The oldest houses in the world. The oldest buildings in Russia

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Moscow is an ancient city, and sometimes, walking along the old streets, examining the ancient churches and chambers of the 17th century, we ask ourselves: “Which house is the oldest in Moscow? Well, that is, absolutely the oldest? It is not so easy to answer this question, because many ancient houses have been rebuilt for centuries, and it is not always easy even for restorers to establish the exact time of construction. But, nevertheless, we will try to systematize the selection of the oldest buildings in Moscow according to various parameters. The list can be divided into two parts: the first - ancient buildings (the oldest chambers, the most old church, etc.), and the second one is the oldest building in other respects, for example, the first gas station, railway station, etc. They are already relatively modern buildings in themselves. Also, let's not deprive the attention of the lost buildings. So, the oldest houses and buildings in Moscow —>

Most ancient building Moscow (and most ancient temple) - Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Years of construction: 1420-1425.

It is considered the most ancient temple in Moscow, although not completely preserved. And, accordingly, the oldest building in Moscow, because at that time almost no stone civil buildings were built, at least nothing has survived to our time since the beginning of the 15th century. And the oldest fortifications are the Kremlin wall, already at 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 the plinth, from which white stone reliefs with fragments of zoomorphic and plant compositions, archaic in their style and execution, have been preserved. Between 1420 and 1425 the Cathedral of the Savior was rebuilt again, and the white-stone temple of that time has survived to this day. It is a single-dome, four-pillar, three-apse temple. Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny took part in the painting of the cathedral (only fragments of floral ornaments on the slopes of the windows have survived from the original frescoes). In the 19th century, the cathedral underwent significant changes, which began with a partial restoration of the destruction that occurred in 1812. In 1846-1850, according to the project of the architect P. Gerasimov, the porches were rebuilt, two chapels were built from the north and south of the cathedral, a tent top was built above it, and significant alterations were made inside the building. And, the twentieth century the temple met in this form:

In 1934, in connection with the proposed demolition of the entire Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, the monument was measured and examined by the architect P.N. Maksimov and drafted a restoration project. The work on this monument, published in 1940 by the Academy of Architecture, finally gave everyone a clear idea of ​​the architectural value of the Spassky Cathedral. In 1959-1960. the building of the cathedral was reconstructed in its original forms according to the project of L.A. David and S.S. Podyapolsky. However, the reconstruction of the lost upper part of the temple (the number of kokoshniks at the base of the drum, the shape of the dome, the proportions of the drum) and pre-portal stairs remain controversial. Compared old photo with a view after the reconstruction, you can judge what is left of the original temple of the XV century:

In conclusion, it should be said that the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery itself is by no means the oldest in Moscow. The most ancient is considered Svyato-Danilov, founded by the Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich (Daniel of Moscow), the youngest son of Prince Alexander Nevsky at the end of the 13th century. But, such ancient buildings were not preserved there.

The oldest civil building in Moscow is the faceted chamber in the Kremlin. Years of construction: 1487 - 1491.


Photo taken from here: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber of Facets

