Waquar Habib
Stonehenge, named after the Saxon term "stan-hengen," means "stone hanging" or "gallows". The stones are 13 ft high, 6 ft wide, and weigh 25 - 30 tons, transported from Wales. They served as one of the largest burial sites in Britain.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site. The ancient Egyptian Pharaohs believed in the afterlife and constructed these pyramids as grand tombs filled with everything they would need to thrive in the next world.
Machu Picchu, meaning "Old Mountain" in Quechua, boasts impressive dry-stone walls, intriguing buildings, and stunning panoramic views. However, its original use during the Inca Empire is still unknown.
Easter Island has 1,043 huge stone heads weighing 80 tons each. The Rapa Nui people carved them between 1250 and 1500 from volcanic rock. The statues, which average 13 feet tall, depict their ancestors.
Palenque thrived from 226 BC to 799 AD under Pakal's leadership. The city is surrounded by cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees. It is smaller than Chichen Itza and Tikal.
The Nazca Lines are a collection of over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, and 70 biomorphs featuring animal and plant designs. It was created by removing the red stones of the region to reveal the white limestone underneath.
Carnac boasts more than 10,000 Neolithic menhirs, the world's largest collection. They were erected before the Celtic era and are a marvel of ancient engineering.
Göbekli Tepe is a Neolithic site in Turkey, inhabited from c. 9500 to at least 8000 BCE. It's known for circular structures with massive stone pillars - the world's oldest megaliths.
Hagar Qim means "worshipping stones" in Maltese. The complex was constructed between 3600 and 3200 BC and features mysterious carvings while being aligned with the solstice.
The Baalbek Temple in northeast Lebanon is a mysterious site. The 42 Corinthian columns, 19 still stand, were raised without machinery. Each column is 62 feet tall and 7.5 feet in diameter.