Astronomy and Astrology

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth. Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world.

World Heritage Sites connected to 'Astronomy and Astrology':

  • Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis Tomb at Deir el-Bahari: astronomical ceiling containing the oldest version of an Egyptian celestial diagram ever discovered; link
  • Caral-Supe Especially at Chupacigarro
  • Chaco Culture Pueblo Bonito - layout and astronomical petroglyphs
  • Chichen-Itza El Caracol
  • Decorated Grottoes of the Vézère Valley A number of the Lascaux pictures have a possible astronomical significance; link
  • Dengfeng Observatory
  • El Fuerte de Samaipata
  • El Tajin
  • Gebel Barkal Orientation of the temples and pyramids, celestial diagram ; link
  • Gyeongju Cheomseongdae observatory; link
  • Jantar Mantar It is a collection of astronomical instruments
  • Koguryo Tombs There are examples of Goguryeo tombs in which constellations were drawn on tomb ceiling murals. "The wall paintings document the history, religious beliefs, and customs of the contemporary people, as well as science and culture. They show costumes, arms, musical instruments, dance, astronomy, etc." - AB Document
  • Maritime Greenwich
  • Nasca Lines
  • Palenque astronomical observatory
  • Pienza Piccolomini Palace: Allesandro Piccolomini was a 16th century scholar and astronomer, who wrote The treatises Sfera del mondo e Delle stelle fisse (The sphere of the world and The fixed stars) (1540), in which he adhered to Ptolemaic theories.
  • Potsdam Babelsberg Observatory
  • Pyramids (Memphis) The three main Giza pyramids are orientated to the cardinal directions with extraordinary precision. For such huge monuments, this could only have been achieved by astronomical observation; link
  • Quirigua
  • Quseir Amra Has a very early Zodiac painted on the ceiling of the dome
  • Rapa Nui Ahu Huri A Urenga: This site near the town of Hanga Roa has a single statue that looks toward the spot where the sun rises on the day of the winter solstice
  • Rome Pantheon: "The monument acts like a giant sundial with a dark interior"; link
  • Samarkand Ulugh Beg's observatory; link
  • Selimiye Mosque The Muvakkithane (clock house) is located in the northeast corner room ... From here the Muvakkit (timekeepers) prepared the annual calendar and the Ramadan timetable. They also gave basic astronomy lessons when required. (AB)
  • St. Petersburg Pulkovo Observatory (Struve was its first director)
  • Stonehenge "icon of ancient astronomy"; link
  • Strasbourg Cathedral: sundials, zodiac; link
  • Struve Geodetic Arc Tartu Observatory
  • Tiwanaku
  • Torun
  • Uxmal
  • Vatican City The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world. In fact, three early observatories were founded by the Papacy: the Observatory of the Roman College (1774-1878), the Observatory of the Capitol (1827-1870), and the Specula Vaticana (1789-1821).
  • Vienna Urania; link
  • Walled City of Baku The Maiden Tower possibly served as an astronomical observatory
  • Xochicalco
  • Yin Xu Oracle bone inscriptions reveal that the Shang could already record solar and lunar eclipses and star configurations accurately. They also gained a comparatively early understanding of supernova and other astronomical phenomena. (nom file)