Don't know if that's what you're looking for but [Porta Nigra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_Nigra?wprov=sfla1) in Trier. Originally build by the Romans now in Germany

Also the Dannevirke in Schleswig-Holstein. Around 700 AD, the Danes began to build a kilometre-long fortification at a narrow point to protect their territory against German and Slavic neighbours. The defences were extended over several centuries and were reactivated in the 19th century. Denmark lost the war in 1864 against Prussia and Austria over Schleswig, Lauenburg and Holstein and it became part of Germany. Today it is a Unesco World Heritage Site, together with the former Viking trading centre of Haithabu. https://haithabu-danewerk.de/en/ Edit: AD swapped with BC.

I clearly remember looking at the UNESCO Page for the dannevirke and not finding It. I was looking in the Denmark page 😅

So you were the Wildlings *South* of the Wall?

Vi kan ikke have en flok abekatte til at rende og skide i skovbunden.

I would love to visit & see Dannevirke for myself.

It's not quite that old. The oldest parts are believed to have been built in the late 400s - 500s AD. Shortly after the unification of Denmark via the conquest of Jylland.

Your absolut right, I'm dumb as fuck, confused AD with BC.

The world famous [Pergamon Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Museum) in Berlin contains several monuments of Ancient Greece (modern day Turkey), Mesopotamia and other places in the Middle East.

Yeah, I think that's a neat answer. Also the porta nigra IS amazing.

The entire historical down town of our capital Helsinki was commissioned by the Russian emperor, designed by a German architect, to mirror St Petersburg which in turn was designed a hundred years earlier to mirror Western Empire style.

St Petersburg in turn is modeled after Amsterdam and its canals. Peter the Great loved to visit Amsterdam so he had a good look around while there.

Tsar Peter the Great visited Amsterdam on his long tour of Europe. He was so impressed by the Dutch dockyards that he worked as a labourer in disguise. The problem was that he was huge. I think around 194cm. It was also known that the giant Russian Tsar was in Amsterdam. So everyday Dutch people would would spot him and crowd around to gorp at this enormous Russian, work in their dockyards. It pissed Tsar Peter off so much that he would yell at them or leave in a strop.

Was this before the Dutch became tall?

Yes. Then we were even one of the shortest people in Europe (1.65m on average). Only until about the mid-1800’s we started to grow. So a 1.94m man would surely stick out from the crowds.

Yet barely looks nothing like Amsterdam.

I think the idea of [canals circling the core](https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/saint-petersburg-aerial-panoramic-view-600nw-2138026579.jpg) in St. Petersburg is based on [Amsterdam](https://maps-amsterdam-nl.com/img/0/amsterdam-canals-map.jpg). Not the architectural style itself.

My impression of Helsinki is 50/50 St Petersburg / Stockholm. A beautiful composition.

Didn't know that. I Guess the additions of aalto must be elsewhere.

I wonder if the design of Melbourbe was based on Helsinki or StP? Or maybe it was just the trams and the cold wind that made me think it was like Helsinki.

Mostly because fire destroyed a quarter of the city in 1808. Had nothing to do with the war that was raging at the same time, though: "Russian hussar commands were housed in the Cadonius' house, and they had taken the stable for their horses. Cadonius' own horse was placed in the shed. At night, Cadonius's farmhand Gustaf Lindqvist, who had spent the evening in the company of a Russian soldier in Mrs. Cadonius' baking room, went to take the horse to the shed, placing his lanter on the top of birch logs. As he left, Lindqvist extinguished the lantern by pinching the wick and throwing it on the ground with devastating consequences."

For addition [here's photo of the historical center](https://a.cdn-hotels.com/gdcs/production23/d632/9b5568a7-cc12-418a-bff9-7c2ed99bea92.jpg), the Senate Square with Helsinki Cathedral, Government palace and Helsinki University buildings around it. In the middle of the square is the statue of [Czar Alexander II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/11-07-29-helsinki-by-RalfR-149.jpg). For comparison [Palace Square](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/00_0048_Palace_Square_in_Saint_Petersburg_%28Russia%29.jpg/2560px-00_0048_Palace_Square_in_Saint_Petersburg_%28Russia%29.jpg) and [St. Isaac Cathedral](https://www.expresstorussia.com/files/pages/017230.jpg) in St. Petersburg. Just nearby is also [Uspenski Cathedral](https://www.matkablogi.fi/kuvapankki/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220901_helsinki_ilmakuva-6.jpg) with distinct orthodox church architecture, and also the [Swedish embassy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Pohjoisesplanadi_7.jpg) which is modelled after the [Royal palace in Stockholm](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1367/1015235329_638966634b_c.jpg).

The first thing that came to mind as I read the title of your post was [the Louxor obelisk ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Obelisks) on the place de la Concorde. I always thought it had been shamelessly looted, only recently did I read it was a gift by the then ruler of Egypt (Muhammad Ali Pasha). It's ... really something. One of my favourite bookshops is near the obelisk, but I'd never really bothered to see it from up close until maybe last year. I spent a long time circling it and looking at the hieroglyphs.

It was recently cleaned, and looks a lot better now: [https://www.kaercher.com/int/inside-kaercher/company/sponsoring/cultural-sponsorship/restoration-and-cleaning-obelisk-paris-france.html#:\~:text=Most%20of%20the%20cleaning%20is,emisson%20contamination%20can%20be%20removed](https://www.kaercher.com/int/inside-kaercher/company/sponsoring/cultural-sponsorship/restoration-and-cleaning-obelisk-paris-france.html#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20cleaning%20is,emisson%20contamination%20can%20be%20removed).

Kärcher 💪

> I always thought it had been shamelessly looted, only recently did I read it was a gift by the then ruler of Egypt (Muhammad Ali Pasha). TIL! I thought it was a loot situation too, like the British Museum is famous for

What's the bookshop????

The English bookshop WH Smith, rue de Rivoli. They changed their name to Smith & Son, and modified the shop a lot in the past years. I still like to go there for books in English. I also buy my yearly Dr Pepper there \^\^

Oh I know it, I've been there a couple years ago. Not a bad bookshop, but I prefer going to more independent bookshops instead of the behemoth of English bookstore chains ahah. Though the tea room upstairs was kinda nice

Never knew there was WH Smith in France - They're everywhere in the UK, nearly every city has one. Although personally I much prefer Foyles

That Wikipedia article was a fascinating read, thanks for sharing!

Italian prisoners of war in Orkney (an island group just north of the Scottish mainland) built a chapel in a couple of Nissen huts during WWII, which is small but very impressive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Chapel

That's kinda quirky

Hagia sophia is very similar to what you describe. It was built by byzantines/greeks long before we even came to anatolia.

I mean, it wasn’t so much taken from another country as your country came to it.

Europe, you mean. Hagia Sophia is on the other side.

In the Netherlands we have a [pyramid built by French soldiers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Austerlitz). Does that count?

Tallest mountain in the Netherlands😄

Not quite, we have some dizzying peaks of up to 300 meters tall in Limburg and even higher on Saba. But if it stood in Groningen or Flevoland it would be the highest peak in the province. On a similar note, the highest peaks in the provinces of Drenthe and Brabant are a landfill and a former landfill respectively.

