herzegovina

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Kumbhalgarh Fort, India

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Iran

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

An architectural masterpiece of Safavid Iranian architecture, the mosque was built between 1602 and 1619. It’s an elegant, yet highly unusual building for several reasons. It features no minarets or courtyard, probably due to the fact that the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque was never intended for public use, but rather served as the worship place for the women of the shah’s harem.

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of

spectacular wonders of the world you’ve likely never heard of