Stone buildings of antiquity. The oldest buildings in the world

As you know, in the list of the most famous ancient sights ancient culture There are only seven miracles. But we mustered up the courage to include three more structures that we think are worthy of your attention. So.

Ajanta or the Ajanta caves is a Buddhist temple and monastery complex located near the village of the same name, 100 km northeast of the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was discovered in 1839. It is a rock in the shape of a horseshoe, in which, starting from the II century BC. e. to the 5th century AD e. 30 (according to other sources 29) caves were carved with columns, Buddha statues and world-famous wall paintings reflecting the life of India of that era. This painting, illustrating Buddhist legends and myths, is not only a work of art, but also a valuable historical source of knowledge about those times.

newgrange

Newgrange - ancient building from huge blocks of stone, one of the largest and oldest corridor tombs, built by man between about 3000 BC. e. - 2500 BC e. (older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and probably Stonehenge). Located 40.2 km north of the city of Dublin, about one kilometer north of the River Boyne, County Meath, Ireland. The mound is 13.5 meters high and 85 meters in diameter. Ancient people erected it from 200,000 tons of stone, wood and earth. It is a large round mound inside, which is a 19-meter stone corridor leading to the burial chamber. Included in the list of the most mysterious sights of the world.

Derinkuyu

Derinkuyu - ancient multi-level underground city, located under the city of the same name in the province of Nevsehir, Turkey. It was built in the II-I millennium BC. e. Discovered in 1963. The underground city reaches a depth of 60 meters and in ancient times could shelter up to 20 thousand people, along with food and livestock. For centuries, people have been hiding here from nomadic raids, religious persecution and other dangers. Although the underground city of Derinkuyu was intended as a temporary shelter, its scale is impressive. It includes numerous wine cellars, stables, cellars, storerooms, refectories, chapels, numerous ventilation ducts, and a complex network of tunnels and corridors.

7 wonders ancient world

Alexandrian lighthouse- a lighthouse built according to the project of the architect Sostratus of Cnidus approximately in 279-280. BC e. on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria in Egypt, so that the ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to the bay of Alexandria. According to estimates, its light was visible at a distance of 51 km (according to other sources, up to 83 km). It is assumed that the lighthouse of Alexandria was about 115–120 meters high and at that time was the most tall building in the world. In the XIV century, it was completely destroyed by an earthquake, and in its place, by order of the then Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbey (1416/1418-1496), the Qait-Bey fortress was erected, which today is maritime museum.

Colossus of Rhodes - a bronze statue of the ancient Greek god of the Sun - Helios, built between 292 BC. e. - 280 BC e. in the harbor port city Rhodes on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea in Greece. It was built according to the project of the architect Hares, a student of Lysippus, in honor of the victory of the inhabitants of Rhodes over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I One-eyed, who, together with his son and an army of 40,000 people, unsuccessfully besieged the city in 305 BC. The height of the statue is about 30 meters. She stood on a 10-meter pedestal and weighed, according to various estimates, from 30 to 70 tons. Compared to other wonders of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes "lived" a short life. Approximately 50 years after its creation, it was completely destroyed by an earthquake and melted down.

In fifth place on the list is the "Mausoleum at Halicarnassus" - a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC. e. in Halicarnassus (modern city of Bodrum, Turkey) for King Mausolus of Caria and his wife-sister Artemisia III. Well-known masters were involved in the construction and decoration of the tomb, including the famous sculptors Skopas, Briaxides, Timofeos and Leohar. The tomb of Mausolus was a majestic and unusually shaped building, built of brick and lined inside and out with white marble. The mausoleum in Halicarnassus, 45 meters high, stood for about 19 centuries, but in the 13th century it collapsed from a strong earthquake.

Zeus statue in Olympia - ancient greek statue Zeus, which was located in the center of the temple of the same name in Olympia on the Peloponnese peninsula. It was erected in the 5th century BC by the ancient Greek sculptor and architect Phidias. The statue of the god reached a height of 12-13 meters and was made of wood (according to some sources, from cedar, according to others - from ebony). Details of ivory, gold and precious stones. The circumstances of the possible destruction of the statue are unknown. According to the Byzantine historian George Kedrin, it was transported to Constantinople, where it burned down in a fire in 476.

