The world’s most visited landmarks
are huge feats of construction – with some even taking centuries to build and
costing well into the billions. While the costs for each landmark may be
substantial, the greatest landmarks on the globe do attract millions of
visitors each year and boost their local economy.

With that in mind, alpharooms has
created the ultimate battle
of the world’s landmarks so people
can compare the height, cost to build, construction time, number of steps and
even visitor numbers of 20 most famous landmarks.

The
Great Pyramid of Giza is the world’s most expensive landmark

Surprisingly, it’s the Great
Pyramid of Giza, located within the Giza-pyramid complex, which is the most
expensive landmark making the list. Today, the Great Pyramid would cost a
staggering £3.8 billion to construct. It has been said that the pyramid’s
construction is a masterpiece, estimated to feature more than 2,300,000 stone
blocks, with some weighing more than 50 tonnes. It is believed that the
construction involved more than 100,000 builders and experts are still unsure
how they transported and erected the stone blocks.

When analysing further, alpharooms
also found that the Great Pyramid of Giza cost £27 million per metre, an
eye-watering £18.2 million more than the Taj Mahal – the second most expensive
landmark in terms of cost per metre.

The
Leaning Tower of Pisa is the world’s longest landmark build

The Leaning Tower of Pisa takes
the crown for longest construction, taking a huge 199 years to build – starting
in 1173. While it may be recognisable for its famous lean, the construction
time tops La Sagrada Familia – which is still yet to be finished, and will have
taken 144 years upon completion date in 2026.

Contrary to popular belief, the
Leaning Tower of Pisa’s famous lean did not happen overnight. During the
planning stages, the construction team did not take into account the marshy
land they were building on. Unfortunately, by the time they had reached the
second story, the tower was beginning to lean and it was too late to turn back.

Empire
State Building takes the title for fastest build

What was once the world’s tallest
building for 40 years, also holds the claim to the ‘fastest build’. Erected in
just one year, the Empire State is a remarkable feat of construction. To build
in such a short amount of time, the 300 workers took alternative 12-hour
shifts. Cafes and concession stands were also placed on five incomplete floors
to stop workers from wasting time travelling for lunch, along with temporary
water taps, so workers did not waste time buying water bottles.

Similarly, the Space Needle was
constructed within one year, with the Needle set to be star of the show at the
1962 World’s Fair. However, with only one year until that fair, the
construction team worked around the clock with the final elevator car installed
the day before the tower was due to open.