Each city of the earth, whether it is a large capital, or a small provincial town has its own special attraction, the pride of the inhabitants. Sometimes, central squares act as such a sight. Since antiquity, it has been the custom that the central square of the city has always been its main attraction, on which the most important events took place. Let's go to the cities of the planet and visit the largest squares in the world.
Let's start with some special areas, and finish with the largest:
St. Peter's Square. Vatican / 3 ha
One of the most beautiful and original squares in the world, in the form of two absolutely symmetrical hemispheres, is located at the St. Peter's Church in Rome.
An obelisk from the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, which was brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula, rises up in the very center. During solemn services and festivities, 400 thousand people can simultaneously be in the square.
The greatest number of people gather here when the conclave takes place - meetings of cardinals for the choice of a new pope. Many tourists and pilgrims come to Rome to plunge into the enchanting atmosphere of classical architecture of a magnificent square. If you measure the size of the area relative to the size of the state, then it occupies almost 10% of the size of the country and this is by far the largest area by this indicator.
Plaza de la Constitucion. Mexico City / 4.68 ha
The Russian Wikipedia says that this is the largest square in Latin America [link]. And although this is not so, thebiggest.ru cannot but write about it.
In everyday life, Mexicans often use the word "Sokalo", calling the most famous city square in Latin America. Translated from Spanish, this is the area of the Constitution.
Its architectural composition is built in the European Baroque style, a straight rectangular shape, and it occupies 4.88 hectares. The city of Mexico City began from this place, and before the conquistadors conquered, there stood the palace of one of the Aztec rulers of Montezuma II.
Today, there are many administrative and historical buildings, a magnificent cathedral.
Freedom Square. Kharkov / 11.9 ha
For superiority of the largest square in Europe argues Freedom Square in Kharkov. But the fact that it is one of the longest is undeniable, because its length is 750 meters.
Before the revolution of 1917, this territory completely belonged to Kharkov University, and when Kharkov became the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, it became the administrative central place of the city.
It is planned to reconstruct the square so that it becomes round, as it was before 1960. Note that until 2014 there was the largest monument to Lenin in Europe.
Moscow square. Saint Petersburg / 13 ha
In the cultural capital of Russia, at the intersection of Moscow and Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow Square spreads over 13.2 hectares.
It was formed as a result of the restructuring of the city in the 30s of the last century, and what is most interesting until 1968 did not have its own name. The city authorities even planned to transfer the city center to it, but the re-planning plans were interrupted by the ongoing war with Germany.
Not only numerous fountains, but also an installed 8-meter monument to Lenin harmoniously blended into the architectural composition.
Kuibyshev Square. Samara / 17.4 ha
The time has come to go to the largest city square in Russia, which today bears the name of the revolutionary and Soviet party leader Valerian Kuybyshev, and is located in the center of Samara.
For the first time on the general plan of the city, she appeared in 1853 and was originally called Mykolayiv. In 1894 it was renamed Sobornaya, and since 1935 the square has a modern name.
The area in Samara, occupying 17.4 hectares, is the largest in the post-Soviet space, but Kharkov residents do not always agree with this, offering their own methods for calculating the area.
And now a list of the 14 largest urban squares on the planet:
14
Front Square. Warsaw / 24 ha
Poland’s largest square in Warsaw is called Jozef Pilsudski, and since the end of the 19th century it has become the venue for military parades.
From the time it was founded, it was called Saxon, because before the Second World War it was the palace of the Saxon emperors. With Poland gaining independence in 1920, it was named after Pilsudski. Having captured the country, Hitler called it by his name, and in 1944 she again returned her historical name.
When Poland was part of the Russian Empire, the majestic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral stood on Parade Square, but in 1920 it was demolished.
13
Freedom Square. Taipei / 24 ha
This is one of the most impressive and beautiful places in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. This is a huge area of over 240,000 m², on which there are four main buildings:
- Gates of Great Centrality and Perfect Fidelity,
- National Theater
- National Concert Hall
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
This square is the most important point for public gatherings and events in the city.
12
Alexanderplatz. Berlin / 25 ha
Located in the central district of Berlin, this public square has always been the center of the capital. And it was named after the visit of Berl by the Russian emperor Alexander I in the autumn of 1805. But the roots of this place go much further into the Middle Ages.
The area was completely destroyed by bombing at the end of World War II. Located in East Berlin, the German Democratic Republic restored the area. As part of the district reform plan, East Germany expanded the area and made it a pedestrian in the 1960s. To demonstrate the power of the GDR, a television tower (Fernsehturm) was erected here. To this day, it is one of the highest monuments in Europe.
On November 4, 1989, unprecedented protests took place at Alexanderplatz; half a million people took to the streets in protest against the communist regime. Five days later, on November 9, the German Democratic Republic announced the opening of borders with West Berlin.
11
Kencons. Bordeaux / 25.6 ha
One of the most beautiful places in French Bordeaux was created in 1820. Today it is one of the most important transport hubs of the city, as well as a beautiful public space.