Temple of Artemis of Ephesus - a Greek temple located in the city of Ephesus, Asia Minor (not far from modern city Selcuk, Turkey). It was dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. The temple was built in the middle of the VI century BC. e, was a rectangular building 105 meters long and 51 meters wide, consisting of marble and wood, and surrounded on all sides by a double row of 127 columns, the height of which was 18 meters. During its entire existence, it was rebuilt three times until July 21, 356 BC. e. was not set on fire by Herostratus - a resident of Ephesus, who dreamed of becoming famous at any cost.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, more correctly called the Hanging Gardens of Amitis, is the only one of the seven wonders of the world whose location has not been definitively established. It is assumed that hanging gardens were built around 575 BC. e. in the ancient city of Babylon (near the modern city of Hilla, in Iraq), by King Nebuchadnezzar II, for his wife Amitis, who missed the forests of her homeland. They are a pyramid consisting of four tiers-platforms supported by columns up to 25 m high. On these tiers, fertile land lay with a thick carpet, where seeds of various herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees from Media were planted. The pyramid resembled an ever-blooming green hill. However, after in 331 BC. e. the troops of Alexander the Great captured Babylon, and the great commander himself died, the city gradually fell into decay. The gardens were abandoned and eventually destroyed.

The Pyramid of Cheops is the largest among the Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" that has survived to this day, and also one of the most famous tombs in the world. The pyramid is located on west bank Nile in Egypt on the plateau at Giza, in close proximity to the famous " Great Sphinx". The lion's share of Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built around 2560 BC. e. and is a tomb Egyptian pharaoh IV dynasty of Khufu (Cheops). It is believed that it was designed by the architect Hemion, the nephew of Cheops. Initially, the pyramid had a height of 146.5 m, but as a result of erosion, today its height is 138.75 m. The total weight of the pyramid is estimated at about 6.25 million tons, the area is ≈ 85,000 m².

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Have you ever wondered, walking around Moscow, which house in the capital of Russia is the oldest? We decided not to be tormented by conjectures and tell you where the “old-timers” of Moscow architecture are located.

Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery

Most ancient temple Moscow, and the oldest building in Moscow. At that time, almost no civil buildings were built of stone, and the oldest fortification - the Kremlin wall - is already the end of the 15th century. According to chronicles, the monastery itself was founded in 1357. After the fire of 1368, in which the original wooden cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery burned down, the stone Spassky Cathedral was built from plinth, from which white stone reliefs with fragments of zoomorphic and plant compositions have been preserved.

Between 1420 and 1425 the Cathedral of the Savior was rebuilt again, and just this white-stone temple of that time has survived to this day. Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny participated in the painting of the cathedral (fragments of floral ornaments on the slopes of the windows have been preserved from these frescoes).

Faceted Chamber in the Kremlin

It was built in 1487 - 1491 by the decree of Ivan III by the Italians Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solari. The name is taken from the eastern facade, finished with faceted stone rust (diamond rust), which was so loved by the Italian architects of the Renaissance. It used to be called the Great Chamber and was the front reception room of the palace. Meetings of the Boyar Duma, meetings of Zemsky Sobors, festivities in honor of the conquest of Kazan (1552), the victory at Poltava (1709), the conclusion of the Nystadt peace with Sweden (1721) were held here.

Here, at the Zemsky Sobor in 1653, a decision was made to reunite Ukraine with Russia. For the queen and the children of the king, a secret viewing tent was set up in the Faceted Chamber. She was opposite the royal throne, and the queen and children through the bars could look at the magnificent ceremonies and receptions of overseas ambassadors. Today it successfully functions as a hall at the Residence of the President of the Russian Federation. I wonder if the secret watch tent still exists.

English court in Zaryadye

The chambers appeared in the 15th century and belonged to the bed-keeper Ivan Bobrischev, also known by the nickname "Yushka". Since the latter, apparently, left no heirs behind him, in the next century the building became state-owned. In 1553, Sir Richard Chancellor discovered the northern sea ​​route connecting England with Russia. Ivan the Terrible, interested in establishing trade relations with Europe, "welcomed the British in Moscow," giving them the right to free and duty-free trade in all Russian cities, serious customs benefits, and a number of other trade privileges. This served as the basis for the creation in London in 1555 of the trading company of Moscow.