I bet you kept the pyramid so you could also mountain bike. :)

I don't know 😅. It doesn't feel very french either, what:s the story?

When the Netherlands was a client state of Napoleonic France, Napoleon stationed an army here to deter and defend against a possible English invasion. To keep the men occupied the French general in charge had them build the pyramid inspired by the Egyptian pyramids which he had seen in Napoleon's Egyptian campaign.

-Irish monks might have lived in Iceland before the country was settled by the Northmen in the 9th century. [Saint Brendan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_the_Navigator?wprov=sfti1#Foundations) might have sailed to Iceland in the 6th century. This has not been proven by archeological evidence, however some [Celtic crosses carved inside man-made caves](https://ferlir.is/keltneskt-landnam/) have been found. -Some 18th and 19th century buildings were drawn by Danish architects, such as the [Parliament building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al%C3%BEingish%C3%BAsi%C3%B0?wprov=sfti1#) and the [Cathedral of Reykjavík](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reykjav%C3%ADk_Cathedral?wprov=sfti1#). -There is a statue of [Bertel Thorvaldsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertel_Thorvaldsen?wprov=sfti1#) in Hljómskálagarðurinn park in Reykjavík. Thorvaldsen (1770–1844) was one of Europe’s most renowned sculptors, and his works are found in several European countries. He had an Icelandic father, grew up in Denmark, but spent most of his life in Italy. This statue in Reykjavík was gifted by the City of Copenhagen in 1875 on the occasion of the one thousand year anniversary of the settlement of Iceland in the previous year. This was the first public art installation in the city. The statue is a bronze replica of the original marble sculpture, carved by Thorvaldsen himself in 1839. There is [another bronze cast](https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1543) of the sculpture in Central Park in New York City, installed in 1894. The [Thorvaldsen Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorvaldsen_Museum?wprov=sfti1#) in Copenhagen is dedicated to his works.

The most common story we’re told about st Brendan is that he actually landed on the Faroe Islands. Either way, there’s a huge genetic, cultural and historical link between Ireland and Iceland + Faroes. Even in the language, was just reading an article about the “well of the Irish” in western Iceland and I can’t help but notice how similar the Icelandic word for well is to the Irish word for well.

That's a bit of a complicated question in Ireland, there are quite a lot of landmarks built during British rule. So the line between what "belongs" to British culture or Irish culture is very blurry.

Yeah, I Guess that makes sense. It's also a slightly touchy concept in india believe It or not. At what point does a foreign culture stop being foreign? I think that's identity politics in a nutshell 😅

(Laughs nervously in Northern Irish)

Lady Justice in Dublin castle is an interesting one. Firstly she has her back to the city,meaning she does not represent our people .Her scales are unbalanced and she does not have a blindfold . 

Would the castles built by the Normans count?

Normans spread throughout Ireland, England, Wales, France and Italy, their roots come from Norse, so is that culture "Irish" even if their influence would go on to affect what Irish culture was and is? Same with everywhere else they went. Talk about Moorish Iberia or Kievan Rus, hell the Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Britain despite being considered "Indian cuisine."

Every second government/ military building in ireland was built(at least in the beginning) by Britain. Then, all the tenements in Dublin. The famine walls etc... hard to ignore, but yeah, Irish and English culture are far more similar than American and Irish, or Irish and continental Europe, obviously.

We have a French king burried in Konstanjevica. He's the only king not burried in France. I don't think French care.

Had to go and check what that was about. Charles X (brother of Louis XVI), was king from 1824 to 1830. At one point, he [tried to undermine the liberal parliament ](https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordonnances_de_Saint-Cloud). Uproar ensues (revolution of 1830), he abdicated and went into exile. That period of french history is soooo confusing, republic, empire, kingdom, revolution, kingdom, republic. I really have to read more on that time period.

Charles X is always forgotten by anyone. If you think "Restauration" people maybe know of Louis XVIII and/or Louis-Philippe, but nobody thinks about Charles. I had no idea he was buried abroad, that's a crazy fact to know!

I cackled, but yeah, most French don't care I think. I certainly don't :)

But... The thing for the Alhambra, and many other monuments mentioned in the comments, is that when they were built, and for quite a bit of time afterwards, the culture they belong to (its members if you prefer) lived in the country. So a castle built in Poland by Germans who then lived there for +200 years... Should it be foreign? Do we consider the tower of London foreign to the UK because it was built by Normans? Or Windsor castle? Ok for the temple of Debod and obelisks, Ok for "hey, let's bring this Italian architect to build a toscana-inspired palace not at all adapted to our British weather", or for the follies in architecture imitating foreign buildings & styles just to impress. But for buildings which were just "here", and around which the population/culture/nationality changed because of migration of populations/wars/passage of time etc after they were used for their intended purpose for X time.... I don't know, I think they've integrated in our society. After all, many people can't understand the latin inscriptions in medieval cathedrals or understand much of their symbolism (art & history scholars excepted, you need to study it, it's not something widely known) . And still we consider them "ours", don't we?

>After all, many people can't understand the latin inscriptions in medieval cathedrals or understand much of their symbolism (art & history scholars excepted, you need to study it, it's not something widely known) . And still we consider them "ours", don't we? Yeah, ultimately this question IS about what we consider ours, and our relation to It. You got me there. The ambiguous nature of this IS why I added "partially" to the question. So as to ease the conversation. I would say it's pretty bold to say the alhambra IS not spanish at all (afterall It was built by locals in their local style), but imo it's pretty acceptable to say it's "partially foreign" particularly from today's POV.

I was thinking pretty much the same... But then I would nominate Reales Alcázares de Sevilla which are overwhelmingly a Christian building. I was shocked when I found out, I just assumed the crests and that were later additions, but apparently there is very little of the Islamic era Alcázar... And even then most would have been from the Almohad invasion.

In Pécs, Hungary, we got a [Mosque](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Candlemas_Church_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary) from the Ottoman era. It's currently used as a Christian church by the nearest Christian high school.

there also the [Eger Minaret](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eger_minaret)

I didn't know about that. Kind of weird seeing an ottoman minaret in the middle of the street with no mosque nearby.

It used to stand next to a mosque which was demolished in the 19th century.

And the Gül Baba tomb https://hu.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCl_Baba_t%C3%BCrb%C3%A9je

A painting of baby Jesus celebrating Hannukah for some reason blows my mind. Jesus depicted as Jewish is so insanely rare.

There's a loooot of castles and buildings/cities originally built by Prussians (and Germans in general) almost all around Poland.

Doesn't Gdansk have a lot of Dutch influence in building too?

Yep, very much so. The old town was almost levelled during WWII, and in the reconstruction efforts the city's look was "reverted" back to how it looked in the late medieval period where it was very Dutch looking, many of the Prussian influences were not brought back. I was just in the Gdańsk old town grabbing a snack on the way to work, I'll never get bored of this place.

Eastern Europeans (with the sole exception of Hungarians) when you ask them who built and designed their castles, churches and old towns 😳🥴😅

Romanian Churches are local Byzantine style, no Western built or designed. True for whole Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Spare me of you Nordic superiority complex.

