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The construction sector is one of the oldest industries in the world. It has graced us with many wonderful monuments, buildings and all important infrastructures to help boost the economy.
But did you know, some of the most well-known buildings and infrastructures have some bizarre facts behind them? After scouring the web, I have identified 6 well-known historical buildings or infrastructure construction projects that have some bizarre facts that are not known to all.
And here they are:
Labelled as one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal has gathered visitors from right across the globe. In memory of Emperor Shah Jahan's late wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal was built using 20,000 workers and used different kinds of marble.
Emperor Shah Jahan had several wives in his lifetime, but his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal was his favourite. When Mumtaz passed away, Emperor Shah Jahan was devastated and built the Taj Mahal in her honour.
The Taj Mahal is essentially a tomb, but the highly decorated sarcophagus seen in the main chamber is a fake since according to Muslim tradition, elaborately decorated graves is forbidden. Mumtaz Mahal's tomb is actually beneath the structure next to Emperor Shah Jahan.
Built during the Scramble for Africa back in the late 1800s, the Kenya-Uganda Railway was constructed for economic and strategic purposes.
But the development of the railway was hindered due to tensions created by the Kedong massacre and more notably, the Tsavo maneaters.
The Tsavo maneaters refer to a pair of lions who followed the development of the railway and killed construction workers during a 9 month period between March and December 1898. These attacks were highly unusual as it was the same two lions that carried out the attacks during the 9 month period. The pair of lions demonstrated some bizarre behaviours which were documented.
Both lions were eventually put down, but the Tsova maneaters have made a lasting impact. Both lions have captivated authors and filmmakers alike.
Ferdinand Cheval, a postman, spent 33 years picking up stones whilst he was delivering mail. But Cheval was not picking up any ordinary stone, he was after a particular type of harden sandstone. Cheval spent those 33 years (1879 to 1912) using the sandstone he collected to construct his life building known as Le Palais Ideal (it is also known as the postman's palace).
Inspired by Hinduism, it is a brilliant example of Naive architecture. But it begs to question how this vision of a palace came about to this humble postman.
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous buildings in New York. But did you know, the Empire State Building actually generates more income from visitors going to the two observatory decks than it does from its 85 floors of office spaces?
In 2014, both observatory decks grossed a revenue of $111 million whilst the office spaces generated $104 million.
The development of The Great Wall of China began in 8 century BC when Emperor Qin She Huang wanted to create a barrier to protect China. Construction of the Great Wall carried through until 1878.
That means the Great Wall of China took more than 2,600 years to build. That's longer than the period between the birth of Christianity to this present day.
The world-renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its tilt. The tilt is a result of an unintentional design flaw where the tower was built upon soft ground. This resulted in the tower to topple. Thanks to clever interventions, the tower was completed, though it did take approximately two centuries.
But what is quite interesting about The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the controversy behind who originally designed the tower. There is no concrete record to show who the original architect was. Perhaps no one wanted to be associated with it?
1. Taj Mahal
Labelled as one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal has gathered visitors from right across the globe. In memory of Emperor Shah Jahan's late wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal was built using 20,000 workers and used different kinds of marble.
Emperor Shah Jahan had several wives in his lifetime, but his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal was his favourite. When Mumtaz passed away, Emperor Shah Jahan was devastated and built the Taj Mahal in her honour.
The Taj Mahal is essentially a tomb, but the highly decorated sarcophagus seen in the main chamber is a fake since according to Muslim tradition, elaborately decorated graves is forbidden. Mumtaz Mahal's tomb is actually beneath the structure next to Emperor Shah Jahan.
2. Kenyan-Uganda Railway
Built during the Scramble for Africa back in the late 1800s, the Kenya-Uganda Railway was constructed for economic and strategic purposes.
But the development of the railway was hindered due to tensions created by the Kedong massacre and more notably, the Tsavo maneaters.
The Tsavo maneaters refer to a pair of lions who followed the development of the railway and killed construction workers during a 9 month period between March and December 1898. These attacks were highly unusual as it was the same two lions that carried out the attacks during the 9 month period. The pair of lions demonstrated some bizarre behaviours which were documented.
Both lions were eventually put down, but the Tsova maneaters have made a lasting impact. Both lions have captivated authors and filmmakers alike.
3. Le Palais Ideal
Ferdinand Cheval, a postman, spent 33 years picking up stones whilst he was delivering mail. But Cheval was not picking up any ordinary stone, he was after a particular type of harden sandstone. Cheval spent those 33 years (1879 to 1912) using the sandstone he collected to construct his life building known as Le Palais Ideal (it is also known as the postman's palace).
Inspired by Hinduism, it is a brilliant example of Naive architecture. But it begs to question how this vision of a palace came about to this humble postman.
4. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous buildings in New York. But did you know, the Empire State Building actually generates more income from visitors going to the two observatory decks than it does from its 85 floors of office spaces?
In 2014, both observatory decks grossed a revenue of $111 million whilst the office spaces generated $104 million.
5. The Great Wall of China
The development of The Great Wall of China began in 8 century BC when Emperor Qin She Huang wanted to create a barrier to protect China. Construction of the Great Wall carried through until 1878.
That means the Great Wall of China took more than 2,600 years to build. That's longer than the period between the birth of Christianity to this present day.
6. The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The world-renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its tilt. The tilt is a result of an unintentional design flaw where the tower was built upon soft ground. This resulted in the tower to topple. Thanks to clever interventions, the tower was completed, though it did take approximately two centuries.
But what is quite interesting about The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the controversy behind who originally designed the tower. There is no concrete record to show who the original architect was. Perhaps no one wanted to be associated with it?