Trade relations with England were severed in 1649, when the execution of King Charles I in Great Britain provoked a deep diplomatic crisis between Russia and England. The British representatives were expelled from the country, and the property of the Moscow Company was confiscated.

Passing from hand to hand, the building changed beyond recognition - by the middle of the 20th century, the chambers of the Old English Court on Varvarka had completely lost their original appearance. In the mid-1960s, when Zaryadye had already been demolished, the restorer Pyotr Baranovsky discovered the chambers behind later layers and insisted on preserving the monument, since a car ramp was already planned to be built in its place. Based on his research in 1972. the chambers were returned (with a certain degree of approximation) to the appearance that they had at the end of the 16th century.

Travel Palace of Vasily III

The travel palace of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III (father of Ivan the Terrible) was discovered on Staraya Basmannaya Street (house 15). The find was a real scientific discovery, because it was previously believed that nothing remained of the former palace. The modest-looking mansion turned out to be a "two in one" monument: as it turned out during the restoration, the building served as the basis for the construction of the Golitsyn estate. Thus, the house of the Golitsyn estate of the 18th century is located on top of it, and inside - travel palace. The layout of the palace has been preserved almost completely! Historians have found out that this royal hotel was built on special place. Here they met the famous icon of Vladimir Mother of God in 1395, which, according to legend, saved Rus' from the invasion of Tamerlane.

Chambers of the Golitsyns

Chambers Golitsyn (Krivokolenny pereulok, 10) - the oldest of the buildings that are still residential. Three stone buildings main building and two long side wings) with fragments of buildings of the late 17th - early 18th centuries made up the city estate. Previously, it was believed that the 17th century chamber was preserved only on the first floor of the main house, but a few years ago, restorers discovered that the second, and even the third floors were also built at the same time, in the 17th century! The house is still inhabited to this day. From the side of the courtyard, a very picturesque front garden with a hammock and tables adjoins the house.

Malt shop in the Simonov Monastery

The height of this building is really impressive - we see a five-story house of the 16th-17th centuries! Four floors, and a high attic, which is essentially the fifth floor. According to surviving documents, this building was intended to store the monastery's food supplies.

Cathedral of the Savior on Bor

Most ancient building Moscow in the photo. Cathedral of the Transfiguration on Bor - a monastery cathedral, located in the Moscow Kremlin, in the courtyard of the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace. The name "on Bor" came from those surrounding the temple coniferous forests, which gave the name to the Borovitsky hill itself.

In 1929, after the ban on bell ringing in Moscow, and "in connection with the exploration of non-ferrous metals", the bells were removed from the church belfries. In 1933, the Church of the Savior on Bor, one of the oldest and most interesting in Moscow, was demolished. In its place is an empty square behind the Grand Kremlin Palace. However, the funds of the Moscow Kremlin now have three Dutch-made bells. They are decorated with the inscription given by us and an elegant ornament.

Going to almost any country, you can see architectural buildings that are more than 5,000 thousand years old. There are quite a few places like this on the planet. The buildings that have survived on our land are sometimes simply amazing. They don't look like buildings. modern architecture people don't live there. Historians wonder which of them is the oldest building in the world? To this day, they cannot give a definite answer to this question. However, there are a couple of cities that should be visited by any traveler, because they contain the history of mankind since the birth of great civilizations. About them we will talk In this article.

The oldest buildings in the world

In India, the oldest building is considered Taj Mahal Palace . The temple was built from white marble Padishah of Shah Jahan in the name of love and devotion to his wife amazing beauty Mumtaz Mahal. Erected in 1631, it combines several styles. A bright element of the palace is a white marble dome. The mausoleum occupies the main place in the palace. Inside it is a huge number of halls, decorated with mosaics. In one of the rooms there is the coffin of the ruler, who, after his death, wished that the body be buried near his beloved.

