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10 famous world landmarks that are never called by their official names

Landmarks

Image: Nada Habashy

Image: Nada Habashy

That’s just a nickname

10 famous world landmarks that are never called by their official names

Every country has beloved and well-known landmarks, but some landmarks are as famous as their location, or sometimes even more. As international symbols, they often receive nicknames that become widespread, and that coexist with the official native name of the landmark. Some of these nicknames are affectionately given by the people who see them every day, some come from a foreign perception, and some are just a result of the landmark’s appearance. Let’s discover the real names of 10 famous landmarks.

One of the most recognizable American landmarks, this 305-feet-tall copper sculpture stands proud in New York Harbor. Created as a gift from France to America, it was designed to be a new representation of America and its values. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, it bears the name of La Liberté éclairant le monde or ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’, though it is internationally known as the Statue of Liberty and affectionately nicknamed ‘Lady Liberty’.

If we think about pyramids, the Pyramids of Giza instantly come to mind. However, many do not realize that this name refers to the archaeological complex, which includes more than the three main pyramids. The complex encloses the Great Sphinx, smaller pyramids, the mortuary temples associated with each pyramid, minor tombs, a workers' village, and the three famous pyramids: the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid), the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure.

The Palace of Westminster in London is the meeting place of the U.K. Parliament and probably one of the most recognisable buildings in the city, often referred to as the ‘Big Ben’. While ‘Big Ben’ is a popular name, it is not the name of the building, nor of its iconic tower. The nickname refers to the Great Bell of the clock at the top of the Clock Tower, recently renamed the Elizabeth Tower. However, the popularity of the clock and its striking sound has led to the generalization of the ‘Big Ben’ nickname to refer to the whole tower.

For anyone outside of China, it makes sense to call this country's greatest wall ‘The Great Wall of China’, but for the Chinese, it is the Wànlǐ Chángchéng, or the ‘ten thousand li long wall’ (roughly 13,170.70 miles). Contrary to popular belief, the wall was not designed or constructed as a single building, but rather as several walls that were built and eventually joined together over 2,000 years.

An iconic Italian landmark and probably the best-known Roman building still standing, the Colosseum is renowned as a former place of public spectacles and gladiatorial combats. The name Colosseum comes from a colossal statue of Emperor Nero that was located next to the building, but this was not the original name. First known as just the Amphitheatrum, it came to be called the Flavian Amphitheatre because it was built by the emperors of the Flavian dynasty.

A legendary San Francisco landmark, this island served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a maximum security prison. Originally named La Isla de los Alcatraces (meaning ‘The Island of the Gannets’ or ‘Pelicans’) by Spanish explorers, it kept the Alcatraz name when California became American territory. Its rocky terrain gained it the nickname of "The Rock", which later came to signify the difficulty in escaping from the Alcatraz prison.

Though Bangkok is the official English name of this capital city, in Thai it is called Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (colloquially shortened to Krung Thep). But even this is not the actual name of the city, ceremonially called Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit or ‘The city of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the Nine Gems, seat of the King, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest.’ To no one's surprise, Bangkok holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s longest place name.

Previously known as the Swiss Re Building, 30 St Mary Axe is one of London’s most famous skyscrapers, located in the financial district. Designed to improve aerodynamics and reduce the load of the building’s base, it was quickly nicknamed ‘the Gherkin’ after its completion due to its shape. Though many criticized the nickname, it has become one of the public’s favorites, and it is often referred to by it in the media.

This is the case of an old name that became a nickname. The most visited palace in the world, this Imperial palace complex was originally known as Zijincheng or ‘Forbidden Purple City’, with access restricted only to the Chinese Emperor, his family, and their servants. Though it is know called Gugong or ‘Former Palace’, the ‘Forbidden City’ name is still strongly associated with the place.

Inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the Nippon denpatō or ‘Japan Radio Tower’ was built in 1958, and it was at that time the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. Though one of multiple communication towers in Tokyo, at the time of its construction, it became a symbol of Japan’s rapid economic growth, and a landmark of Tokyo city, quickly becoming known as the ‘Tokyo Tower’.