The most monumental statues in the world: focus on 34 tallest, tallest and most important statues on earth!
You often find yourself admiring the greatest geological characteristics of the Earth from the summit of Everest to the largest cave in the world . But humanity also left its own colossal structures .
Built to commemorate unforgettable historical figures, deities or events, we can find these monuments and statues quite massive all over the planet. Discover these gigantic statues that define the word " monumental" in 34 photos.
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1. God Murugan (Kârttikeya) in front of Batu Caves, Malaysia
2. Buddha of the Temple of the Source in Henan, China
The Buddha of the Temple of the Source is the largest statue of the planet to date with a height of 128 meters. A Buddhist monastery is under the statue, which is built from about 1100 pieces of copper. The whole makes more than 1000 tons.
3. Cristo de la Concordia, Cochabamba, Bolivia
The Bolivian statue of Jesus Christ with his stranded arms is 40,44 meters when the base is included. Recalling the famous Christ Redeemer of Rio , the statue leads visitors to an observation area at the top of the 1399 steps in the arm of the statue (accessible only on Sunday).
4. Statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva on Mount Emei, China
Completed in 2006, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is a bodhisattva 48 meters, ten heads sitting on an elephant with four heads and six defenses. The base of the statue also serves as a temple. Devouts can enter, pray and offer.
5. Statue of the Mother-Patria (Rodina-Mat zovyot!) in Volgograd, Russia
Rodina-Mat zovyot! (“The Call of the Mother-Patrie!” in French) is considered an engineering feat because of the extensive posture of the statue. When it was finished in 1967, it was the largest statue in the world. It weighs 7900 tons.
6. Grand Buddha of Thailand, Ang Thong, Thailand
The largest statue in Thailand, the Grand Buddha of Thailand is 92 meters high (the same size as the Statue of Liberty if you understand its base). Its construction began in 1990, but ended only in 2008. The statue is made of cement and is dressed in a layer of gold paint.
7. La cross de la Valle de los Caídos, Madrid, Spain
With a height of 152 meters, this cross is above a huge underground basilica, dug into a granite crest in the Sierra de Guadarrama. To complete the complex, a Benedictine abbey is on the opposite side of the mountain.
8. Front Monument in Magnitogorsk, Russia
Representing a worker passing a sword to a warrior, this statue is 15 meters high. Completed in 1979, the statue was part of a “sword triptych” with the motherland in Volgograd and the liberating warrior in Berlin.
9. Guanyin, Marine goddess of Mercy, Sanya, China
The statue of Guanyin is 108 metres high, making it the fourth largest statue on Earth to date. It presents three faces: two tours to the sea, the last to the earth. The statue took six years to be built.
10. Great Buddha of Leshan, Mount Emei, China
The construction of the Great Buddha of Leshan, measuring 71 metres high, was led by a Buddhist monk named Haitong in the 700s. When the financing of the project was threatened, it was reported that he would have shattered his eyes to prove his piety and sincerity.
11. Equestrian statue of Gengis Khan, Erdene, Mongolia
The equestrian statue of Gengis Khan, 40 metres high, is on the banks of the Toula River, 54 km east of the Ulan-Bator capital. Visitors can walk to the head of the horse through the chest and neck of the statue.
12. Mangal Mahadev, Savanne, Mauritius
Another statue of the Hindu god Shiva (the third highest, at 33 metres), located on Lake Ganga Talao, was inaugurated in 2007. Mangal Mahadev is a replica of a statue of Shiva at Sursagar Lake in Vadodara, India.
13. The Grand Monument Mansudae (Mansudae Hill), Pyongyang, North Korea
Originally a statue, that of Kim Il-Sung, the site was expanded to include a statue of Kim Jong-il in 2012, after the leader died. With 20 metres of height, the original was completed in 1972. Photographers must photograph the whole statue (not only certain parts) in order to “avoid to offend”.
14. The Merlion of Sentosa, island of Sentosa, Singapore
Oversized replica of the Merlion of Singapore, a mythological lion-headed fish, the Merlion of Sentosa is 37 meters high. In Singapore, the creature is considered a national emblem. Singapore is named after a Malaysian word that means “the city of the lion”.
15. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar, Senegal
Measuring a height of 49 metres, the monument of the African Renaissance represents a man and a woman, with a child held in the left arm of man (the child points west). The giant statue, which cost $27 million and took four years to be finished, has generated a lot of controversy during its construction.
16. Guardian of the Valleys, Aberbeeg, South Wales
Guardian of the Valleys (Gardian of the Valleys) is a 20-metre statue that is close to Six Bells Colliery A coal mine in Wales. It was built in 2010 to commemorate the 1960 catastrophe, in which an explosion killed 45 men working in the mine. The statue is made up of thousands of steel ribbons.