In the list "The oldest buildings preserved in modern world» historians includedTemple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt . It is named after the woman who was the only recognized pharaoh. Construction went on from 1482 to 1473 BC. The building turned out to be of magnificent beauty, but, unfortunately, over time it has undergone severe destruction. Some of them occurred due to natural causes - the building is located near a steep cliff. Also damage ancient building was caused at the direction of Thutmose III, whom the queen removed from rule for as much as 15 years. Recovery started with 1961 Today, Polish restorers are assembling the sanctuary bit by bit. The object is located at a considerable distance from the buildings of other kings erected in the Theban necropolis. On the walls are pictures of reliefs that reflect the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the country, the pyramids of that time. The main plot of the reliefs is the story of the birth of the queen. In front of the entrance to the upper terrace there are statues of the queen with a false golden beard - an attribute of male power. In terms of religion ancient egypt, a woman could not take the place of a ruler, because the pharaoh was considered the incarnation of the god Horus, and he is a man. Therefore, the ruler is depicted in this form.

Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara - the oldest surviving on earth architectural buildings. architectural masterpiece It was created by the ancient Egyptian architect and supreme dignitary of the pharaoh - Imhotep around 2650 BC as a funeral structure for the pharaoh's family.

preserved in Rome Mamertine Dungeon 578 BC, where the offenders were. According to legend, they spent last days life of the apostles Peter and Paul.

Also the oldest mysterious building in the world - Stonehenge in England . Years of construction - from 1100 to 3500 BC. Approximately 80 stones of different breeds, weighing up to 50 tons, were used for the building: dolerite, volcanic tuff. For a long time, no historian could unravel the reason for its appearance. D. Hawkins published a book about this in the 60s. In it, he described how the stone ring, built of stones, was used as an observatory, allowing the British to make astronomical observations and calculations.

The oldest building in Russia

There are many buildings in the Russian Federation that witnessed historical events. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin , erected from 1475-1479, was rebuilt by workers under the control of the city planner Aristotle Fioravanti. The building has been well preserved to our times. To this day, services are held here.

Can't be ignoredChurch of John the Baptist in Kerch , which dates back to the 8th century AD. Located in the very center of the city, the oldest known building in Russia today is the St. Sophia Temple, built by Prince Vladimir in 1050. The monastery of the princess in Vladimir, of the thirteenth century, which was rebuilt many times, experienced ruin, but survived. Walking along the streets of the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, you can see the church built by Yuri Dolgoruky.

The oldest building in Moscow

For today most old building V Russian capital recognized Spassky Church of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery . According to legend, the first wooden building erected in 1357. The oldest famous building in Moscow burned down during a fire in 1368. A new stone Temple of God was built on the site. In this form, he has reached our days. Scientists managed to conduct a thorough study that proves the historical and cultural significance of the building.

Modern building technologies have evolved over the years, but I highly doubt that Metro or Pyaterochka will last as long as the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

10. Chivik Tomb, Sweden

The royal tomb was built in Scandinavia during the Bronze Age, about 3,000 years ago.

The tomb, built 3,200 years ago, was only opened in 1975. During its study, archaeologists found the remains of a hundred people and their property - bronze bracelets and ceramic buttons.

The tomb was built in the Bronze Age, over 3250 years ago. The treasury of King Anreus until the construction of the Roman Pantheon was considered the largest domed structure of that time.

Karal is the ruins of an ancient large settlement which are located in the Peruvian province of Barranca. Caral is currently considered ancient city America, built over 4600 years ago.

The pyramid was built for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser about 4700 years ago. This complex is the oldest stone building in the world.

The tomb was built approximately 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists found the remains of more than 40 people in the burial. Paleoanthropologists found traces of simple dental operations on some turtles.

It's up historical monument and the oldest building in Ireland, which was built approximately 5100 years ago.

The building was built between 5200 and 4800 years ago. Most likely, this grandiose monument was a temple or an altar.

The exceptionally well-preserved stone house is the oldest building in Europe. It was built approximately 5500 years ago.

Free-standing structures were built over 5,500 years ago and have been used as religious temples. They are considered the oldest prehistoric temples in the world.

Building construction is defined as a structure of human production used or intended to support or shelter inclement weather or permanent residence. This article lists 10 the oldest buildings built in the world, which are a masterpiece of craftsmanship and handicraft of the people of that era. Today we are surprised to see these miracles, how in such distant ages without any modern technologies and machines, such masterpieces were created. So top 10 oldest buildings in the world.

10Dhamek Stupa, India

Dhamek Stupa is a massive stupa located in Sarnath, 13 km from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built in 500 AD to replace earlier architecture commissioned by the great Mauryan king Ashoka in 249 BC, along with several other monuments, to commemorate the activities of the Buddha at this site. Dhamek Stupa originated as circular mounds surrounded by large stones. King Ashoka built the Dhamek Stupa to secure small pieces of calcined bone and other relics of the Buddha and his disciples. An Ashoka pillar engraved on it with an edict stands nearby.