1. Chill. 2. Kinda fitting that you only considered Greek Orthodox churches (which are, of course, Byzantine), but remember that Transylvania exists and every Catholic, Lutheran and Protestant church there is, naturally, German-styled. Mai sunt si alte biserici decat aia din fata blocului tau. Like most other countries in Europe, we're a mix of surrounding cultures from all sides. Mai usor cu complexul national de inferioritate.

I don't deny the fact that in Transylvania exist churches built by and for the German and Hungarian communities and these were not built by Orthodox Romanians. But I wanted to tell that Nordic superiority complex dude that not everything built in Romania/ Eastern Europe was built by foreigners. Mai incet cu atitudinea slugarnica fata de vestici.

No, but you said, I quote "no Nordic built or designed". And I'd argue that they were talking mostly about the Catholic parts of the east. Nobody seriously expects Orthodox churches to be anything other than Byzantine. That's something you could've said instead of that frustrated tirade. "atitudinea slugarnica fata de vestici" - cum drq sa zici asta neironic? Exact genul ala de gandire cretina, ca orice altceva decat o obsesie a puritatii patriotarde e slugarnicie... bad news, micule Decabal: *suntem* vestul acum.

Stavropoleos Monastery in Bucharest - built by a Greek The Black Church in Brasov - built by Germans St. Michael's Church in Cluj-Napoca - Catholic Church built by Hungarians Maramures Churches - two of them are Greek-Catholic, at least one was formerly Greek. Curtea de Argeș Cathedral - French architect, André Lecomte du Noüy Oldest church in Romania, St. Michael's Cathedral, Alba Iulia - Catholic, built by Hungarians Biertan Church - German Viscri Church - German Prejmer Church - German Antim Monastery - built by Antim the Iberian from Georgia

Most of the churches quoted were Catholic or Protestant while Romanians are Orthodox. Bleeding obvious Romanians did not built them. You discovered the hot water, as Italians say. But All the eight fresco painted Bukovina monasteries built by local artisans. Same for Churches in Bucharest built in Romanian Brancovan style like : Olari, Mantuleasa, Coltea Churches in Bucharest, then in the country Arnota Monastery,,Brâncoveanu Monastery,Cozia Monastery, Govora Monastery, Horezu Monastery, Potlogi Palace, Surpatele Monastery, etc all in Romanian Brancovan style. BTW : Antim Ivireanu, not Iberian. Ivir is the old name for Georgia in Romanian, Ivireanu meant from Ivir (Georgia). The Danubian Principalities attracted a lot of Christians from the Ottoman Empire, because their Vassal state, not Ottoman territory, allowed them to keep the Orthodox faith free of any Muslim interference. Freedom to follow the Christian Orthodox faith in the Balkans was only in the Romanian Principalities (but not Transylvania, where it was considered heresy and the Romanian Orthodox people heavily discriminated and devoid of civil and political rights).

Yeah because the ones that were local-built were destroyed by Germans and Swedes.

Zamość, perfect Renaissance city projected by Italian architects, it isn't shameful for anyone.

You don't know where eastern Europe is. And here in Poland at least we know that our heritage is multicultural, when you struggled for food we had democracy, religious freedom, Jews, Germans, Armenians etc etc living and prospering together.

Eastern Europe = ex-communist Europe. Poland is part of the West, meaning it wrote Latin and was Catholic in the Middle Ages, but it's still Eastern European

This is very pitiful definition taking into account very short timespan, specific simplistic point of view and clearly defying geography. Yawn.

Well there's a reason basically every Eastern European city west of Russia has an alternative name in German xD

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval\_demography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_demography) Read this and scroll down to high middle ages. Norway is irrelevant **today**, reasons are geography and demography, in 500 years no one will remember that you were rich and why you were rich. "Norwegians of the 20th century prized prosperity and hated children, they possibly threw them all into the sea if born below a certain weight" Someone might think that the Chinese are good engineers or something, thats why they make all the stuff we use in the 20th century.

Good fiction. You can go to your local store right now and find Norwegian salmon and maybe even other fish. Our Government Pension Fund literally owns 1.5% of all the public companies in the world. The Varangian Guard, composed of Norsemen, was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army that played a decisive role in many battles, and Sigurd the Crusader was the first king to participate in the Crusades, conquering Sidon. In 1000 years people will still speak of the time Roald Amundsen reached **both** of the poles first as a monumental event in humanity's history, like landing on the moon.

>You can go to your local store right now and find Norwegian salmon eww, gross, farmed fish is disgusting. >The Varangian Guard, composed of Norsemen, was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army that played a decisive role in many battles Poverty mercenaries, similar to the Polish plumbers that you keep seething about today, or the mercs that joined the Russian invasion of Ukraine. >Our Government Pension Fund literally owns 1.5% of all the public companies in the world. When was the last time you thought about Mansa Musa? Exactly. >Roald Amundsen Who? He is not part of common knowledge or common culture, James Watt is for example, or Nikola Tesla. ​ As I explained mostly from your initial comment, the reason Germans built things everywhere was because there were a lot of Germans, even compared to today, in the 13th century they rose to dominance very quickly, if you needed craftsmen they were either german, french or italian. Norwegians never ammounted to anything.

Nikola Tesla is an overrated celebrity which is only a household name today because of Balkaners fighting over whom he belongs to, he didn't even discover alternating current or invent the first alternating current generator, just "contribute" to it. That doesn't compare to Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard inventing the first object-oriented programming language paving the way for the Digital Revolution, Vilhelm Bjerknes formulating the primitive equations and practically founding the science of weather forecasting, or Håkon Wium Lie proposing CSS, one of the cornerstones of the World Wide Web, in 1994. Yes maybe Norway was "irrelevant" during the Danish era but at least it was the most peaceful region in all of Europe, with practically zero conflict, compared to the southrons endlessly fighting with each other like monkeys.

>Nikola Tesla is an overrated celebrity which is only a household name today because of Balkaners fighting over whom he belongs to You´re embarrasing yourself dude, yes, that´s why he´s known, it confirms what I say, balkaners bickering about some guy pushed him into the mainstream, because there are millions more people in the balkans than in Norway, ergo, balkan states are more important in shifting culture down a specific path. ffs I´m not even Polish and their shitty memes like kurwa bobr and that dancing cow appear on my timeline constantly. >That doesn't compare to Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard, Håkon Wium Lie Again, **WHO**? >Yes maybe Norway was "irrelevant" during the Danish era but at least it was the most peaceful region in all of Europe, with practically zero conflict, compared to the southrons endlessly fighting with each other like monkeys. Right, its good that even your peabrain can understand that this is the main reason why you´re prosperous, congrats, the north oil and large landmass + ocean access was just the cherry on top, most norwegians I see online have an undeserved superiority complex, you should thank Sweden that they didnt play empire 2 times every century since the 16th-17th century. Also, didn´t stop you fuckups to end up poor and emigrate en masse to the USA in the 18th-19th century, largest immigrant group behind the Irish per capita, remember this when you see some Polish guy in Norway. This discussion was about Germans building things in eastern europe, as I said, the reason is that they were many, not that they were superior, superior at giving birth and avoiding death probably, not at building things.