17. Erawan Museum, Samut Prakan (Bangkok), Thailand
A 29-metre statue of Erawan (also known as Airavata) is the Erawan Museum. Erawan, the elephants' god-king, is represented with three heads. The museum is divided into three parts (or worlds), containing artifacts and relics.
18. The statue of Mevlana, Izmir, Turkey
Including its foundation, the statue of Mevlana Rumi (a mystic philosopher, poets and theologian of the 13th century) is 20 meters high. A café is below the statue, which was designed and built by sculptor Eray Okkan.
19. Laykyun Setkyar, Monywa, Burma.
It is one of the highest statues in the world, with 116 meters high. The construction of the statue, which represents the Gautama Buddha, took almost 12 years. Two smaller (but considerable) Buddhas are nearby.
20. Statue of Liberty, New York, United States
Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from France. The 46-metre statue is visited by more than 3 million people per year. She developed a green patina due to copper oxidation.
21. Thiruvalluvar Statue, Kânyâkumârî, India
In Kanyakumari we find the 40-metre statue of Thiruvalluvar, a Tamil poet and philosopher of Antiquity. The total height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet (40.5 metres), meaning the 133 chapters of the Tirukkușa (Truvalluvar classic book).
22. Hermannsdenkmal, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany
The 53-metre statue of War Chief Cherusque Arminius attracts more than 130,000 visitors per year in the southern region of the Teutberg Forest. On the sword, one can read (translated): “The German unity (est) my strength – my strength (est) the power of Germany. »
23. Statue of God Shiva, Murudeshwar, India
Murudeshwara, another name for the Hindu god Shiva, is the city in which this statue is located 37 meters away. The statue is the second highest of Shiva in the world, for a construction cost of about 50 million rupees.
24. Ushiku Daibutsu, Ushiku, Japan
One of the highest statues in the world, Ushiku Daibutsu weighs 4003 tons for a height of 120 meters. The bronze statue is so large that it contains four levels (mainly museum) and an elevator that takes visitors up to 85 meters on an observation platform.
25. Statue Vulcan, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
With 17 meters of height, the Vulcan statue is the largest cast statue in the world. It was originally created to represet Birmingham for the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, better known as the International Fair of 1904.
26. Monument to Lapu-Lapu (King of Mactan), Lapu-Lapu, Philippines
Built in bronze and 20 metres high, the sanctuary represents Lapu-Lapu, the native leader who defeated the soldiers of Fernand de Magellan in 1521 in the battle of Mactan. Magellan was then killed after the battle. The sanctuary is so-called where the battle took place.
27. Statue of Vishnu, Bali, Indonesia
A statue of 23 metres high Vishnu is located in Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a cultural park at the southern end of Bali. In addition, a large statue of Garuda, the mythical bird and king of Mount Vishnu resides in the park.
28. Dream, St Helens, England
No, your eyes aren't missing. Dream in St Helens is a monumental sculpture of 20 meters made by artist Jaume Plensa representing the face of a young girl with a closed eye. The statue was erected at the top of a coal mine, contrasting with its white colour.
29. Statue of Sam Houston, Huntsville, Texas, United States
This 20-metre statue represents Sam Houston, an American soldier and a politician known for his efforts to bring independence and statehood to Texas, is located in Huntsville, Texas. The statue is called “Tribute to Courage” (homage to courage). Travellers driving on Highway 45 can easily see the statue at their way.
30. Mao Zedong, Changsha, China
The Mao Zedong face monument was built in 2009 and is 32 metres high. Representing President Mao at the age of 32 (up to 1925), the statue would have cost $35 million to be built.
31. Reunification Arch, Pyongyang, North Korea
The Reunification Ark was built to recognize and commemorate the Korean reunification proposal by Kim Il-sung. Made of concrete and representing two women holding a sphere together, it is above the Pyongyang-Kaesong highway known as the "Reunification Highway", which leads to the demilitarized zone.
32. Christ Blessing Statue, Manado, Indonesia
Designed by an Indian real estate developer, Christ Blessing (Blessing Christ) is 50 meters high. It took three years to build the statue, which cost about 5 billion rupees. The structure of fiber and steel leans at 20 degrees, which gives the impression that Christ flies.
33. Yan and Huang Emperors, Zhengzhou, China
The Yan and Huang Emperors are 106 metres high. The statues represent Yandi and Huángdì, two of the first emperors of China. It's hard to bet that the two emperors are the biggest facial sculptures in the world. The construction, which began in 1987, lasted 20 years and was completed in 2007.
34. Statue of the Mother-Patria, Kiev, Ukraine
Flickr – Jorge Láscar
"Rodina-Mat" is a 62-metre stainless steel statue that represents Mother Patria. It was realized by Evgueni Voutchetitch. It is part of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War of Kiev.
Did you know all these immense statues and monuments?
Photo sources : Matador
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