9 Sanchi Stupa, India

Sanchi Stupa or the Great Stupa is oldest building in India, made of stone and was built by order of Emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BC. Its core was a simple hemispherical brick structure over the relics of the Buddha. From the outside, it looks like a crown, symbolizing a high rank, which was intended to honor his relics. The Sanchi Stupa has four carved decorative sluices with a balustrade surrounding the entire structure. The construction work of the Sanchi Stupa was supervised by Empress Devi, who was Ashoka's first wife.

8. Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, Bulgaria

The Thracian tomb of Kazanlak has a vaulted brickwork "beehive", which is located near the city of Kazanlak in central Bulgaria. The tomb of Kazanlak is located near the ancient Thracian capital of Sevtopol. The tomb of Kazanlak is part of a large Thracian necropolis. It includes a narrow corridor and a circular burial chamber, which is decorated with frescoes representing a pair of Thracians at a ritual commemoration. The monument dates back to the 4th century BC and has been listed since 1979. world heritage UNESCO.

7. Parthenon, Greece

The Parthenon is a temple on Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC, when the Athenian empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although the decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building from classical Greece. The Parthenon is considered a lasting symbol Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, Western civilization and one of greatest monuments world culture. Ranked seventh in the top 10 oldest buildings in the world.

6. Minoan Palace of Knossos, Greece

The Minoan Palace of Knossos was solemn and political center Minoan civilization and culture. The palace was excavated and partially restored under the direction of Arthur Evans in the early years of the 20th century. His size far exceeds his original expectations, as does the discovery of two ancient scripts he called Linear A and B to distinguish their spellings from the pictogram. At some point at the end of the late bronze age the palace was abandoned (c. 1380-1100 BC). The incident is not known for certain, but one of the many disasters that befell the Palace was probably the refusal of the population to use it as an administrative building by the Mycenaean Greeks, who previously occupied the city-state.

5. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

Also known as the Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza, Necropolis, Egypt. This oldest building of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the only one that remains virtually untouched. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Cheops from a 10 to 20 year period of 2560 BC. Initially at 146.5 meters (481 ft), great pyramid has been the tallest man-made (man-made) structure in the world for over 3,800 years.

4. Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt

Located in Saqqara, Egypt, the Pyramid of Djoser was built in the 27th century BC. for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by his architect Imhotep. This first Egyptian pyramid, which consists of six steps built on top of each other.

The size of the pyramid is 62 meters high, with a base of 109 m × 125 m. The core of the tomb is made of white limestone. The Step Pyramid is considered the earliest large-scale stone construction. The oldest known rough stone buildings. The construction of the pyramid dates back to 3000 BC.

3. Tarxien Temples, Malta

The Tarxien Temples are the archaeological site of Tarxien, Malta. They date back to around 3150 BC. The temples were accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The Tarxien temples consist of three separate, but attached, structures to each other. Main entrance has been under renovation since 1956 when the whole complex was restored. At the same time, many of the decorated slabs found at the site were moved to a safe house at the Museum of Archeology in Valletta. The first temple was built around 3100 BC. and is the most ornate of the temples of Malta. Third line among the oldest buildings in the world.

2. La Hougue Bie, Jersey

La Hoog Bee is a historical monument, with a museum, in Grouville County, Jersey. The monument was built around 3500 BC. It is a corridor tomb 18.6 meters long, covered with a 12.2-meter earthen rampart. The mound was first excavated in 1925 by the Jersey Society. In Western Europe, it is one of the largest and best preserved corridor tombs. Western Europe. During the 2nd World War, the chapel was used as an observation post, and an underground command bunker was located in and around the mound.

1. Tumulus of Bougon, France

The oldest building in the world, The Bugon Necropolis is a group of five Neolithic megalithic burial mounds (Mound A, B, C, D, E, F) discovered in a bend of the Bougon River, France. The opening of the necropolis in 1840 caused a great

scientific interest. In order to protect the monument, it was purchased by the De Sèvres department in 1873. Excavations resumed in the late 1960s. The oldest of the buildings of this complex date back to 4800 BC.