Built in 1487 - 1491 by decree of Ivan III by Italian architects Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solari. The name is taken from the eastern facade, finished with faceted stone rust (diamond rust), characteristic of Italian Renaissance architecture. Sometimes it is mistakenly considered that the name comes from the main hall of the chamber, located on the second floor. The hall is covered with cross vaults resting on the central pillar, which give the ceiling a kind of “cutting”. It was originally called the Grand Chamber. It was built on the site of an ancient gridni (dining room). The Great Chamber was the front waiting room of the palace. Next to the Grand Chamber, the Middle Chamber was built. In front of the Middle Chamber, the Upper Porch (Front Passages) was built. Between the staircase at the Great Chamber and the middle staircase was the Red Gate, which led from the inner courtyard of the palace to the square. middle stairs led to the vestibule of the Middle Chamber. The Middle Chamber has been called the Middle Golden Chamber since 1517, or simply the Golden Chamber. Behind the middle chamber was the Dining Hut. Behind the Dining Hut there were towers. In 1681, the Dining Hut and the Middle Golden Chamber were dismantled. In the 16th century, the walls and vaults in the interior of the chamber were painted with frescoes. In 1668, the painting was resumed by Simon Ushakov, having compiled a detailed inventory of the plots. Contemporary painting was made by Palekh icon painters in 1881 in accordance with the inventory of Ushakov. The Faceted Chamber was redesigned in 1684 by the architect Osip Startsev. The double lancet windows were hewn and decorated with ornate white stone architraves with columns entwined with vines. During the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace in 1838-1849, the building was integrated into the complex with the Terem Palace and the Grand Kremlin Palace. Through the Holy vestibule it connected with the Vladimir Hall. The Faceted Chamber is the main ceremonial reception hall of the Grand Duke's Palace. It hosted meetings of the Boyar Duma, meetings of the 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). 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. The viewing tent was located on the western side of the chamber, above the Holy Entrance, opposite royal seat(throne). A viewing grill was inserted into the window. The lattice was hung with a curtain. In the observation tent, the queen and children watched various magnificent ceremonies, including the receptions of ambassadors. On south side facade is a staircase, which is now called the "Red Porch". Russian tsars and emperors passed along it to be crowned in the Assumption Cathedral. The last procession took place during the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896. In 1930, the staircase was removed by order of I. V. Stalin and in 1994 restored again. The area in front of the entrance to the Faceted Chamber was called the Red Porch. All petitioners who brought petitions addressed to the tsar were to stand at the Red Porch. Petitions collected duma clerks. At the Red Porch and in the cellars of the Faceted Chamber there was a guard of archers. Currently, the Faceted Chamber is one of the representative halls at the Residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The oldest civil building outside the Kremlin is the English Court in Zaryadye. Years of construction: late XV - early XVI century.

These white-stone residential 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, in the next century the building became state-owned and was somewhat rebuilt. In 1553, Sir Richard Chancellor discovered the northern sea route connecting England with Russia. In 1556, Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who was interested in establishing trade relations with Europe, “welcomed the British in Moscow by court”, 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 state of affairs served as the basis for the creation in London in 1555 of the trading Moscow company. The British supplied Russia with weapons, gunpowder, saltpeter, lead, pewter, and cloth. In return, they exported wood, hemp, ropes, wax, leather, blubber, and furs. As premises for the Moscow office, the British merchants were given a house in Zaryadye. Like many merchant houses of that era, the building combined front rooms with extensive storage and utility rooms (goods were lifted along the wall to the warehouse window using a simple block). For its maintenance, the English embassy daily received a quarter of an ox, 4 rams, 12 chickens, 2 geese, one hare or black grouse, 62 loaves of bread, 50 eggs, a quarter of a bucket of Mediterranean wine, 3/4 buckets of beer, half a bucket of vodka and 2 buckets of honey. 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. By decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, British trade and diplomatic representatives were expelled from the country, and the property of the Moscow Company was confiscated. After the British, the chambers were owned by a relative of the tsar, boyar I.A., for 20 years. Miloslavsky. After the death of Miloslavsky, the chambers again became the property of the state and were assigned to the Posolsky order, and at the end of the 17th century they were allocated under the metochion of the Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod. At the beginning of the 18th century, Tsar Peter I organized here one of the first Arithmetic Schools in Russia. In the middle of the 18th century, the chambers passed into private ownership, and during the 18th-20th centuries, representatives of various merchant families (Solodovnikovs, Milas, etc.) owned the building. Various owners constantly rebuilt the building, and by the middle of the 20th century, the chambers of the Old English Court on Varvarka had completely lost their original appearance and were considered irretrievably lost. In Soviet times, the house was used for residential apartments and various institutions. From 1949 to 1966 it housed the Foreign Literature Library. This is how the rebuilt and built-on English Court looked before the restoration of the 1960s:

In the mid-1960s, when Zaryadye had already been demolished, the restorer Pyotr Baranovsky discovered this monument of history and culture behind later layers. Baranovsky insisted on preserving the monument, since a car ramp was supposed to be built in its place. In the course of his research in 1968-1969, the historical basis of the monument, hidden by the structures of later additions, was revealed, and a comprehensive study was carried out. Then, based on the information collected in 1970-1972, the chambers were returned (with a certain degree of approximation) to the appearance that they had at the end of the 16th century. According to the data preserved in the masonry itself, window and door openings, hewn at a later time, as well as lost decorative elements, were restored. Where evidence of the most ancient forms did not survive at all, later reconstructions were left. For example, wide window openings of the end of the 18th century were left on the eastern facade of the building.