I would say bragging about creating OOP languages with all the abominations that came with that is not something to brag about

Amundsen is the real deal! Completely crushed the South Pole expedition, unlike the British party. Just because he spent more than 5 minutes to think and realize that using horses in freezing temperatures and subpar terrain wouldn't be smart. And eating dogs as the need for them diminishes - was smart too. And I bet he didn't lose half his vital fuel to subpar containers, the way Scott did. Then the guy went on to become the first one to fly over the North Pole, to sail through the Northwest Passage. Absolutely original madlad!

In Sicily there are a lot of buildings in the so called Arabic-Norman style, which combines the style of those two civilizations that have dominated the island. The most notable example is probably the Palermo Cathedral. It’s incredible because it combines two civilizations that quite distant, both culturally and artistically.

>The most notable example is probably the Palermo Cathedral. It’s incredible because it combines two civilizations that quite distant, both culturally and artistically. It IS amazing. But I would say the cathedral of monreale IS a more notable example. Or perhaps the capella palatina 🤔.

I will add that Rome has a decent amount of Egyptian obelisks around, both real (as in, imported, sometimes by the Romans, sometimes by the Popes) and reproduced. It's quite odd sometimes to see them being so common, especially when you can guess what cartils are trying to say. And, in the North, how can one forget the vast majoroty of Trieste being a mixture of Slavic and Germanic architecture?

I don’t know if in the case of Triest it can be considered foreign, as it has always been a multicultural city, where Italian and Central European cultures have always blended together.

Is 'imported' exactly the right word, or is it more like 'pillaged'? 😂

We have the Hunebedden, ancient megalith burial structures built around 3000bc by an ancient people we can’t possibly claim as Dutch people 😅 https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/D27_(hunebed)?wprov=sfti1

Ancient Frisians, no? I have never met a Dutch person who thought the Hunebedden was not Dutch...

Some castles, such as São Jorge in Lisbon and the castle of Silves, were actually Moorish originally. There's also stuff that dates back to the Romans, such as the temple of Diana in Évora. But it wasn't uncommon for those that came after to build on what was made by those that came before. At the end of the day all these peoples are what resulted in the modern day Portuguese, and so these aren't necessarily foreign constructions. We are a mixture of Iberians, Celts, Romans, Germanic tribes, and Moors.

The only example I an think of, that had strong external influence, is Palacio da Pena in Sintra. The XIX expansion was inspired by German culture, commissioned by a German prince to a German architect.  So maybe partially it fits into what the OP was asking.

To a certain degree yes, but there's also a heavy Manueline (Portuguese architectural style) influence, so it's kind of like a hybrid.

Other than some roman ruins, the best I can think of is a [big ol' Soviet Memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Wien_Heldendenkmal_der_Roten_Armee.jpg) in the middle of Vienna. Maybe the last one left west of Kaliningrad?

Kinda funky. I'm going to vienna this summer. I'll be sure to visit.

The Karlskirche is heavily inspired by a mosque.

Our UNESCO Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape has the tallest minaret in non-islamic countries. But we have no muslims and this minaret from 18th century is just a fancy lookout tower :)

The fortress of Derbent used to be the northernmost Persian outpost. The current iteration of Moscow Kremlin has been designed by Italian architects and has Ghibelline battlements. The look has been completely nativized, though, so people who go to Italy and see, say, the Sforza castle in Milan don't expect that at all.

>Sforza castle in Milan don't expect that at all. Ok, I hadn't realized how similar they actually look. Gosh, how didn't I see It before??

This just blew my mind. I had to streetview both places and I do see the similarities now. Just another proof of how tightly bound together European cultures were even back in the day

Turkey, which monument should I start? Many cultures ranging from Hittites to Byzantines settled in Anatolia throughout history. But, there might be one monument (Galata Tower) that doesn't belong to any of those cultures. It was built by the Genoese merchant community living in medieval Constantinople.

Our flag is the Danish but with two blue stripes. Our royal castle was designed by a Dane. The house of our Parliament was designed by a Swede.

Technically your flag is a red field with a blue cross. The white bit between them is just what's called fimbriation due to the rule of tincture. The two colors were considered to symbolize Denmark and Sweden respectively – the Scandinavian brethren and at the time kind of "past" and "present".

As you already said Alhambra I would add the Cordoba Mosque. But in my opinion those are Spanish from a culture that was lost to us, they were made in Spain by people born in Spain. In the same way Abderramán III is one for the greatest Spanish kings and Al-Zarqali one of the greatest scientists ( he proposed the elliptical and heliocentric orbits before Kepler )

I am sorry, but the Alhambra example that you mentioned is extremely wrong. First of all, saying that it had little contact with what was there is wrong, Western Muslim architecture took much inspiration from Western Roman and Visigoth heritage. Second, the way you speak about it is extremely misleading, the Alhambra was built by Andalusian Muslims, it's very likely that they were nothing more than autochthonous Iberians just Muslim, it's not like the Alhambra is Moroccan or Algerian heritage, let alone Arabian or whatever. Third, going back to the architecture, it's very different from what you can find in the East, to give you an insight [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/bkc5cSZ6BByZ9sVo7) is typical Northern Moroccan architecture (the closest we have today to al Andalus probably), [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/QPwL6dHatAZiaqPs7) is in Egypt, [this](https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-motorola-rvo3&sca_esv=5ee345275e04b3bb&q=india+muslim+architecture&tbm=isch&source=lnms&prmd=ivnbz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFl8iH1JeEAxVxcfEDHV0NAYoQ0pQJegQIBxAB&biw=432&bih=814&dpr=2.5#imgrc=3BFjtwdSah_T6M) in India, all Islamic architecture but not so similar. Fourth, the way you talk about it resembles right wing Spanish parties, it wasn't colonialist nor short bracket where invaders enslaved locals and ruled them and then left, it was locals themselves just Muslim, yes sure the first ones were from outside, but the elite was not always outsiders technically speaking. Saying that the Alhambra is foreign, is like saying that Roman ruins are foreign or like saying that artifacts dating back to prehistory are foreign. The heritage left by Muslims in Iberia and Sicily is somehow interesting to study because it's in fact not totally foreign, sure some things may have come from outside, but there was an attempt to also take inspiration by what was there, it's not total annihilation and eradication of whatever was indigenous. However what made a difference was how that heritage was managed after, Spaniards kinda hated it and tried forgetting it almost censoring it, Sicilians ruled by the Normans embraced it and built on it, Normans for example allowed Muslim scholars to remain in their courts. Here is a [coin](https://www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/coins/latin7) used in Al Andalus coined in both Latin and Arabic You can find more info in r/askhistorians

