Renaissance & Mughal
Brunelleschi's dome, St. Peter's, the Forbidden City, the Taj Mahal, Versailles. Geometry, perspective, and political theatre take over.
Part of Architectural Wonders
4 moments in this segment.
- — Süleymaniye Mosque. Mimar Sinan's masterpiece for Suleiman the Magnificent. Sinan built more than 300 structures across the Ottoman Empire. Stands intact on the Istanbul skyline after multiple earthquakes.
- — St. Peter's Basilica. Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini all worked on it. Michelangelo's dome stands on Brunelleschi's shoulders. The largest church in the world by interior. Bernini's baroque colonnade frames the piazza.
- — The Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan's mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants over 21 years. The Mughal architectural high-water mark — Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic traditions fused.
- — Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV's seat of government and the most-copied palace in history. The Hall of Mirrors. Forced the entire French aristocracy to live there under royal surveillance. Bankrupted the state in the process.
