washinghton-dc Photos

The capital of the United States of America was founded on 16 July 1790, and it took its name from the first American president George Washington. D.C means District of Columbia, after the United States’ poetic name at the time - Columbia.

Thomas Jefferson’s wish for the town to be ‘America’s Paris’, with wide streets and low buildings became reality somehow, as the city does not have any buildings taller than Washington’s famous monument. Six of America’s top ten architectural achievements are here (according to the American Institute of Architecture): the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the National Cathedral, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, all buildings of neoclassic, Gothic or modern style.

The National Archives shelter thousands of historical documents of national importance, including the famous Declaration of Independence and the multitude of museums and galleries contain treasures of incredible value. Notable among them are the Smithsonian Museums.