Statues are sculptures curved by man since the prehistory. They have different sizes and can be made from different materials. Some of them can represent persons or maybe animals and usually they are built by the mankind to commemorate historical events or to bring a tribute to someone. There are some statues built with a religious purpose, like the hundreds of Buddha or Shiva statues spread all over Asia.
When you say the word “statue”, familiar images of some statues which have become symbols of states of civilizations come in your mind. Such statues are The Statue of Liberty or Christ the Redeemer. But this ranking of the top 10 most famous statues in the world comprises statues that are not as impressive as the Statue of Liberty, for example the small statue representing the Little Mermaid.
Unfortunately some statues which would have been included for sure between the following top 10 most famous statues in the world, no longer exist. Between them were the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the tallest ancient statues and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. These statues were two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The top 10 most famous statues in the world are:
1. Great Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza is the largest stone statue in the world and it is for sure the most famous statue in the world. This huge and old statue is located on the Giza Plateau in Egypt.
2. Statue of Liberty
This metal statue is one of the symbols of the USA. The Statue of Liberty is located in New York and is it famous all over the world for being a freedom icon.
3. Christ the Redeemer
This is the second largest Art Deco statue in the world and one of the largest statues from the top 10 most famous statues of the world. This Christianity symbol is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
4. Little Mermaid
This is the smallest statues from the top 10 most famous statues in the world, having only 1.25 meters height. The Little Mermaid is built on the rocks of Copenhagen harbor at Langeline, Denmark.
5. Mother Russia
Also known as The Motherland Calls, this statue situated in Volgograd, Russia commemorates the battle of Stalingrad. It measures about 85 meters.
6. The Lions of Delos
The Lions from the island of Delos represent one of the main attractions in Greece. This statues made of white marble were built to protect the holy sanctuary of Apollo.
7. Moai
These fascinating statues represent human figures. They were curved from rock by the Polynesian civilizations on they volcanic crater of Rano Raraku in Eastern Island.
8. Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge statue curved into the granite face of the mount. It represents the faces of four of the greatest American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
9. Tian Tan Buddha
Also known as Big Buddha, this impressive bronze statue is located on a highland in Hong Kong. It represents the harmonious relationship between man and nature and it is one of the symbols of Buddhism.
10. Mount Nemrut
Mount Nemrut is actually a mountain in Turkey, not a statue. But it is famous for the numerous statues curved into the mount rock that surround the mountain and the peak. The statues which are part of an ancient sanctuary represent animals as eagles or lions and Greek and Persian gods.
