Christ the Redeemer's taller replica and 9 other copies of famous monuments
As tourists, we always tend to take home a souvenir, like an Eiffel Tower keychain. But some people fell in love with what they saw on an exotic vacation, so much so that they ended up building whole replicas of the monuments.
Now, you can find some of the world-famous monuments’ replicas in different parts of the world, miles away from where they originated.
Here are 10 little known but wunderbar monument replicas:
Before we begin our list, it needs to be noted that China and Las Vegas in US are home to perhaps the most replicas of monuments.
1. CHRIST THE REDEEMER
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, this iconic structure of Jesus Christ that stands tall in Rio De Janerio, Brazil, has been replicated several times, with slightly different names. There’s even one in Brazil itself, which competes with the height of the original one. In the small town of Encantado, the statue of Christ the Protector stands taller than the original one in Rio. It also has a heart-shaped observation point for tourists.
It’s not the only replica. In Portugal’s Lisbon, stands Christ the King. This is a 25-metre tall statue with outstretched hands. Another replica of Christ the King stands in the African nation of Angola.
2. EIFFEL TOWER
The symbol of love that stands tall in the middle of the French capital, Paris, is not only replicated on the beautiful keychains or as phone cases, but also as a whole monument itself. One of the most striking replicas came up in Durango, Mexico, called Torre Eiffel. Torre Eiffel is only 1/6th of the original monument, but wonderful nonetheless.
Another impressive replica exists in Shenzhen, China, in the Window of the World theme park. It is 103 metres tall, smaller than the original, but stands amidst a sea of other replicas of iconic monuments from the world.
3. LEANING TOWER OF PISA
The Leaning Tower of Pisa can make people nervous and trigger OCD in some for its tilt. The curious monument which took nearly 340 years to be completed and which continues to puzzle people, finds its replica in Illinois, US. The replica is called the Leaning Tower of Niles, which was built in 1934, with the trademark tilt. It was constructed as part of a recreation park to hide water tanks.
4. STATUE OF LIBERTY
Movies have for long symbolized the United States with the Statue of Liberty, which is erected in New York. And the iconic American structure has quite some replicas in the world, from Norway to Japan. There is a replica of the statue in the US state of Alabama as well.
The Statue of Liberty was actually a gift to the US from France in the 1880s. Now, there is a replica of the statue in France itself which was erected to commemorate the 100th death anniversary of the architect of the original statue, Frederick Auguste Bartholdi. It is located in Colmar, the birth place of the architect.
There is also a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo, Japan.
5. TAJ MAHAL
Taj Mahal is also one of the wonders of the world, so it is not a surprise that it has been replicated. The monument of eternal love continues to inspire people all over the world, centuries later. One of the most famous replicas of Taj Mahal exists in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladeshi filmmaker Ahsan Ullah Moni built the replica to serve as a tourist attraction for people who couldn’t visit the original place in person.
6. BIG BEN
One of London’s most defining structures is the Big Ben. It has been replicated in several places, but one of the most famous one exists in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Kolkata replica of Big Ben is smaller than the original, but nonetheless, it is still a crowd puller. When it was first erected, people mistook it for a temporary Durga Puja pandal.
7. PARTHENON
The Parthenon is no longer just a beauty in Athens, Greece. It was replicated in Tennesse, US way back in 1897. Now it functions as an art museum.
8. COLOSSEUM
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It continues to hold the badge of the largest amphitheater ever built, even today. There are smaller replicas of the structure in Las Vegas, US and in Macau, China.
9. KING TUT’S TOMB
King Tut’s tomb is a story, a legend of history and mystery. It is said that whosoever tries to get too close to the original tomb risks being cursed. However, the curse has not been able to dampen the interest of people in the structure. The original King Tut’s tomb is located in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, but near the original site also rests the replica. Of course, there is no Mummy.
Then there is a replica of the tomb in Las Vegas too.
10. THE GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA
The original Great Sphinx of Giza is located in Egypt, but its replica exists in China’s Hebei province. However, Egypt has never been thrilled at the full size replica. Earlier it was taken down at the request of Egypt, but then China brought it back after two years in 2018, much to the ire of Cairo.