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The Sydney Opera House just ranked among the world's top 10 most recognisable landmarks

Sydney's famous harbour-side venue has just ranked as the 6th-most well-known landmark in the world

Winnie Stubbs
Written by
Winnie Stubbs
Lifestyle Writer
Sydney aerial shot
Photograph: Supplied | Destination NSW
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Arching its unique shape into the sky above Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House is without a doubt our city’s most famous and distinct landmark. Built to mimic the awe-inspiring Mayan temples of times gone by, the architectural masterpiece is so much more than a live performance space – it’s a cultural institution, and the jewel in Sydney Harbour’s sparkling crown. And it turns out, it’s not just us who think so – with a recent study identifying "the dish rack" among the top ten most recognisable landmarks in the whole world. According to the study, Sydney Opera House is the sixth-most recognisable landmark in the whole world – beating London’s Big Ben, the Great Pyramids of Giza and even Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Sydney Opera House
Photograph: Supplied



To identify which of the world’s landmarks are the most globally well-known, travel insurance specialists AllClear surveyed people from across the globe, asking them to identify 50 renowned landmarks. Unsurprisingly, New York City’s Statue of Liberty came in at number one, with 98.73 per cent of people correctly identifying it. The Eiffel Tower in Paris came in second place, recognised by 97.50 per cent of people, and our very own Opera House came in sixth place – with 89.77 per cent of people recognising it.

According to the study, the most recognisable landmarks in the world are:

1. Statue of Liberty, USA
2. Eiffel Tower, France
3. Taj Mahal, India
4. Colosseum, Italy
5. The White House, USA
6. Sydney Opera House, Australia
7. Big Ben, England
8. Leaning Tower of Piza, Italy
9.Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
10. Stonehenge, England

Tour of Sydney Opera House
Photograph: Tobias Rowles

Keen to learn more about our city’s most famous building? The Opera House team runs daily tours that take you behind the scenes of the performance spaces. We’d suggest booking in for a morning snoop, then heading for lunch at one of the Opera House’s excellent eateries – go to Bennelong if you’re splashing out, or keep it low key at the open-air Opera Bar.

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