The oldest civil building outside the Earthen City - travel palace Basil III. Years of construction: end of the 16th century.

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 this beautiful legend and nothing remains of the former palace. The modest-looking mansion turned out to be a double monument. As it turned out during the restoration, the building served as the basis for the construction of the Golitsyn estate. Now the house of the Golitsyn estate of the 18th century is located on top. Inside is a travel palace, as historians suggest, the father of Ivan the Terrible Vasily III. The white-stone masonry of the end of the 16th century was discovered when the restoration of the later part, the Golitsyn part, began. The layout of the palace has been preserved almost completely. Historians found out that they built this kind of royal hotel 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. Unfortunately, historical monuments suffered from the invasion of unprofessional restorers. At first, time worked on the appearance of the house on Staraya Basmannaya, and then plasterers and painters from neighboring countries. This is how the building looked before the recent unsuccessful restoration:

It is impossible to get inside the building: the new tenants of the royal chambers prefer to keep the doors locked. So far, the priceless white stone vaults have been sealed with drywall. Restorers do not lose optimism: the owners change, but the building remains. It is hoped that in the future it will be possible to carry out some more work.

The oldest residential building today is the Golitsyn Chamber. Years of construction - the second half of the XVII century.

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 constituted a city estate, from the 1760s. owned by P.F. Golitsyn and already then had a symmetrical layout, which makes it an early example of building according to an ordered planning scheme. The outbuildings are placed on the red line with their ends, the main building is moved deep into the yard. 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! Vaulted chambers with 2-sided lighting, fragments of profiled brick cornices were found in the outbuildings. In 1859 the buildings were expanded with extensions and received their own modern look. 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:

Competitor to this building, until recently, were the built-on chambers of the Guryevs, who stood in the neighboring Potapovsky Lane. Also a residential building, but due to a fire in 2009, it was evicted.

The oldest five-story building is the malting house in the Simonov Monastery. Years of construction: XVI - second half of the XVII centuries.


Photo taken from here: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alex-raduga/view/33947/?page=0

The height of this building is really impressive - we see a five-story building 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. For all the modesty of its architecture, the hand of an experienced architect is also visible here, skillfully using the arrangement of window openings for the rhythmic articulation of the facade and building a spectacular gallery that once existed on pillars with a wide staircase. From the east, to the end wall of the building, at one time richly decorated with a figured pediment, a second staircase rose, leading to the third floor, which was due to the unwritten rule to have external rather than internal stairs. The first floor of the dryer, which consisted of two chambers on the sides of the vestibule, testifies to the influence of the layout of residential buildings. The hall rooms of the second and third floors (the vaults of the second are now broken), striking with an abundance of light, speak of the impact of the new planning forms of public and industrial buildings of that time. The competitor to this building is the Terem Palace in the Kremlin, which, in fact, is also 5-storey, but everything is not so obvious there, the upper floors were built in the 17th century on earlier chambers, and its volume turned out to be stepped, not as vertical as the malt shop.

Part 2.
The second part is represented by relatively new buildings, but nevertheless, according to certain parameters, they are the oldest - this is the very first train station, the oldest mosque and Catholic church, the oldest gas station that has survived today.

The oldest railway station is Leningradsky (Nikolaevsky). Years of construction - 1844-1849.

The station building was built in 1844-1849 according to a single project of architects K. A. Ton and R. A. Zhelyazevich. The construction was carried out by the Board of the IV District of Communications and Public Buildings, the sole contractor was the merchant of the 1st guild A. L. Torletsky. Built for the Petersburg (later Nikolaevsky) railway station in Moscow and the Moscow railway station in St. Petersburg Petersburg-Moscow railway, the movement of which began in 1851. In 1934, the Oktyabrsky railway station was refurbished: ticket offices expanded, inquiry Office, post office, telegraph, savings bank, room for transit passengers. In the former royal chambers, a room for mother and child was organized. In the years 1948-1950 were updated interior spaces station, refurbished interiors. The next major restructuring took place in 1977 - the station was reconstructed, new buildings were built. Near the station from the side of the Yaroslavsky station there is a ground pavilion of the Komsomolskaya metro station.

