World Heritage in Google Earth: 3D Models Across the Globe
June 19, 2009
We at CyArk, love 3D and maps; especially when those two things involve cultural heritage. I've compiled a list below of some of the best 3D models of World Heritage Sites and historic locations that are currently in Google Earth. Just copy and paste the coordinates (in parenthesis) into the Google Earth search bar and it should take you directly to the site. Make sure you have "3D Buildings" enabled in the Layers window (view > sidebar, if you can't see it). Also, make sure you're running the latest version of Google Earth, 5.0.
In no particular order:
• St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City (41 54 06, 12 27 12)
• Angkor Wat, Hindu ruins in Cambodia (13 24 44, 103 52 00) CyArk Project
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa (43 43 23, 10 23 43) CyArk Project
• The Mayan El Castillo, or Temple of Kukulcan, at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (20 40 58, -88 34 07) CyArk Project
• Mayan pyramids at Tikal, Guatemala (17 13 16, -89 37 20) CyArk Project
• The Great Pyramids in Egypt (including The Great Pyramid of Giza, Khafre's Pyramid and Menkaure's Pyramid) as well as the Sphinx (29 58 41, 31 08 05)
• Mount Rushmore (43 52 45, -103 27 32)
• Namdaemun Gate in Seoul, South Korea (37 33 35, 126 58 31)
• Temple of Heaven, Taoist temple in Beijing China (39 52 54, 116 24 22)
• The prehistoric standing stones of Stonehenge, United Kingdom (51 10 43, -1 49 34)
• Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (-22 57 05, -43 12 38)
• Taj Mahal, the Indian mausoleum which is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (27 10 30, 78 02 31)
• Rome has a lot of great models, including the Roman Colosseum (41 53 24, 12 29 32), the Roman Forum (41 53 27, 12 29 19), Temple of Saturn (41 53 33, 12 29 03), and Pantheon (41 53 54, 12 28 37)
• Paris and the surrounding country side had many good models as well. These include the Eiffel Tower (48 51 29, 2 17 39), the Palais de Chaillot just northwest of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe (48 52 25, 2 17 42), and the Palace of Versailles (48 48 17, 2 07 18)
• Himeji-Jo, a Japanese Castle in Himeji Japan (34 50 21, 134 41 38)
• Horyu-Ji, a Buddhist temp in Ikaruga Japan (34 36 51, 135 44 02)
• The Pyramid of the Sun in the Pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan, Mexico (19 41 31, -98 50 37)
• The Buddhist temple Wat Arun in Bangkok (13 44 36, 100 29 19)
• Wat Phra Kaew, which is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand (13 45 05, 100 29 32)
• The Tower of London (51 30 29, -0 04 33) and Buckingham Palace (51 30 02, -0 08 31) in London, England
• Istanbul, Turkey also had a number of notable models, particularly Hagia Sophia, a mosque famous for its massive dome (41 00 30, 28 58 48), the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), other wise known as the Blue Mosque (41 00 19, 28 58 37) and Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) (41 00 46, 28 59 00)
• Russia's Red Square in St. Petersburg had a few models in the surrounding area, Saint Basil's Cathedral (55 45 08, 37 37 22), the Cathedral of Dormition (55 45 03, 37 37 02 ), and Lenin's Mausoleum (55 45 13, 37 37 12).
• The Statue of Liberty in New York City (40 41 21, -74 02 40)
• The Reichstag, the former seat of German Parliament (52 31 06, 13 22 36)
• Sydney Opera House, Australia (33 51 24, -151 12 53)
• St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (50 05 26, 14 24 02)
• Dome of the Rock, an Islamic Prayer House in Jerusalem, Israel, and El Aqsa Mosque just south of it (31 46 40, 35 14 07)
• Lastly, there are a handful of great models in Budapest, Hungary, including Buda Castle (47 29 46, 19 02 23) and the Hungarian Parliament Building (47 30 23, 19 02 44).
I was disappointed and surprised to find that a few locations in particular did not have models, either because they are world-famous, or because they're simply remarkable. Three of them are on the New Seven Wonders of the World list. My wishlist for future models includes Edinburgh Castle, Petra, Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China and the Minaret of Jam.