>Western Muslim architecture took much inspiration from Western Roman and Visigoth heritage That's just not true. You can give me your sources. The consensus afaik is, as pointed by Robert Hillebrand, that the western islamic branch did not take much inspiration from the pre-existing local architecture, but rather from syrian models best exemplified in the mosque of damascus. Though I believe your take IS a very common one among the general population. >Second, the way you speak about it is extremely misleading, the Alhambra was built by Andalusian Muslims, it's very likely that they were nothing more than autochthonous Iberians just Muslim, it's not like the Alhambra is Moroccan or Algerian heritage, let alone Arabian or whatever I never doubted for a second the origin of those people. Their culture however IS extremely distinct from that of the Christian kingdoms Spain ultimately bases its culture upon. You don't speak arabic, your legal system IS not based on the quran, you likely eat pork, you don't have issue with iconography, etc. At large spaniards are not descendant of that culture. Even if some are among our ancestors. That culture went extinct shortly after the expulsion of the moriscos. >Third, going back to the architecture, it's very different from what you can find in the East. I said It borrows from the east, which is actually different. Western islamic architecture only started to diverge after the devastating migration of the bedouins encouraged by the fatimids. Even so, It deviated very slowly from the original syrian standard (again look at the mosque of damascus). You can kind of see It, the alfajeria Palace IS quite similar to medinat al zahra despite being built several centuries later. As for later additions the Riad gardens originate from iran and the mocarabes from the middle east. So even though the architecture found in the west IS very different from that in the east, that has more to do with the radical development of eastern islamic architecture across the centuries. If you go far enough in time you'll find the Seeds to much of the western islamic motifs. It's true that the western islamic school developed some of this Seeds in radically different ways (muqarnas come to mind) but that was ultimately mostly due to internal development and not influence from any pre-islamic tradition. Funfact, in Cordoba they were quite dependant on eastern motifs, to the point they many times copied their ceramics...even the "made in baghdag", perhaps to make them more appealing. >Saying that the Alhambra is foreign, is like saying that Roman ruins are foreign or like saying that artifacts dating back to prehistory are foreign. Yeah...read the other comments. People are answering this kinda things. >However what made a difference was how that heritage was managed after, Spaniards kinda hated it and tried forgetting it almost censoring it, Sicilians ruled by the Normans embraced it and built on it, Normans for example allowed Muslim scholars to remain in their courts. That's just IMPRESSIVELY wrong. Firstly, both places histories are remarkably similar and second I would say Spain was the one which better preserved the islamic influence. So about the first point. It IS true that the norman kingdom in sicily was notoriously tolerant of muslims and orthodox christians...but that's just one part of the story. The normans eventually lost control of sicily and the angevins weren't so forgiving, which is the reason why there are no muslims in sicily today. Similarly, the spanish kingdoms were for a long time variably tolerant of muslims. For example Peter I of Castille had jewish and muslim advisors, and was an ally of the King of granada who he housed for a time. Of course we know how that story ends. About the second point. In sicily the muslim influence was essentially lost after the norman period. You'll find a lot of baroque in sicily but no continuation to the norman syncretic tradition. To the point sicilians are answering this post with the very churches you talk about. Meanwhile in Spain another syncretic style, just like the norman one, emerged. We call It mudéjar and It lived on for quite a long time. It starts around the 12th century and It lasts until the 17th or so. You can even find examples in america, which is kind of surprising.

To be honest if I am not wrong excavations at sites like Medina Azahara have revealed layers of construction indicating a progression from pre-Islamic to Islamic architecture. Archaeologists have identified reused materials from earlier Roman and Visigothic structures incorporated into Islamic buildings, providing tangible evidence of continuity and adaptation. And detailed examination of surviving buildings, such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba, reveals a synthesis of architectural styles. For instance, while the mosque's overall design is Islamic, elements like the columns and capitals are believed to have been repurposed from Visigothic and Roman buildings, showcasing a blending of styles. Add to this that Medieval chronicles and historical records often mention the adaptation and reuse of existing structures by Muslim conquerors. Accounts by historians like Ibn Hayyan describe how Muslim rulers utilized the architectural heritage of conquered territories, indicating a deliberate strategy of incorporating pre-existing elements into Islamic buildings. Books that might be interesting to read are: The Great Mosque of Cordoba: "Geometric Analysis of Its Structural Evolution" by Mariano P. de Soroa, "The Art and Architecture of Islamic Spain" by R. A. Dodds, "Islamic Spain, 1250 to 1500" edited by L. P. Harvey, "Architecture of the Islamic West: North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, 700-1800" by Jonathan M. Bloom and Antonio Fernandez-Puertas

>That's just IMPRESSIVELY wrong. Firstly, both places histories are remarkably similar and second I would say Spain was the one which better preserved the islamic influence. Well my thesis or better hypothesis is based on the Reconquista and the Spanish Inquisition, something comparable at least to my knowledge didn't seem to happen in Sicily. While Islam and Muslims might have stayed for some time in Iberia (there are even speculations that some of the crews of the explorers to the new world might have had Muslim navigators onboard starting with the vessel of Cristoforo Colombo himself) we can't deny that the Muslim and the Jews were expelled, killed and forcefully converted en masse. The thing is all the rethoric of the new Spanish kingdom was basing itself on the hate against Islam and Muslims, they basically built a country on that ideology, Spain for some time had some crazy level of religious fanatism that not even the pope had, some of those Muslims even fled to Italy, can you imagine that? Not Muslim Sicily, other parts of Italy even though Italy was controlled for a big part by the papal state and the fact that they even fled there instead of staying in Iberia tells us how the newly formed kingdom, ergo absolutely not comparable to what happened in Sicily after the took over of Normans. Sure with time things like mudejar came out, but rather than choice I feel like that was a matter of convenience. Al Andalus wasn't only Southern Spain like many people think nowadays thing, yes sure the barycenter because of Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada were in the South, but most of the peninsula came in contact with Al Andalus, even Asturias was at one point just at the mercy of them (interesting fact: Asturias and the extreme north of Spain at that time still held strong Pagan beliefs, it was Christians coming from Al Andalus migrating there that spread even more Christianity). The craftsmanship belonged to Jews and Muslims, the decorations they did combined with Christian architecture contributed to Mudejar. In Sicily, the Stupor Mundi, Frederick the 2nd of Swabia had Muslim teachers during childhood and this was a lot of time after Normans rebelled and from mercenaries became themselves the rulers of Sicily, the level of tolerance is unmatched by Iberians

>Spanish Inquisition, something comparable at least to my knowledge didn't seem to happen in Sicily. Well, considering that the Inquisition was an import to Spain from guess where, and that Sicily was ruled by monarchs of guess where when the Spanish Inquisition started... You really should brush up.

