15 Famous Landmarks Zoomed Out Tell a Bigger Story

Impact

We've seen them in pictures and in guidebooks. The world's most famous landmarks live in popular imagination in their idealized form, but it can be surprising to see them in person. While some landmarks can be even more awe-inspiring when you take in their natural surroundings, others have been swallowed up by sprawling cityscapes.

In our perfection-obsessed society, it's tempting to crop out distractions and focus on the main subject. But as these images show, it can be just as enlightening to see how a landmark fits into an environment, and how a tourist attraction sticks out from a natural landscape. Here are 15 zoomed-out photos of famous landmarks around the world:

1. Taj Mahal

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Image Credit: Imgur

2. The Great Pyramids of Giza

Image Credit: AP

Image Credit: AP

3. Stonehenge

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Image Credit: AP

4. Niagara Falls

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Image Credit: Imgur

5. The Brandenburg Gate

Image Credit: AP

Image Credit: AP

6. The Parthenon

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Image Credit: Imgur

7. Mount Rushmore

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Image Credit: AP

8. The Forbidden City

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Image Credit: Imgur

9. Hollywood

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Image Credit: Imgur

10. Central Park

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Image Credit: Imgur

11. The Arc de Triomphe

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Image Credit: Imgur

12. Santorini

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Image Credit: Getty

13. The Statue of Liberty

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Image Credit: Getty

14. Eiffel Tower

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Image Credit: Getty

15. St. Basil's Cathedral

Image Credit: Getty

Image Credit: Getty