10
Season Memorial Circle. Manila / 27.1 ha
Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park located in the Philippine Manila. The park is located inside a large transport ring in the shape of an ellipse and is limited by an elliptical road. This is the main park of the Quezon City area (which served as the official capital of the Philippines from 1948 to 1976). Its main feature is a mausoleum 66 meters high, which houses the remains of Manuel L. Quezon, the second official president of the Philippines and the first of the internationally recognized independent Philippines, and his wife, first lady of Aurora.
9
Gateway of India. New Delhi / 30.66 ha
This place is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the British Indian Army in the period 1914-1921. The gates designed by Sir Edwin Lutens resemble a triumphal arch. They are often compared with the Arch of Constantine in Rome and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
8
Macroplaza Monterrey / 40 ha
This town square is located in the heart of the Mexican city of Monterrey. and this is the largest square not only in Mexico, but also in Latin America.
At Macroplaz you can see many different monuments, small squares and gardens. Macroplaza was built in the early 1980s during the reign of Alfonso Martinez Dominguez. Its construction required the demolition of several old buildings and houses, including the famous cinema.
One of the most iconic monuments of the city is Faro del Comercio (Shopping Lighthouse). This is a large modern lighthouse with a height of 70 meters, the green laser of which illuminates the city in the dark.
7
Tiananmen. Beijing / 44 ha
Perhaps the most famous large city square in the world is located in the capital of China, Beijing, and got its name because of the gate standing in its northern part.
Literally from Chinese, the name translates as "the gate of heavenly tranquility." Tiananmen occupies 44 hectares and on both sides it is limited by the House of National Assemblies and the unique in form of the Big National Opera House.
In addition, the main shrines of communist China are the mausoleum of Moa Zedong and a monumental monument to national heroes. After the events of June 1989, the whole world about the existence of Tiananmen, at which mass protests were brutally suppressed.
6
Huacheng. Guangzhou / 56 ha
Huacheng Square, or Flower City Square (花城 广场 in Chinese), is Guangzhou's largest city square. Here you can see the famous Opera House, Guangdong Museum and the library. Under the square there is a metro line with four stations. There is also the Mall of the World, with many tunnels connecting to other shopping centers.
The area is pedestrian. There are parks, fountains, sports grounds. This makes it a great vacation spot for residents and visitors. According to tourists, it is especially beautiful in the dark because of the beautiful illumination of the square and the surrounding buildings.
5
Jose Risal Park. Manila / 56.66 ha
This city park, located in the center of the Philippine capital, is very important for the people of the country. It is located next to the historic fortified city of Intramuros and is the main tourist destination in the Philippines. But the park is famous not only for its proximity to history, it is itself a part of history.
Here in the very center there is a monument in which the remains of the Filipino patriot Jose Rizal are stored, whose execution in 1896 ignited the fire of the Philippine revolution, directed against the oppression of Spain.
Here, in 1946, a declaration of independence from the United States was signed, as well as other significant events in the history of the Philippines.
4
Sunflower Area. Palmas / 57 ha
Sunflower Square is the main city square in the Brazilian city of Palmas, the capital of the state of Tocantins. It was opened in 1991. On its territory is the palace of Araguaya, where the government of Tokantins is located.
3
Medan Merdeka. Jakarta / 100 ha
Another area of freedom in Indonesian Jakarta is rightfully considered one of the largest in the world. And it was inscribed in the city building in 1810.
The central part of the Indonesian capital received its current name in 1945. This year, Indonesia threw off the yoke of colonialism and became independent.
In the main square of Indonesia, there are important administrative buildings of the country, as well as beautiful sights. In addition to solemn state events, it usually hosts national festivals and festivals.
2
Time Square. Daqing / 144 ha
The editors of thebiggest.ru could hardly find information about this area. Basically, you can learn about it from the reviews of tourists who describe it as an ordinary, unremarkable large area. It, like many other Chinese squares, has the same functional set, which includes: holding various holidays, sporting events, standard landscaping in the form of bridges, fountains, benches, trees, etc.
1
Xinghai Square. Dalian / 176 ha
Photo by: JesseW900 / CC BY-SA
Located in the center of Dalian, Xinghai Square is the largest city square in the world. Its total area is 1.1 million square meters, which is four times the Tiananmen area in Beijing. Previously, there was a waste dump at this place, the reconstruction of which began on July 16, 1993.
The municipal government used construction waste for this land reclamation project. Reconstruction work was completed in 1998. “Xinghai” means a sea filled with stars. the name was chosen because the shape of the central square resembles a star.
Summarize
In the photo: Red Square. Moscow / 2.3 ha
As in the old days, the most important events, holidays, and military parades are held in the capitals in the central city squares. For example, in Greek policies on the central square - the agora state decrees were inserted, in the Middle Ages a high town hall was built on the square with which decrees and decrees were proclaimed. In Moscow, it was the Frontal Place, mistaken for a place of public executions.
In the modern world, the central part of the city is the main city attraction, where not only administrative buildings, but also cultural institutions and monuments are located.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated since its initial publication in October 2017.