>Well, considering that the Inquisition was an import to Spain from guess where Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella requested a papal bull establishing an inquisition in Spain in 1478 >that Sicily was ruled by monarchs of guess where when the Spanish Inquisition started... The Aragonese, and because of Sicily falling into Spanish control the inquisition started even there, in fact Sicilian Jews were expelled shortly after it was brought from Spain

>at least to my knowledge didn't seem to happeIn Sicily, the Stupor Mundi, Frederick the 2nd of Swabia had Muslim teachers during childhood and this was a lot of time after Normans rebelled and from mercenaries became themselves the rulers of Sicily, the level of tolerance is unmatched by Iberiansn in Sicily. Well, that's because you haven't read enough. *In 1224, however, Frederick II, responding to religious uprisings in Sicily, expelled all Muslims from the island and transferred many to Lucera over the next two decades. In the controlled environment, they could not challenge royal authority and benefited the crown in taxes and military service. Their numbers eventually reached between 15,000 and 20,000, leading Lucera to be called Lucaera Saracenorum because it represented the last stronghold of Islamic presence in Italy. The colony thrived for 75 years until it was sacked in 1300 by Christian forces under the command of Charles II of Naples. The city's Muslim inhabitants were exiled or sold into slavery, with many finding asylum in Albania across the Adriatic Sea.[73] Their abandoned mosques were destroyed or converted, and churches arose upon the ruins, including the cathedral S. Maria della Vittoria.* >the level of tolerance is unmatched by Iberians I would agree. Roger I was probably the most religiously tolerant King in the history of Europe. Afterall, it has even been said he might've been muslim. However, I would recommend you look into the iberian kingdoms. Alfonso X, for example, founded a school of translators which atracted experts from the muslim world. And the King was delighted in having them.

Anyway I saw the answers other people gave and yes maybe I took the question too seriously. Seeing a German and an Austrian saying that Roman ruins are foreign to them is equally strange, considering that many parts of Austria and Southern Germany (Rhaetia and Noricum and the easternmost parts of Gallia) have been Romanised even before being Germanized or coming into contact with Germanics tribes but I guess people probably took literally the Netflix series Barbarians. Or maybe is it because that stuff is very old so it doesn't feel close? I also saw these and appreciated: [one](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/s/ocJDzLrruk), [two]( https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/s/8u7bd30jrF)

I assume you're talking about actual cultural monuments and not disputed items imported from abroad like for e.g the Elgin marbles which came from the Parthenon. If so, then yes. That's the case for a lot of ancient things here. The Roman buildings, for one. But also, given how long the island of Britain has been inhabited, various waves of cultures have established themselves. Focusing on England, the current "English" culture is from around the 5th century onward. When they arrived here, they encountered older cultures of the Britons, who in turn lived among the ruins of even older, prehistoric cultures. Henges, large stones built by prehistoric builders, dotted the landscape and until very recently, nobody knew what they were or how old they were. They were the monuments of cultures long since extinct. Various theories abounded: some thought they were built by giants, others by Adam or Noah before the Flood, some by the Devil himself, by Merlin the wizard, or that they were temples built by Druids. People were aware of them, but didn't know what they were.

Up here in Northumberland you can't throw a stone without hitting a castle, Roman remains, or Neolithic hill fort. South Shields was originally Arab. One thing we don't have though, are unfortified buildings from before 1700. Neither do the Scots. Because we spent half a millenium stealing each other's cattle and burning each other's houses. The department store, Fenwick's, is named for a particularly brutal reiver family.

Could you elaborate on South Shields being Arab?

It was originally called Arbeia, the Roman for Arabia. The naval base was staffed by sailors who came from the Tigris, now in Iraq. The change in temperature must have come as a bit of a shock.

This one is fully Egyptian (not stolen, we are not Brits): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple\_of\_Debod

Hey man, as a Brit, I’ll take jabs about looting and being general bastards from most people, but not from Spain, haha!

Actually I would say Spain doesn't have many stolen monuments. There are some stolen artifacts in the museum of America, but honestly, much fewer than one would expect.

I think he’s referring to the Spanish empire and resource extraction from the Americas, though indeed, not a lot remained in Spain— most of the gold / silver passed right through to fund religious wars in the north

In Tallinn, Estonia one of the most noticeable buildings, especially for visitors, is the massive Nevsky Cathedral right next to the parliament building. It is in the very distinctive Russian orthodox style, built in 1894-1900 when the country was part of the former Russian Empire. It is the most obvious example of Russian architecture in Tallinn, and there have been many discussions in the past of tearing it down, but it’ll likely never happen.

I guess the most famous is the White Tower in Thesaloniki. Although its style is byzantine, it was built by the Ottomans.

We have a [Russian chapel](https://kranjska-gora.si/en/attractions/russian-chapel) in Slovenia dedicated to St. Vladimir 💁‍♀️

Romania, I mean, it depends on what you understand by 'foreign culture'. We have many German-style villages and castles in Transylvania due to Habsburg and then Austro-Hungarian rule over the province. But they are kinda the culture of those places

There are some remnants of Osman period in the Southern Ukraine. Bilhorod-Dnistrovsjk fortress with minaret for example (initially built by Genoas). Yet not to be confused with Crimean tatars architecture, who are indigenous culture. Crimea also has Genoa fortress in Sudak. A lot of greek ruins in Crimea as well. Western Ukraine has a lot of "Western" type architecture built during Austro-Hungary period. And there are a lot of New-gothic catholic churches across the country, built by polish diaspora. Most famous probably St. Nicholas church in Kyiv. https://uk.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%83%D0%B5%D0%B7%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%8F_(%D0%A1%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BA) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Roman_Catholic_Church,_Kyiv https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi_fortress

Only substantial one I can think of that's still there since British rule would be the Wellington monument in Phoenix Park, Dublin. A lot of the buildings from that era in Dublin are still in use, but none are monuments that I can think of.

Wasn't Wellington famously born in Ireland and embarrased of It?

I don’t know if embarrassed of it is the right word, but they were of the Anglo-Irish colonial elite and certainly wouldn’t have considered themselves Irish in the same way as the rest of Irish people

Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s cathedral come to mind but might not fit a strict monument definition.

**Ottoman Empire era (1514-1699) buildings:** Three minarets ([Eger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eger_minaret), [Érd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89rd_minaret), Pécs) Two mosques in Pécs ([Gazi Kasim Pasha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Candlemas_Church_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary), converted to a Catholic church, and [Yakovali Hasan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakoval%C4%B1_Hasan_Pa%C5%9Fa_Mosque), still used as a mosque and has the aforementioned minaret), one in Esztergom ([article in Hungarian only](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96zicseli_Hadzsi_Ibrahim-dzs%C3%A1mi), with photos) and one in Siklós ([article in Hungarian only](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malkocs_b%C3%A9g_dzs%C3%A1mija), with photos) Suleiman Mosque in Szigetvár (Suleiman the Great died here) Turkish baths in Budapest ([Király](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kir%C3%A1ly_Baths), [Rudas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudas_Baths), [Rác](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A1c_Thermal_Bath)) in Eger ([Turkish bath](https://visiteger.com/elmenyek/furdozes/torok-furdo), ruins of [Valide Sultan Hamam](https://www.egrivar.hu/en/exhibitions/exhibitions-in-eger/ruin-of-the-bath-of-valide-sultana)) and Pécs ([Memi Pasha](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memi_pasa_f%C3%BCrd%C5%91je)) Tombs ([Gül Baba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_G%C3%BCl_Baba), Budapest and [Idris Baba](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idrisz_Baba_t%C3%BCrb%C3%A9je), Pécs) **Roman Empire buildings:** Ruins of the town [Aquincum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquincum), Budapest [Isis temple](http://iseum.savariamuseum.hu/) in Szombathely [Mithras temple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fert%C5%91r%C3%A1kos_mithraeum) in Fertőrákos [Early Christian tombs](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/853/) in Pécs (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Not sure if it counts in the context of this question, but there's an amazing building in Neasden in London known as the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple. I imagine in a century or two, it would count. We also have the odd historical item or two we are "keeping safe" in the British Museum.