This is how the Nikolayevsky railway station looked like in the middle of the 19th century. Leningradsky railway station has 10 tracks, 5 of which are served by trains long distance, 5 - suburban trains. Initially, the station had a landing stage where trains entered. However, in the mid-70s, the landing stage was liquidated, and in 1977 the Great Hall of the Leningradsky railway station was built in its place.

The oldest gas station. Years of construction - 1930s.

The oldest of the currently operating gas stations in Moscow, the only gas station within the Boulevard Ring, is located on Volkhonka, opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a stone's throw from the Kremlin. There is a version that her project was created by the famous architect Alexei Dushkin. A few years ago, almost antique speakers stood on it - like in the old Soviet films. Now, instead of them, modern devices, but everything else - the roof, columns, booth with a cash register - remained untouched. The gas station is still in operation, but, as before, gasoline is dispensed only for cars from the Kremlin garage, so common man you won't be able to get here. There is also the same gas station in the area of ​​Clock Street, but it is now standing in the yard and abandoned ...

The oldest Catholic church. Years of construction: 1833-1835.

This is the oldest surviving Catholic church. Located at the address: Malaya Lubyanka, 12/7S8. In 1789, the French living in Moscow filed a petition for permission to build a Catholic church. After receiving permission from the Moscow authorities and its approval by Empress Catherine II, a small wooden church was built on the site between Malaya Lubyanka and Milyutinsky Lane. The consecration of the church in the name of the French King Louis IX Saint took place on March 30, 1791. In the 19th century, the construction of a modern temple building was carried out on the site of the former one. Construction began in 1833 and completed two years later. The temple was built according to the project of the famous architect A. O. Gilardi. The consecration took place, however, only on June 17, 1849, as evidenced by the marble plaque in the altar of the church. At the church of St. Louis, there were two gymnasiums - the men's gymnasium of St. Philip Neri and St. Catherine; as well as the charitable shelter of St. Dorothea. It should be noted that the Church of St. Louis was not closed after the October Revolution, and the service in it (though with very significant interruptions) continued. In 1992, the entire complex of buildings that belonged to it until 1917, including the building of the lyceum, was transferred to the church. It is worth saying that the first Roman Catholic church in Moscow was the church (church) of Peter and Paul, opened in 1705 in the German settlement at the direction of Peter I. But this church lasted only until 1838.

The oldest mosque is "historical" in the Tatar settlement. Years of construction - 1823, rebuilt in the 1880s.

The Moscow Historical Mosque is the oldest mosque in Moscow, founded in 1823, although the mosque existed on this site before the fire of 1812, at least in the 18th century. Located at Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street, 28 (inside the quarter), in the historical center of the Tatar community of Zamoskvorechye. The mosque that existed in Moscow at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries in the courtyard of the translator of the Foreign College, Prince Shulamit-Murza Siminei, after the plague, when most of the mosque's parishioners, including the prince himself, died, was sold by his heirs to the merchant Shchukin and destroyed by fire in 1812 of the year. In August 1816, Muslim merchants petitioned to allow the construction of a new mosque, but were refused. Only at the end of 1823 did the community receive permission to set up a prayer house in the possession of Nazarbay Khashalov, a merchant from outside Moscow, on the condition that it "would not be called a mosque ..." and "... being ordinary with other houses, it did not have the slightest sign of a mosque on the outside." The mosque operated under the guise of an ordinary one-story house until 1880, when permission was received to rebuild it with a minaret and a dome. Imam-hatib of the mosque were Rafik Ageev, Khayretdin Ageev and Abdulla Shamsutdinov. In 1939, the historical mosque was closed, the minaret was demolished, even earlier in 1936 the last imam of the mosque, Abdulla Shamsutdinov, was repressed and shot. The building of the mosque housed the military registration and enlistment office and workshops. The mosque has been operating again since 1993.

This is how the mosque looked at the beginning of the 20th century. View from Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street (now the mosque and the street are separated by a Soviet five-story building).

Part 3. Lost.
Many ancient buildings, both temples and chambers, as well as city walls, built in the XIV-XV centuries, have been lost, and have been lost for quite a long time. All of them in the XV-XVII centuries were replaced by new ones. But there is one example ancient church, which lasted until the 1930s ...

The oldest building in Moscow (destroyed) is the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor. Years of construction: 1328-30.

