Bathing and purification rituals

Meditation and yoga practices

Animal sacrifice and offerings

Pilgrimage and religious festivals

To provide irrigation for crops

To create a stable foundation for buildings

To serve as a defensive barrier against invaders

To enhance the aesthetic beauty of the site

Sandstone

Limestone

Granite

Marble

Buddhism

Hinduism

Taoism

Shintoism

To protect the Chinese empire from nomadic invasions

To regulate trade and commerce along the Silk Road

To serve as a ceremonial pathway for imperial processions

To connect different regions of the Chinese empire

To serve as a mausoleum for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan

To commemorate the Mughal victory over the Maratha empire

To provide a resting place for Sufi saints

To house the royal treasury of the Mughal empire

To host gladiatorial contests and public spectacles

To serve as a venue for political assemblies

To provide a marketplace for trade and commerce

To house the Roman Senate and government offices

To serve as tombs for the pharaohs of ancient Egypt

To provide storage facilities for grain and other resources

To act as defensive structures against foreign invasions

To mark the boundaries of the ancient Egyptian empire

To serve as a religious sanctuary and center of worship

To provide a venue for political assemblies and debates

To house the city's treasury and administrative offices

To act as a defensive fortress against enemy attacks

To serve as the imperial palace of the Chinese emperors

To house the Chinese government offices and administrative departments

To provide a venue for religious ceremonies and rituals

To act as a military garrison and defense complex

To commemorate the friendship between France and the United States

To symbolize the ideals of freedom and democracy

To serve as a navigational aid for ships entering New York Harbor

To mark the boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey

To serve as a venue for opera, ballet, and other performing arts

To provide a public space for community events and gatherings

To act as a symbol of Australian cultural identity and achievement

To generate revenue for the city of Sydney through tourism

To serve as an entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair

To provide a panoramic view of the city of Paris

To act as a communications tower for radio and television transmissions

To commemorate the French Revolution and the establishment of the republic

To preserve the unique biodiversity and marine ecosystem of the reef

To promote sustainable tourism and economic development in the region

To regulate fishing and other human activities that may harm the reef

To conduct scientific research and monitoring of the reef's health and condition

To preserve the world's largest rainforest and its biodiversity

To regulate the global climate and carbon cycle

To provide sustainable resources and livelihoods for local communities

To promote scientific research and education on rainforest ecology