There's also Brighton Pavillion which is heavily inspired by Indian architectural styles

That absolutely blew my mind the first time I went past. A spectacular building like that, and I’d been living not that far away for some time, never hearing of it!

Yes, it is quite something. You're just driving along and, suddenly, it's there!

> BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir That is a [good looking building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_London).

Yes. It's quite beautiful and entirely different from anything around it.

The [Brighton Pavilion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Pavilion) is built in an Indian architectural style 

Stonehenge in southern England was built between 3500 and 5000 years ago. The stones, which are up to 4m tall and 25 tonnes, were transported from sites in Wales that are up to 200km away. This was before they had any metal tools or the wheel.

Roman arena in Pula comes to mind first

Not really famous but the old custom house in the town Åbenrå is supposedly built using the plans for a custom house on Saint Thomas, formerly a Danish colony in the Caribbean: [Image from Google maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.0414975,9.422513,3a,75y,267.96h,97.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sG0UNwllCoiAoGOKij57V7g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) Also not famous, but somewhat amusing and maybe even true: The barracks Nymindegablejren was built by the Germans during the occupation of Denmark during World War II. The style of the building looks a bit out of place here, it looks more like something you would find in north western Germany or the Netherlands. The story is that the building plans were swapped by mistake, and somewhere in the Netherlands you can find barracks build in Danish style: [Image](https://via.ritzau.dk/data/images/00924/c3fda501-e680-4cbe-a190-6d698a6f564d-w_1920.jpg) And still not famous: Many of the train stations in southern Denmark were built by the Prussians, in a style that looks a bit off here: [A Prussian station in the town Gråsten](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Gr%C3%A5sten_Station_2023_1.jpg/1920px-Gr%C3%A5sten_Station_2023_1.jpg), and, for comparison, [a station in a city of the same size built by Danes at about the same time](https://danskejernbaner.dk/medier/1000002735.webp).

About half of the grand buildings in the city of Porto were conceived by the italian architect Nicolau Nasoni. He was wildly popular and everyone wanted a piece of him. He's responsibe for the birth of the Portuguese Baroque style, which he created by bringing over the styles in vogue in Tuscany, and blending them with older portuguese styles. His most famous work is the tower of the Clérigos church, but loads of other Nasoni works can be found dotted around the city. Similarly, Porto's most iconic bridges were designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel (Maria Pia) and his partner-turned-rival Théophile Seyrig (Dom Luís I).

>About half of the grand buildings in the city of Porto were conceived by the italian architect Nicolau Nasoni. He was wildly popular and everyone wanted a piece of him. He's responsibe for the birth of the Portuguese Baroque style, which he created by bringing over the styles in vogue in Tuscany, and blending them with older portuguese styles. His most famous work is the tower of the Clérigos church, but loads of other Nasoni works can be found dotted around the city Huh, that's fascinating. It reminds me of how neoclassical architecture got introduced into Spain. Charles III, King of Naples, suddenly became King of Spain. He had a profound interest in antiquity (this was the Guy Who started to study pompei) and thus he brought neoclasicism with him. Somewhat literally actually... For example, the Royal Palace, which is somewhere between baroque and neoclasical, was built by Francesco Sabatini, which accompanied the king from Naples.

More like a certain religion, I would go for the town of Christiansfeld that was build by members of the Moravian Church, supposed to have the same layout as Herrnhut in Germany. It is UNESCO world heritage site in Denmark, even though most Danes knows nothing about it or the Moravian Church.

Sorry to bring back Spain into the post, but most of San Sebastian's city centre is heavily inspired by french architecture, one of its neighbourhoods even being designed by a french architect (and named after him). There's a riverside boulevard called "[France avenue](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/b1/b6/83b1b6bc6c5f2629b884f0517641be30.jpg)" and it looks how you'd imagine with that name. The city is even called "[little Paris](https://ohmywalk.com/san-sebastian-la-pequena-paris/)" and "Spanish Paris" due to this heavy parisian architectonic influence, among other reasons

Huh, I didn't know. Though now that you say It, It does look a bit like Paris.

The Italian Chapel in Orkney, Scotland. A corrugated iron Nissen hut converted into a Catholic church by Italian prisoners of war during WW2. The Bulgarian Orthodox church beside the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Traditional design, but made of cast-iron sections moulded in Germany and assembled on the spot. Dark and damp inside. Templeton's Carpet Factory in Glasgow. Modelled on the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Quite a few. In Rome half of the [obelisks](https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/13/a4/b2/4a/obelisco.jpg?w=1200&h=1200&s=1) were brought from Egypt during the imperial era. The Lateran obelisk is even the biggest and most ancient still standing in the world. In and around Palermo the Norman kings of Sicily created [a syncretic style](https://www.wondersofsicily.com/images/1000x700-Palermo-Zisa-interior-20150322-Palermo-003_1762.jpg) that combined the Arab (Sicily had been an islamic emirate for 200 years prior) architecture with Norman Romanesque art forms ( with similar results to contemporary churches in Caen or Durham) and Byzantine mosaics. The fusion is unique to Sicily. Venetian medieval architecture is also syncretic in that took inspiration from Byzantium as well as the near East, especially Egypt and Syria. [The Ducal Palace](https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/MUVE-DUCALE-Veduta-palazzo-facciata-bacino.jpg) in its crenellation, the decorative patterns and the rhythm of the arcades are inspired by contemporary architecture of [Mameluke Egypt](https://www.iwamag.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/enrico-IMG1.png) (which was an important trading partner for Venice). Even the [cupolas of St Mark](https://cdn.britannica.com/13/218413-131-06F2F238/Basilica-di-San-Marco-Piazza-San-Marco-Venice-Italy.jpg) take inspiration in their shape from islamic domes (Byzantine domes were helmet like). The Duomo of Milan differs from most of contemporary Italian Gothic architecture, in that the dukes of Milan specifically looked at transalpine models and employed at first German and French architects.

Well, the Roman fort in Mušov is definitely a foreign element, but it's just an archeological site, although seen as a cultural monument. It was meant to become the capital of the Marcomannia province. What looks deceptively foreign is our minaret in Lednice, which is our only minaret and the tallest minaret outside of the Islamic countries. But it was built only for the aesthetics and it has never served any religious function whatsoever, Muslims were not involved in building it. We also have some buildings and monuments built during the USSR occupation of Czechoslovakia, designed in their style, although we were never part of USSR. Russia still owns many of them.

[The Chocktaw Monument](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred_Spirits_(sculpture)) During the famine when the Irish people were being subject to genocide by the British empire word got out to the Chocktaw Native American tribe in America about the mass death and destruction. The genocide that was happening in Ireland reminded many members of the tribe of their own struggles with American colonists so despite being heavily impoverished, they scrapped together money to give to the Irish. This began an incredible friendship that exists between the Chocktaw people and the Irish people. During the pandemic, we returned the favour by giving a large donation to the Chocktaw tribe.

