Beautiful structures, statues and buildings of the past all capture collective imagination. Since they are widespread throughout the globe, there have been numerous misconceptions & misinformation about them. This has led to many myths about these wonders, some of which are understandable but most of them are simply ridiculous.
10.The Black Taj Mahal
The emperor was so impressed by the overall symmetry of the structure that he wanted to build one as his burial place, made from black marble with a bridge between the structures. Some even point out to black ruins found near the site but experts say those ruins are black because of wear & tear. Furthermore, the emperor had enough time to built it in his reign, which is contrary to conspiracy theories that say that the construction was halted by the succeeding emperor.
9. The Bodies That Support The Great Wall Of China
Great wall of China required a lot of manpower. Millions of workers worked for numerous years, most of them were forced to do so. This led to the myth that those who died during its construction on site were buried within the Wall’s structure. Scientists say this is unlikely as decaying bodies would create air pockets, considerably weakening the structure.
8. Napoleon’s Strange Experience In Egypt
When Napoleon was in power, he had a trip to Egypt and wanted to spend a night in pharaoh’s tomb. It is said that after he came out he looked very terrified. He wouldn’t mention anything about what happened, even on his death bed he remained tight-lipped. He thought that no one would believe him but as per accounts of his secretary who accompanied him to Egypt, he never spent the night in Pharoah’s tomb.
7. Mount Rushmore Is A Racist Conspiracy
The hills on which this monument was built were sacred to Sioux(native Americans). Treaty of Fort Laramie from 1868 granted the hills to the Lakota tribe(one of the native American tribes). The sculptor and man behind the final designs and subjects chosen for representation was named Gutzon Borglum, and some people suspect that the man had strong ties to the KKK. If we consider the conspiracy theorists then Mount Rushmore was a symbol of superiority over the Sioux, a symbol of victory to rub in their faces on their own so called territory. Of course, the monument was quite an undertaking and cost a lot of money. There is no evidence it was a concerted effort to insult the Sioux. The official reason for the monument from the beginning was to draw tourism to the region. But since there is no way to confirm what was in the mind of the artist, theories will persist.
6.Noah’s Ark Is On A Mountain In Turkey
The tale of Noah is well known. Its believed that the Ark ended up in eastern Turkey and still is there to present day. A group even found wooden remains which were supposedly 5000 years old, but their finds were never presented for proper testing. Multiple cases have been reported but none so far has been scientifically confirmed.
5. The Leaning Tower Of Pisa Is Stable
This famous building is well known to give an impression that it about to fall. Some people believe that it is all an optical illusion and the building is actually stable. This is not true as a proper commission is in place for the preservation of the site & the building is indeed in danger of falling.The men in charge of the commission believe that all the stabilization work they have done so far, which includes more work on the foundation as well, has probably removed the current danger of it falling over, but its future remains uncertain. The foundation of the tower and the masonry itself are not in great shape.
4. Jumping Off The Golden Gate Bridge Is An Easy Way To Die
It is true that the bridge is a suicide magnet. It’s estimated that about 30 people die every year after jumping off the bridge, but the numbers are only an estimate—there could be people who jumped without others seeing them and whose bodies were never recovered. One of the reasons so many people jump off the bridge is because they think it is a quick and easy way to commit suicide—just one impact and it’s all over immediately. However, autopsy reports have shown it may not be quite so easy after all. To begin with, around 5 percent of people actually survive the jump. More horrifically most people survive the initial impact but die due to complications & injuries sustained.
3. Lava Flow During The Destruction Of Pompeii
Pompeii and its destruction due to a volcanic eruption is quite famous. Even in movies and drama’s people are shown running from the lava as it chases them in the streets. This is not an accurate depiction as experts suggest that the initial heat from the big eruption killed the people and they did not choke on ash as the movies suggest. Ash merely helped preserve the remains of the city.
2. Michelangelo Painted The Sistine Chapel On His Back
It is often suggested that Michelangelo had to lie on his back to get all the necessary angles for the painting on the roof of the chapel.The project had been commissioned by Pope Julius II,& it is true that Michelangelo did not fancy himself as a painter. It is false that he did the work on his back. In fact, most of it was done standing & he had to bend his neck for long periods. It took him four years to complete the painting.
1. The Dignity Of The Eiffel Tower
This is one of the most iconic structures in the world and pride of France. The Eiffel Tower stands in many people’s minds as a marvel of engineering, a beautifully prized world landmark, and the symbol of Paris. However, before it had such a dignified place in the french culture, it was used for much more basic and simplistic purposes.
Nowadays it would seem that putting advertisements on the tower would be regarded as defacing a national monument. In 1900, the mood was different and while other saw a great monument one man by the name of Andre Citroen saw an opportunity. Citroen had his name—which was also the name of his company—emblazoned in gigantic letters on the side of the Eiffel Tower after renting its use.His efforts earned him a dubious spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for his gigantic billboard and something about the Eiffel tower French would like to forget.