Man has been making statues since the dawn of time for a variety of purposes and in a variety of sizes. The Lion Man, a 29.6 cm (11.7 inch) high sculpture, was one of the earliest sculptures made nearly 32,000 years ago. The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia were two of the original Seven Wonders of the World. Today, sculptures depicting anything from religious deities to historical events and important individuals have been built all across the globe.
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The renowned sculptures on our list were all designed to be placed outdoors and exposed to the elements, but several have subsequently been relocated inside museums.
10. The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid monument stands on a rocky outcropping in the Copenhagen harbour in Langelinie, Denmark. Tourists who come for the first time are frequently taken aback by the statue's little stature. The statue of the Little Mermaid is 1.25 metres tall and weighs approximately 175 kg. The monument, designed by Edvard Eriksen, was built in 1913 to celebrate a Little Mermaid performance. The unfortunate woman has had her head removed many times but has been returned each time. Officials in Copenhagen have stated that the monument may be relocated farther out in the harbour to prevent future damage and visitors from climbing on it.
9. Delos' Lions
The island of Delos, near Mykonos, is one of Greece's most significant mythical, historical, and archaeological sites. Before Olympian Greek mythology proclaimed Delos the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, it served as a sacred sanctuary for a century. The Terrace of the Lions, which once featured 9 to 12 marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way, was dedicated to Apollo by the inhabitants of Naxos sometime before 600 BC. Only 5 lions survived, with pieces from 3 of them. In 1999, the weathered originals were relocated to Delos' Archaeological Museum.
8. Mother Russia Statue
The Mother Russia monument, also known as The Motherland Calls, is a well-known memorial to the Battle of Stalingrad in Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd, Russia. The monument was the world's highest sculpture when it was dedicated in 1967, reaching 85 metres (279 ft) from the tip of its sword to the top of the plinth. The figure is 52 metres (170 feet) tall, and the sword is 33 metres long (108 feet). From the foot of the slope to the monument are 200 stairs, which represent the 200 days during the Battle of Stalingrad. The monument is presently tilting owing to foundation movement caused by changes in groundwater levels.
7. Heads of the Olmecs
The Olmec were a pre-Columbian civilisation that lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, approximately where the current states of Veracruz and Tabasco are located. From approximately 1400 BC to 400 BC, the Olmec civilization thrived. The huge helmeted heads are the most well-known feature of the Olmec civilization. It's believed that the heads represent depictions of monarchs, perhaps disguised as ballplayers. The helmet-like headdresses are decorated with unique components, and no two heads are identical. To date, 17 gigantic heads have been discovered. The heads vary in size from 3.4 metres high at Rancho La Cobata to 1.47 metres high at Tres Zapotes.
6. Mount Nemrut
In southeastern Turkey, near the city of Adiyaman, Nemrut is a 2,134 metre (7,001 ft) high mountain. King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene erected a tomb-sanctuary on the mountain top in 62 BC, flanked by massive sculptures of himself, two lions, two eagles, and numerous Greek and Persian gods (8–9 m/26–30 ft high). The heads have fallen off the bodies and are strewn around the scene since their construction. Mount Nemrut's top offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. The primary draw is watching the dawn from the eastern terrace, which gives the bodyless heads a lovely orange colour and adds to the place's feeling of mystery.
5. Statue of David
Michelangelo sculpted David between 1501 and 1504 and it is considered a Renaissance masterpiece. The naked biblical King David is shown in the 5.17 metre (17 ft) marble statue. Unlike earlier representations of David, which show him after his triumph over Goliath, Michelangelo decided to show him before the battle, pondering the struggle ahead. The renowned monument was transferred to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy, in 1873 to preserve it from harm. It now draws a large number of tourists. In the Piazza della Signoria, a copy of the original was erected.
4. Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx, located on the Giza Plateau in Cairo, Egypt, is one of the world's biggest and oldest monuments, yet fundamental facts about it, such as who modelled the face, when it was constructed, and by whom, are still disputed. Although it is much smaller than the Pyramids surrounding it, it is the world's biggest monolith statue. Despite contradictory evidence and views throughout the years, contemporary Egyptologists generally believe that the Great Sphinx was constructed in about 2500 BC by king Khafre, the alleged builder of Giza's second pyramid.
3. The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French people to commemorate the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence 100 years ago, sits on Liberty Island and is one of the world's most recognised icons. It depicts a lady wearing a stola, a radiant crown, and sandals, stomping a broken chain and holding a torch and a tabula ansata tablet in her raised right hand. In July 1884, the statue was finished in France, and it arrived in New York the following year. It was frequently one of the first views of the United States for millions of immigrants from 1886 until the jet era.
2. The Redeemer, Jesus Christ
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there is a statue of Jesus Christ known as Christ the Redeemer. It offers a panoramic view from the interior of Guanabara bay to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and is located at the top of the 700 metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain. The monument is 39.6 metres (130 feet) tall and 30 metres (98 feet) broad, with its 9.5 metre (31 foot) base. It is one of the world's highest statues of its type, but the Cristo de la Concordia monument in Bolivia is somewhat higher. The renowned monument, which is a Christian emblem, has become a symbol of Rio and Brazil.
1. Moai
The world-famous moai are monolithic sculptures that may be seen on Easter Island, one of the world's most remote islands. The renowned sculptures were carved mainly between 1250 and 1500 AD by the island's Polynesian colonists. The moai may have been considered as the personification of strong current or past chiefs in addition to symbolising dead ancestors. The largest moai, known as Paro, stood almost 10 metres (33 feet) tall and weighed 75 tonnes. The heaviest was a smaller but squat moai that weighed 86 tonnes, and one unfinished sculpture that, if completed, would have stood at around 21 metres (69 feet) tall and weighed about 270 tonnes. When Europeans first arrived on the island, the sculptures were still intact, but most were destroyed during subsequent clan wars. Approximately 50 moai have been re-erected on Easter Island or in museums across the world.
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