Structures

Very Large Buddhas (Redux)

The world of gargantuan statuary has changed considerably since we published the original Very Large Buddhas post just over 3 years ago. The title of world’s largest statue is now held by the Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China. The…

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Thursday, 16th July 2009

Topkapi Palace

Standing prominent above Old Istanbul and its waterfront, Topkapi Palace is an immense1 structure with a long and regal history – from its role as the centre of the Ottoman Empire, to its current operation as a museum housing sacred…

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Tuesday, 30th June 2009

Karnak Temple Complex

After the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt’s next most visited historical site is the Karnak temple complex just outside Luxor. Karnak was constructed over a period of 1300 years by approximately 30 different pharaohs, and eventually grew to become a collection…

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Tuesday, 23rd June 2009

Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt

This enormous hexagon, a mile and a half in diameter, looks like some kind of massive occult symbol etched in the scrub on the remote western coast of Australia, 700 miles north of Perth. In fact, we’re looking at a…

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Monday, 22nd June 2009

Leptis Magna

The spectacular Leptis Magna is an exceptionally well-preserved Roman city on the coast of Libya which has a history dating back over 3,000 years. Today the archaeological site is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a history dating…

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Thursday, 28th May 2009

Hadrian’s Wall

When the Romans invaded Britain in the 1st century AD, they never quite managed to conquer Caledonia – the area now known as Scotland. We’ll never know whether the Roman army felt it was too much like hard work to…

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Tuesday, 26th May 2009

Welcome to Google Sightseeing

Google Sightseeing takes you on a tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Our team of authors present weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

Could you be one of our authors? We're looking for more freelance writers - please get in touch for more information.

Best of Google Sightseeing

Sivash: The Rotten Sea

Sivash is the shallow system of lagoons that separates Crimea from mainland Ukraine. Home to large-scale salt deposits, Sivash may just contain the most colourful waters to be found in Google Maps, with ponds of blue, beige and organe readily visible.

Revisiting Area 51

Whether it’s space aliens, light-speed travelling spaceships, or just some top-secret government testing, the world’s most famous “secret place” has…

Population: One

Recently the town of Burford, Wyoming made the headlines when it was sold for $900,000, which isn’t a bad price…

Lesotho: Kingdom in the Sky

Lesotho is one of the most unique countries on the planet. It’s the southernmost landlocked country, the largest country that’s entirely surrounded by another country, and the highest country on Earth. Yet, it doesn’t really show up on too many people’s radar. With the arrival of Google Street View imagery this month to Lesotho, it’s time to shed some light on the world’s largest enclave.

Rozenburg Wind Wall

The Netherlands is renowned for being a very flat1 and windy country. In the western town of Rozenburg the strong…

Portmeirion & The Prisoner

Portmeirion is a small resort village in North Wales famous for its Italianate architecture, and for being the setting for…

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