Famous monuments are normally situated near river banks. Any reasons?

Human civilization itself started near river banks, though sometimes the town moved away or people shifted inland for some reasons. Rivers also served as natural barricades against invasion. Moreover, water is considered to be a medium to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Water evaporates, and the lighter medium of air like fire carries the offerings people make. This is a matter of faith. But to non-believers the silence of the monument, the emotions they evoke in our minds, and the whisper and giggle of the river or stream are a perfect setting for introspection. Aesthetics makes man a human.