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Statues bring out the best of artistic and architectural talent while immortalising significant persons, commemorating defining moments of a people as well as providing religious symbolism.
Many statues have stood out to be among the most visited by tourists from across the world. Below are seven statues that are among the most visited in the world.
1. Christ The Redeemer (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
Located in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Christ the Redeemer statue receives 2 million visitors every year.
The statue was built between 1922 and 1931 atop Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park and is among the most prominent tourist attractions in Brazil as well as South America.
2. Statue of Liberty (New York, USA)
Any avid fan of Hollywood films has probably seen this statue in hundreds of movies.
The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States by the people of France. Since 1886, the statue has been with the United States and today it stands as a sign of liberty and democracy for the world's largest economy.
About 4 million tourists visit the Statue of Liberty annually.
3. The Statue of David (Florence, Italy)
Carved out in marble, this 'naked' sculpture is located in Florence, Italy. David by Michelangelo is one of the most famous statues in the world.
The Statue is a representation of the Bible's King David who grew from a shepherd boy to become the King of Israel, which was the most powerful nation of his time.
The statue standing 5.17 metres tall was constructed between 1501 and 1504 and about 1.2 million tourists visit the Statue of David every year.
4. Great Sphinx Of Giza (Cairo, Egypt)
The African continent is not left behind in having great sculptural designs. One of the most famous statues in the world, the Great Sphinx of Giza, is a massive work of art that depicts a human head mounted on a massive lion's body, all made out of limestone.
Located in the Egyptian city of Cairo, the statue adds to the many iconic sculptures in the North African country.
Built approximately 2500 BC, the great Sphinx of Giza is among the most visited statues with more than 14 million visitors yearly.
5. Motherland Calls Statue (Volgograd, Russia)
This monumental statue in Russia was built to commemorate the Battle of Stalingrad which took place during the Second World War. It stands on the bank of the river Volga and is 85 meters tall.
It is a statue of a woman walking with a raised sword calling on her sons to rise up for the battle. Visitors have to walk up 200 stairs to reach the statue, they represent the battle's 200-day duration.
Thousands of visitors throng The Motherland is Calling statue which has been regarded as a place of healing for the Russian people who lost many soldiers in the war.
Beneath the statue lies the remains of thousands of unidentified soldiers who died during the war.
6. Spring Temple Buddha (China)
Built between 1997 and 2008, the Spring Temple Buddha is among the world’s tallest statues. Until 2018, it had held the record of the world’s tallest statue, before the Statue of Unity in India overtook it.
The statue represents Vairocana Buddha, the Buddhist concept of emptiness.
Visited by over one million people every year, the statue is acknowledged to be a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site.
7. Statue of Unity (Gujarat, India)
Located in Gujarat, India, the Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world standing at 182 meters off the ground.
The statue represents Indian activist Vallabhbhai Patel who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India.
The statue took five years to complete and was officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in February 2022.
The statue has since been visited by over 7 million people from across the world.