Octagons
Sites that have an octagonal shape (eight sides)
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Aachen Cathedral | Octagonal chamber | |
| Agra Fort | Musamman Burj, a large, octagonal tower with a balcony facing the Taj Mahal | |
| Ancient Nara | Nan'endō and Hoku'endō of Kofukuji, Nara are octagonal halls | |
| Ancient villages of Northern Syria | "an octagon surrounds the base of the column at the top of which Saint Simeon spent many years in prayer." (AB ev) | |
| Archaeological site of Philippi | The Octagon Church | |
| Avignon | Tower des Chiens | |
| Bali Subak system | Pura Pegulingan - octagonal stupa (AB ev) | |
| Belfries | Arras, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Bruges, Hesdin, Menen, Veurne | |
| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe | Hercules monument stands on the Octagon (AB ev) | |
| Blenheim Palace | Elaborate octagonal ceiling in Green Drawing Room | |
| Brugge | The octagonal gothic upper part of the belfry | |
| Castel del Monte | ||
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus | Octagonal central dome | |
| Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye | Octagonal body | |
| Churches of Chiloé | AB Evaluation "The tower is the dominating vertical feature, both as a religious element supporting the Cross and also as a beacon for sailors. are of two or three storeys, with hexagonal or octagonal drums to reduce wind resistance" | |
| Colonies of Benevolence | In the first phase of the Veenhuizen Colony (1823-1859), "an octagonal Dutch Reformed church was built near the Kolonievaart canal". (Nomination file, p. 146) It still exists today. | |
| Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios | Main church of Nea Moni of Chios | |
| Euphrasian Basilica in Porec | octagonal baptistry | |
| Florence | Baptistry; Santa Maria degli Angeli Church; the dome of Florence cathedral; the Cappella dei Principi of the Medici Chapel | |
| Fortifications of Vauban | Neuf-Brisach was built as an octagon | |
| Gamzigrad-Romuliana | The fortifications have octagonal towers | |
| Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz | Pagoda in the english-chinese garden at palace Oranienbaum | |
| Graz | Bell Tower at the Schlossberg | |
| Great Spa Towns of Europe | Bath: "A modest octagonal bandstand with a pyramid roof is in the centre of Parade Gardens." "An important proprietary chapel was the Octagon in Milsom Street. (...) Here small heated rooms for worshippers were arranged around a central octagonal space from which the service was conducted. This became a fashionable chapel and popular with visitors to Bath including Jane Austen. The building closed for worship in 1895 and it has enjoyed several uses since then and is now a restaurant." (Nomination File, p. 285, 287) | |
| Harar Jugol | Church of Medhanie Alem | |
| Hopewell | "Huge earthen squares, circles, and octagons are executed with a precision of form" (AB ev) | |
| Horyu-ji Area | Yumedono | |
| Humayun's Tomb | Isa Khan building | |
| Hué | Tien Mu Pagoda | |
| Hwaseong Fortress | "Seonodae is an octagonal, steep-stepped, black brick platform directly adjacent to Seojangdae at the crest of Paldalsan when heading uphill from Hwaseomun. From here, archers could attack assailants in a wide range of directions and facing downhill, too." - wiki | |
| Imperial Palace | Octagonal Palace at Shenyang Imperial Palace | |
| Istanbul | German Fountain in the northern end of the old hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square) has an octagonal dome | |
| Kandy | Temple of Tooth in Kandy | |
| Kasbah of Algiers | On the rock of the Peñon Island there is an octagonal building from the 16th century with a lighthouse on top. (French Wiki) | |
| Kew Gardens | Pagoda | |
| Kinderdijk | Some of the mills have an octagonal plan | |
| Koguryo Tombs | "There is a temple site of a large scale called the Site of Jongrung Temple 120 meters away from the Tomb of King Tongmyong. This is the site of one-pagoda-three- building temple type unique to Koguryo which had its main buildings in the north, east and west with an octagonal pagoda as its core." - nomination file | |
| Le Havre | Tower of l’Eglise de St Joseph | |
| Longobards in Italy | Campanille of the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo is octagonal, Octagonal lantern at Oratory of Santa Maria in Solario (San Salvatore, Brescia) (wiki) | |
| Major Town Houses | The octagonal hall of the Hôtel Tassel and the octagonal space of the winter garden in central hall of the Hôtel Van Eetvelde. (Nomination file, p. 11, 29-30) | |
| Maritime Greenwich | The Time Ball which has dropped to mark Greenwich Mean time 1pm sits on top of the Octagon room | |
| Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt | Sculptor studios: "The basic shape of the large, heated skylight studio is square, integrating an octagonal tower at the northwest corner." (Nomination file, p. 59) | |
| Medina of Tunis | Youssef Dey Mosque: "Its minaret is the first octagonal minaret to be built in Tunis and was made by the Hafsids." | |
| Minaret of Jam | The circular minaret rests on an octagonal base. (wiki) | |
| Moidams | "Each moidam (or maidam) is an earthen mound (Ga-Moidam) covered in vegetation, topped by a small shrine (Dole or Chou Cha Li) within a low octagonal wall (Garh)." (Ab Ev) | |
| Monastery of Batalha | Capelas Imperfeitas | |
| Mountain Resort, Chengde | Sarira 9 story pagoda | |
| Mudejar Architecture of Aragon | Cupola of the Cathedral in Teruel | |
| Nesvizh | Wiki: "The chateau's corners were fortified with four octagonal towers." | |
| Old City of Jerusalem | Dome of the Rock | |
| Paramaribo | Reformed Church | |
| Paris, Banks of the Seine | The Octagonal Basin ("Bassin octagonal") in the Tuileries Gardens | |
| Petäjävesi Old Church | octagonal dome | |
| Piazza del Duomo (Pisa) | The baptismal font in the Baptistry is octagonal. | |
| Poblet Monastery | The Gothic dome of the abbey church is octagonal. | |
| Quanzhou | Liusheng Pagoda and Wanshou Pagoda (Nomination file, p. 250, 252, 258, 259) | |
| Rammelsberg and Goslar | The upper chapel of the Palace Chapel of St. Ulrich is octagonal. | |
| Rani-ki-Vav | "All pillars in Rani-ki-Vav are uniform in design with square shaped plinths and carved niches housing deities on opposite sides. The octagonal drums are divided into four vertical, decorative segments and the capitals are designed in the form of quadruple brackets, the undersides of which carry four human or animal heads." (AB ev) | |
| Ravenna | Basilica of San Vitale, Arian Baptistery, Baptistery of Neon | |
| Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France | Octagonal bell tower Saint Sernin Toulouse | |
| Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil | Jannatara, a large octagonal structure covered with a shallow dome that projects into the Shahidgah cemetery to its north (Archnet) | |
| Saltaire | New Mill: Italianate style square chimney with round headed openings and octagonal lantern | |
| Sambor Prei Kuk | A particular feature of the North and South Groups is the octagonal shaped temple (AB ev) | |
| San Marino and Mount Titano | First Tower, "Rocca or Guaita". (...) the First Tower has two defensive walls with merlons and corner towers and has an octagonal plan." (Nomination file, p. 26) | |
| Santa Cruz de Mompox | Santa Barbara tower | |
| Santiago de Compostela | The cathedral's dome is octagonal: "Hanging from the octagonal dome, opposite the altar, we can see the rope and system of pulleys designed in the 16th century to operate the famous "Botafumeiro" censer." | |
| Selimiye Mosque | The amalgamation of the main hall forms a fused octagon with the dome-covered square (wiki) | |
| Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple | (Dabotap Pagoda) "Four stone square pillars support the pagoda's first roof, where is built a square stone railing. Inside the railing is the body of the pagoda, and above it, standing on the second octagonal-shaped roof surrounded by an octagonal stone railing, are eight bamboo-shaped stone pillars support the octagonal-shaped lotus stone carved with sixteen petals. Above it eight stone pillars support the third octagonal-shaped roof." - wiki | |
| Siena | "The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal structure in Siena Cathedral sculpted by Nicola Pisano and his assistants". | |
| Singapore Botanic Gardens | Band stand | |
| Soltaniyeh | ||
| Split | Cathedral | |
| Studley Royal Park | Octagon Tower | |
| Summer Palace | Hall of Buddhist Incense | |
| Syracuse | The sanctuary of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro | |
| Tower of Hercules | Top | |
| Val di Noto | The octagonal dome of the Badia di Sant'Agata in Catania | |
| Venice and its Lagoon | Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Friari | |
| Verla Groundwood and Board Mill | Octagonal Pavillion at the end of Bowling Alley | |
| Villa Romana del Casale | The octagonal frigidarium (cold room) of the baths complex (AB Ev) | |
| West Lake | West Lake's Leifeng and Liuhe Pagodas are octagonal | |
| Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia | "The Ahi Şerefeddin Tomb is located next to the Arslanhane Lodge. It has an octagonal pyramidal cone that sits atop an octagonal drum, which in turn sits on a square base" (AB ev) | |
| Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Octagons?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source