What did you think of the list? Were there any glaring omissions on my part, or sites you think should make the list? Were you disappointed to find that your favorite site didn't already have a model? Let me know below in the comments.
In no particular order:
• St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City (41 54 06, 12 27 12)
• Angkor Wat, Hindu ruins in Cambodia (13 24 44, 103 52 00) CyArk Project
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa (43 43 23, 10 23 43) CyArk Project
• The Mayan El Castillo, or Temple of Kukulcan, at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (20 40 58, -88 34 07) CyArk Project
• Mayan pyramids at Tikal, Guatemala (17 13 16, -89 37 20) CyArk Project
• The Great Pyramids in Egypt (including The Great Pyramid of Giza, Khafre's Pyramid and Menkaure's Pyramid) as well as the Sphinx (29 58 41, 31 08 05)
• Mount Rushmore (43 52 45, -103 27 32)
• Namdaemun Gate in Seoul, South Korea (37 33 35, 126 58 31)
• Temple of Heaven, Taoist temple in Beijing China (39 52 54, 116 24 22)
• The prehistoric standing stones of Stonehenge, United Kingdom (51 10 43, -1 49 34)
• Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (-22 57 05, -43 12 38)
• Taj Mahal, the Indian mausoleum which is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (27 10 30, 78 02 31)
• Rome has a lot of great models, including the Roman Colosseum (41 53 24, 12 29 32), the Roman Forum (41 53 27, 12 29 19), Temple of Saturn (41 53 33, 12 29 03), and Pantheon (41 53 54, 12 28 37)
• Paris and the surrounding country side had many good models as well. These include the Eiffel Tower (48 51 29, 2 17 39), the Palais de Chaillot just northwest of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe (48 52 25, 2 17 42), and the Palace of Versailles (48 48 17, 2 07 18)
• Himeji-Jo, a Japanese Castle in Himeji Japan (34 50 21, 134 41 38)
• Horyu-Ji, a Buddhist temp in Ikaruga Japan (34 36 51, 135 44 02)
• The Pyramid of the Sun in the Pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan, Mexico (19 41 31, -98 50 37)
• The Buddhist temple Wat Arun in Bangkok (13 44 36, 100 29 19)
• Wat Phra Kaew, which is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand (13 45 05, 100 29 32)
• The Tower of London (51 30 29, -0 04 33) and Buckingham Palace (51 30 02, -0 08 31) in London, England
• Istanbul, Turkey also had a number of notable models, particularly Hagia Sophia, a mosque famous for its massive dome (41 00 30, 28 58 48), the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), other wise known as the Blue Mosque (41 00 19, 28 58 37) and Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) (41 00 46, 28 59 00)
• Russia's Red Square in St. Petersburg had a few models in the surrounding area, Saint Basil's Cathedral (55 45 08, 37 37 22), the Cathedral of Dormition (55 45 03, 37 37 02 ), and Lenin's Mausoleum (55 45 13, 37 37 12).
• The Statue of Liberty in New York City (40 41 21, -74 02 40)
• The Reichstag, the former seat of German Parliament (52 31 06, 13 22 36)
• Sydney Opera House, Australia (33 51 24, -151 12 53)
• St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (50 05 26, 14 24 02)
• Dome of the Rock, an Islamic Prayer House in Jerusalem, Israel, and El Aqsa Mosque just south of it (31 46 40, 35 14 07)
• Lastly, there are a handful of great models in Budapest, Hungary, including Buda Castle (47 29 46, 19 02 23) and the Hungarian Parliament Building (47 30 23, 19 02 44).
I was disappointed and surprised to find that a few locations in particular did not have models, either because they are world-famous, or because they're simply remarkable. Three of them are on the New Seven Wonders of the World list. My wishlist for future models includes Edinburgh Castle, Petra, Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China and the Minaret of Jam.
What did you think of the list? Were there any glaring omissions on my part, or sites you think should make the list? Were you disappointed to find that your favorite site didn't already have a model? Let me know below in the comments.
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Stonehenge, west of Amesbury, United Kingdom
Saint Basil's Cathedral in Russia's Red Square