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Guinness engineering: from minarets to lighthouses, the world's tallest buildings

The invention of the lift towards the end of the 19th century allowed the expansion of our cities not only in width, but also in height, allowing the construction of ever taller buildings. However, there are not only buildings, many other constructions also develop vertically, and some of them are truly incredible.

The Guinness World Record 2023 has grouped together a series of absolutely incredible tall buildings that includes not only palaces and hotels, but also other kinds of constructions such as pyramids, minarets and lighthouses.

For example, have you ever wondered which is the tallest church in the world? And the tallest clock tower? And the tallest wooden building? If the answer is yes, now is your chance to find out.

Wikipedia.org
Guinness engineering: from minarets to lighthouses, the world's tallest buildings
The invention of the lift towards the end of the 19th century allowed the expansion of our cities not only in width, but also in height, allowing the construction of ever taller buildings. However, there are not only buildings, many other constructions also develop vertically, and some of them are truly incredible. The Guinness World Record 2023 has grouped together a series of absolutely incredible tall buildings that includes not only palaces and hotels, but also other kinds of constructions such as pyramids, minarets and lighthouses. For example, have you ever wondered which is the tallest church in the world? And the tallest clock tower? And the tallest wooden building? If the answer is yes, now is your chance to find out.
Di Patrick Six, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=900565
The highest church
The Ulm Cathedral is currently the tallest church in the world. Located in Germany, it is a Lutheran church and its spire measures 161.53 meters. It was built over the course of six centuries, from the 14th to the 19th. We consider this the tallest because Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, is still considered unfinished, but when completed it will measure, at its highest point, an impressive 172.5 meters.
Alex DROP - Flickr.com
The highest hotel
One of the most beautiful and well-known luxury hotels in the world, the Jehovah Hotel in Dubai is an impressive 356.33 metres high. It has 528 rooms on 75 floors, and its facilities are absolutely extra luxurious. Opened in 2018, it has four restaurants, an outdoor pool and a spa.
Samira Akil Zaman - Flickr.com
The tallest clock tower
Named Makka Clock Royal Tower Hotel, it is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is 601 metres high. Its construction cost a whopping 16 billion dollars. This tower also has the largest clock face, measuring 43 metres in diameter.
Di Nina - Opera propria, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=282496
The highest pyramid
The pyramid of Cheops, in Giza, Egypt, was originally 146.7 metres high, but later weather erosion and vandalism reduced it to 137.5 metres. It is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and was built, after 27 years of construction, as the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu.
Di Vadym Gavrykov - https://structurae.net/de/medien/173262-leuchtturm-jeddahhttps://structurae.net/
The highest lighthouse
It was not originally conceived as a lighthouse, but as a control tower. Yet, according to the Guinness World Record 2023, the tower in the port of Jeddah is the highest lighthouse in the world at 133 metres. It was built in 1990, and sends out three white flashes every 20 seconds.
By Chen Yihan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22382848
The tallest pagoda
The pagoda of Tianning, at Changzhou, China, is 153.7 meters high. The 30-ton bronze bell placed at the top can be heard from as far as 5 km away.
Di Jpbowen - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84361513
The tallest Ferris wheel
The Ain Dubai Ferris Wheel in Bluewater, Saudi Arabia, is the highest in the world at 250 metres from sea level to the top of the wheel. Opening on 22 October 2021, it is a major tourist attraction.
Di Kakidai - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19501590
The tallest tower
In Sumida, Japan, we find the Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower. Completed in February 2012, it is a normal telecommunications tower, used for TV, radio and mobile phones. It performs the same function as Tokyo Tower, which is now too surrounded by skyscrapers to provide adequate signal coverage.
By Askelaadden - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93732636
The highest minaret
The minaret is the tower, found in almost all mosques, from which the muezzin (muʾadhdhin) five times a day calls the devotees of Allāh to prayer. The tallest building in the world, which is also the tallest building in the whole of Africa according to the Guinness World Record 2023, is the mosque of Djamaa el Djazair, measuring an impressive 264.3 metres. It is located in a heavy seismic zone, and was therefore built to withstand earthquakes of even magnitude 9.
By NinaRundsveen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89316966
The tallest wooden building
On Norway's Lake Mjosa, in the town of Brumunddal, there is Mjosarnet, the world's tallest wooden tower, 85.4 meters high and 18 stories high. It is a mixed building, with both offices and apartments inside, as well as a hotel, restaurant and swimming pool.
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