Since the beginning of time, civilizations have been carving statues to honor their rulers, ancestors, and Gods. These five giant stone heads are some of the tallest statues around the world and they’re worth checking out the next time you travel to these places.
The Moai of Easter Island
Probably the most famous oversized heads in the world as well as the only reason people know where Easter Island is (it’s in Polynesia), these heads were created between 1250 and 1500 AD. It’s believed that the moai were created by the Rapa Nui people to honor ancestors, chiefs, and other important people.
The Heads of Gods, Nemrut Dağ, Turkey
These heads sit on a mountain in Turkey and they represent various Greek, Armenian, and Iranian Gods. Created in 69-34 BC by the late Hellenistic King Antiochos I of Commagene as a monument to himself, the heads were part of a pantheon of great kings.
A Young Mao Zedong, Changsha, China
In 2007 a representation of a young Mao, who once wrote a poem about Changsha, was created by the Hunan People’s Government.
The Olmec Stone Heads of Mexico
Created between 1200 to 400 BC by the Olmec Civilization, the Olem believed that the head contained the emotions, soul, and experiences of an individual. They created these heads to honor their rulers.
Albert Einstein Head in Panama City
Although Einstein has no connection with Panama City, the local Jewish community built the head in the mid 1960s. When asked why they build it, locals have replied, “Einstein was a smart guy, so a statue of his head makes a lot more sense than one of his elbow.”
