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Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe

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There are many leaning towers in the world that have deviated from their original vertical state, threatening to keel over for different reasons. Typically, towers start to incline due to changes in the soil or due to building errors when the foundations were being laid.

 So-called leaning towers often become sights that attract crowds of tourists. Some of these towers are even listed in the Cultural Heritage of Humanity, or in the Guinness Book of Records due to their high historical and artistic value. Social media users have counted about four hundred falling structures, but in most cases, the state of these structures does not cause much concern - while not completely falling over they're not quite straight either.

© AFP 2023 / Fabio MuzziTourists take pictures at the leaning tower on 2 December 2010 in Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa underwent a two-year restoration period that has restored the medieval masterpiece to its former glory.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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Tourists take pictures at the leaning tower on 2 December 2010 in Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa underwent a two-year restoration period that has restored the medieval masterpiece to its former glory.
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Sjschen / YunYanSiPagodaThe Tiger Hill Pagoda tower or Huqiu is located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The tower was built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD). The tower rises to a height of 47 metres (154 feet). The slope of the towers is 2.32 metres (7.6 feet).
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
2/15
The Tiger Hill Pagoda tower or Huqiu is located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The tower was built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD). The tower rises to a height of 47 metres (154 feet). The slope of the towers is 2.32 metres (7.6 feet).
CC BY 4.0 / Ludvig14 / Nevyansk Tower (cropped photo)Leaning Tower and Church of the Transfiguration, Nevyansk, Sverdlov Region, Russia. The height of the tower is 57.5 metres (189 feet).
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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Leaning Tower and Church of the Transfiguration, Nevyansk, Sverdlov Region, Russia. The height of the tower is 57.5 metres (189 feet).
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Michielverbeek / The Oldehove is a leaning and unfinished church tower in the medieval centre of the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. The height of the tower is 39 metres (127.95 feet). The tower's tilt began during construction. The builders tried to compensate for the tilt, but the project was stopped in 1532 or 1533.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
4/15
The Oldehove is a leaning and unfinished church tower in the medieval centre of the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. The height of the tower is 39 metres (127.95 feet). The tower's tilt began during construction. The builders tried to compensate for the tilt, but the project was stopped in 1532 or 1533.
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ferditje / DelftOude Kerk (Old Church) is the Gothic Protestant church in the old city centre of Delft, the Netherlands. Its height is 75 metres (246 feet) and it has a slope of 1.98 metres (6.5 feet).
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the Gothic Protestant church in the old city centre of Delft, the Netherlands. Its height is 75 metres (246 feet) and it has a slope of 1.98 metres (6.5 feet).
CC BY 2.0 / Pablo Cabezos / En el s.XII las familias ricas de esta ciudad mostraban su poder mediante la altura de sus torresThe Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda Tower are the most famous buildings in Bologna. The Asinelli tower is the tallest and measures 97.6 metres (320 feet). It has an inclination of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) and has a viewpoint at the top. The Garisenda Tower is more inclined (3.2 metres or 10.5 feet) and is 48 metres (157.5 feet) high.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda Tower are the most famous buildings in Bologna. The Asinelli tower is the tallest and measures 97.6 metres (320 feet). It has an inclination of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) and has a viewpoint at the top. The Garisenda Tower is more inclined (3.2 metres or 10.5 feet) and is 48 metres (157.5 feet) high.
© AFP 2023 / Gabriel BouysThe Burana Tower, or St. Martin’s Church is located on the Venetian island of Burano. The building was built in the 15th century and is not falling because it relies on the adjacent building.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The Burana Tower, or St. Martin’s Church is located on the Venetian island of Burano. The building was built in the 15th century and is not falling because it relies on the adjacent building.
© AP Photo / Jens MeyerThe leaning church (Oberkirche) tower in Bad Frankenhausen is a famous sightseeing object in the German mountain region of Kyffhaeusergebirge. The extreme inclination of the tower building has afforded it the reputation of being the most leaning tower in Germany and, after the leaning tower of Pisa, the second most leaning tower in Europe.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The leaning church (Oberkirche) tower in Bad Frankenhausen is a famous sightseeing object in the German mountain region of Kyffhaeusergebirge. The extreme inclination of the tower building has afforded it the reputation of being the most leaning tower in Germany and, after the leaning tower of Pisa, the second most leaning tower in Europe.
© AP Photo / Frank RumpenhorstThe Leaning Tower of Suurhusen is a late medieval steeple in Suurhusen, a village in the East Frisian region of northwestern Germany. It has a height of 27.37 metres (89.8 feet).
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen is a late medieval steeple in Suurhusen, a village in the East Frisian region of northwestern Germany. It has a height of 27.37 metres (89.8 feet).
© Sputnik / Maria Vashuk / Go to the mediabankA leaning tower of the Tikhvin Church in the city of Kungur, Perm Territory, Russia.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
10/15
A leaning tower of the Tikhvin Church in the city of Kungur, Perm Territory, Russia.
© Depositphotos.com / Venemama2The medieval church of Bedum in the Netherlands has a lesser incline than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its height is 55.86 metres (183.3 feet), Pisa’s tower leans about 4 metres (13 feet), while the Bedum tower leans 2.61 metres (8.6 feet) at a height of 35.7 metres (117 feet).
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
11/15
The medieval church of Bedum in the Netherlands has a lesser incline than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its height is 55.86 metres (183.3 feet), Pisa’s tower leans about 4 metres (13 feet), while the Bedum tower leans 2.61 metres (8.6 feet) at a height of 35.7 metres (117 feet).
© Depositphotos.com / JovannigThe Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo is a basilica church in Ravenna, Italy.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo is a basilica church in Ravenna, Italy.
© Sputnik / Miroslav Rotar / Go to the mediabankThe Great Lavra Bell Tower or the Great Belfry is the main bell tower of the ancient cave monastery of Kiev Pechersk Lavra in Kiev, Ukraine.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
13/15
The Great Lavra Bell Tower or the Great Belfry is the main bell tower of the ancient cave monastery of Kiev Pechersk Lavra in Kiev, Ukraine.
© AFP 2023 / StringerThe 160-metre Capital Gate tower, developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, leans at 18 degrees -- over four times the angle of Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, has been recognised as the "furthest-leaning man-made tower" in the world by Guinness World Records in 2010.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The 160-metre Capital Gate tower, developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, leans at 18 degrees -- over four times the angle of Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, has been recognised as the "furthest-leaning man-made tower" in the world by Guinness World Records in 2010.
© Photo : A.Savin, WikiCommonsThe Söyembikä Tower, also called the Khan's Mosque, is an architectural symbol of Kazan.
Get Your Lean On: Famous Towers Across the Globe - Sputnik International
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The Söyembikä Tower, also called the Khan's Mosque, is an architectural symbol of Kazan.
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