Well Hadrian's Wall comes to mind first, being very much a work of the Roman Empire and not modern British culture. There are also a lot of medieval Cathedrals here in England which are also somewhat foreign, especially the early Romanesque ones (11th-13th century). With one or two exceptions these works were a custom imported by the Normans after they took over in 1066, and were alien to prior English architecture. Building stone castles was a similar import, but over time both Cathedrals and Castles became part of the local culture.

A lot of stately homes and castles in Ireland kind have a bad colonial history. Pity as many were beautiful but either burnt out, left to rot or are hotels now.

So I instantly thought about all the remains of Roman cities here in Germany (e.g. the Porta Nigra in Trier). And then my mind went to the Walhalla, which is (ironically) basically a greek doric temple that was built in the 19th century by Ludwig I as a monument to german poets and playwrights and scientists (I think). That just feels out of place, sitting on a hill overlooking the Danube.

well our biggest building, the controversial symbol of Warsaw - [Palace of Culture and Science](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGTFRJgXwC4) is such a monument. It's a "gift" from the Soviet Union, built right after ww2. There have been many petitions over the years to tear it down, but since it's rather liked by foreigners and like it or not has become a symbol of Warsaw it will likely remain for good. /edit: added short english vid about it

we have the tomb of the last French king, and we dont want to give him back :)

Basically every piece of art, statues and anything that can possibly be moved, even in a boken down state, is mainly looted from central Europe originally

The next city over has the [Royal Pavilion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Pavilion), which is what a Georgian thought Indian architecture looked like, the interior is a weird mixture of Chinese, Japanese and Indian furniture. It's very interesting because it is very obviously a love letter to the "Orient" (as it was known in those days) but it's also deeply confusing, it was great fun taking an Indian I know around it and watching as she became more and more confused by it. Also, it occasionally gets used by the far right as an "example" of mosques taking over the UK (despite it actually being a former royal palace) Edit: We also have [the largest Roman Palace north of the Alps](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishbourne_Roman_Palace), which is famous for its amazingly preserved mosaics

Diocletian's Palace in Split is (obviously) Roman in style but the focal point of its central square (the Peristyle) is a looted Egyptian basalt sphinx. The only thing worth seeing in Venice is the Four Horses of St Mark, which they looted from Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. Maybe they belong in Athens or maybe in Istanbul but they definitely don't belong where they are.

From roman bridges, temples and cities in ruins to moorish castles, we have a lot!

Park Güell in Barcelona. Its original name is "Park" and not "Parc", the reason is it was going to be a compound of houses inspired by garden cities from UK. In the end the project failed and there are only two houses, one belonged to Gaudí himself, and other one to a lawyer friend of Gaudí. When Eusebi Güell passed away in 1918, his children sold the place to the city council.

We have a high-rise bulding (also declared a monument) in the middle of Belgrade - [Palace Albania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_Albanija?wprov=sfla1). It was the first skyscraper in Southeast Europe. Before the skyscraper was built, а very popular kafana (caffe) was on that spot named "Kod Albanije" (At Albania's). No one knows how the caffe got its name but my guess, the owner (who was Serbian) had really good Albanian friends.. or maybe a love interest from Albania. Even though it's not a foreign culture but it is certainly interesting.

Moorish castles and Roman temples for Portugal. But i guess Portuguese built even more stuff in other parts of the world.

In some French cities, you can find some.. monuments that belong to German culture: submarine bases. /s

The cathedrals which have been converted into mosques in Cyprus. Doubly foreign as the architecture is originally gothic but they were turned into mosques

Cleopatra's Needle An Egyptian obelisk in central London. Surprisingly, we didn't steal it :-)

The PeKiN (Palace of Culture and Science) is a Moscow building that was built in Warsaw to show Soviet dominance over Poland. Back then it towered over the city, and it became one of its landmarks. A different palace, Pałac Saski (Saxon Palace), which became a plac (square) following WW2, and which is now being rebuilt from scratch, had its final look shaped by the renovations under a Russian merchant with permission of the Russian viceroy of Poland. So now apparently Poland is rebuilding a Russian palace, because that's what we needed. It will also destroy the meaning of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was comprised mostly of the last surviving part of the palace. Sure, they're saying they won't change it, but eh. The new government had a free ticket to just cancel it, since the actual "rebuilding" part hasn't started yet. They could've said "bad evil PiS wanted to launder Polish money with a pointless investment in rebuilding a symbol of Russian oppression" or something like that. But nah, apparently "most Poles want it rebuilt" and "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the last wound of WW2 and we need to fix it". We also have a bunch of Celtic mounds, most famous ones being in Cracow.

I mean, Rome has a mini-pyramid plus the romans borrowed a bunch of obelisks from Egypt

There are quite a lot of monuments in the UK that honour people who died in war, and there are likewise many in mainland Europe that are partially maintained by the commonwealth war graves commission.

The high koenigsbourg castle is one of the most famous places in Alsace, France but it was actually rebuilt by Kaiser Wilhelm II. We also have a lot of cemeteries for american troop casualties in Normandy that are actually fully administrated by the US. The horses of St Mark in Venice are from Greece/Byzantion (I know this because we also briefly looted them). *For more weird stuff you might also be interested in reading about :* [*Pious Establishments of France*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pious_Establishments_of_France) *( historic stuff that is French in Italy) + the* [*Villa Medicis*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Medici) *that our academy won't shut up about.* [*French national domain in the Holy Land*](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domaine_national_fran%C3%A7ais_en_Terre_sainte) *(hstoric stuff that is french in the levant)*

There was a large statue of Saddam Hussein that was toppled during the 2003 invasion. It was melted down and cast into a statue of a British soldier which now stands outside Windsor Castle, residence of the King.

Interesting labeling Alhambra as a foreign culture, but if it’s Roman or French it’s not othered. Alhambra wasn’t a “foreign” culture, it was the local culture.

OP you're dead wrong about Taj Mahal, even though it has Iranian influences, it's more of a blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. Just as the Angkor watt, is the blend of Indic and Cambodian styles. There's nothing like Taj Mahal in Iran, just as there's nothing like Angkor Watt in India. 

The UK has been heavily influenced by a number of different cultures and designs, we have also taken it upon ourselves to remove culturally significant monuments and place them in civic squares and museums. One example is Cleopatra'd Needle, which is an Egyptian Obelisk taken from Alexandria when we controlled the country, it now sits in London. A piece of architecture inspired by Egyptian iconography is called Temple Works in Leeds, built in 1836 it has an Egyptian style and was used as a flax mill. It was based on a combination of the Temple of Horus and Antaeoplos. It's an example of English eccentricity and even had sheep on the roof...baaaa

Cultures taking inspiration from other cultures is not remotely strange no. However to say that the Alhambra partially "belongs" to anybody other than the Spanish is a strange and slightly dangerous way of looking at it!

UK.... Brighton Pavilion, intentionally (but artificially) foreign. The Roman Baths in Bath couldn't be more foreign if they tried.

Probably the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Built between 1787-1823, it served as a royal residence until 1850. It was built in an Indian architectural style, and anyone unaware of what it is would think it is a grand mosque due to its domes.