As your eyes acclimatize to the soft ambient light, sacred statues begin to peek out from shaded alcoves. A single shaft of dazzling sunlight hits the floor, drawing your gaze up to the heavens. And the smell of incense assails the senses. But this is no typical Catholic church. This is Rome’s breathtaking, mind-blowing Pantheon, built first as a pagan temple before the birth of Christ and later adopted by the new religion.

It would take 1500 years to rediscover the original Roman technology used to build its dome and today over 7.5 million visitors cross under its portico to marvel at the beauty, engineering and architecture. Let’s take a stroll inside to admire the reputed eighth wonder that is the Pantheon of Rome.