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration on Bor is a monastery cathedral located in the Moscow Kremlin, in the courtyard of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The name "on Bor" came from those surrounding the temple coniferous forests, which gave the name to the Borovitsky hill itself. According to some information, a wooden temple on Borovitsky hill ("on the Bor") was built in 1272, a small stone cathedral - in 1328-30. Grand Duke Ivan I Kalita founded the Spasoborsky Monastery under him, transferring monks from the Danilov Monastery to it. In 1490 the monastery under the name of Novospassky was transferred to a new location. Initially, the single-domed three-apse cathedral was repeatedly supplemented with new parts and rebuilt: in 1350, the western narthex and the northwestern chapel appeared, in 1478 - a new refectory, in the middle of the 16th century. - aisles of the Three Saints (northern) and Guria, Samon and Aviv (southern). At the end of the XVIII century. the cathedral was restored by M.F. Kazakov. Some researchers believe that he dismantled the temple and rebuilt it from bricks in the forms of the 16th-17th centuries. The Church of the Savior-on-Boru was demolished on May 1, 1933, despite the protests of such prominent restorers as P. D. Baranovsky. The ancient bells from the belfry entered the funds of the Moscow Kremlin. A 5-storey service building was built on the site of the cathedral. Starting with the book "Forty Forties", the assertion spread in popular literature that toilets for the nomenklatura were erected on the site of the temple. Plans for the restoration of one of the oldest temples in Moscow are not yet considered. There is an urban legend according to which the fate of the unique temple was decided by the servility of Stalin's officials. As if once Stalin was driving by in a car, and saw from the window that firewood was lying next to the temple. "Disgrace, remove!" he muttered. Since no one dared to ask again what exactly to remove, the firewood was taken out, and the church was demolished.

All old photos are taken from http://oldmos.ru/
New made by us, unless otherwise signed.

World Travel

1482

10.11.17 14:19

Buildings - man-made structures for protection, prayer, lodging, gatherings, living, or any other use - were built long before the advent of our era. And, looking at the oldest buildings (or well-preserved picturesque ruins), one can only wonder how people created these masterpieces without modern technology, machines, or tools. The age of the oldest buildings in the world is estimated at several thousand years, and they - at least that! Shall we look at them?

They are from 3250 to 6800 years old: the oldest buildings on the planet

Treasury of Atreus: monument of Mycenaean Greece

The tomb, which is called the Treasury of Atreus, was built during the Bronze Age, around 1250 BC (over 3250 years ago). And this is only the first member of our top, so the oldest buildings on the planet should be called very ancient! Before the completion of the Pantheon, this tomb was famous for the highest and widest dome in the world. The monumental building and the surrounding area is one of the most impressive monuments left from the era of Mycenaean Greece.

Palace of Knossos: home of the Cretan Minotaur

Palace of Knossos (fallen into disrepair ancient city in Crete) was ceremonial and political center Minoan civilization. The palace was excavated and partially restored under the direction of Arthur Evans in the early 20th century (although attempts were made in the 1870s). It is believed that the very first palace in Knossos was built in 2000-1700 BC. It was destroyed by an earthquake, and a new, even more powerful and beautiful building, built in 1700 BC. In the XVI century BC. e. the palace was damaged by a volcanic eruption, and after about another half a century, a fire completed this dirty deed. Myths bind main building Knossos with Daedalus and his legendary labyrinth guarded by the Minotaur.

Great Pyramid: the tomb of Cheops

The Egyptian pyramids are also among the oldest buildings in the world, because this is not just a decorative building, there are chambers and corridors inside. great pyramid Egyptian city Giza (other names - the pyramid of Khufu or the pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids of this necropolis. Despite the fact that among the Seven Wonders of the World it was she who was the oldest, the pyramid is the only one that has survived intact to this day. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty pharaoh Khufu. The construction took about 10-20 years, and construction was completed around 2560 BC. The top of the pyramid was originally located at 146.5 m above sea level, so the Great Pyramid remained the highest man-made structure in the world for more than 3800 years.

Pyramid of Djoser built by Imhotep

Another pyramid of Egypt, bearing the name of Djoser (or the Step Pyramid), is located in the Saqqara necropolis and consists of six mastabas laid on top of each other. It was founded in the 27th century BC (approximately 2650 BC) for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser, the architect was his vizier (chati) Imhotep (not to be confused with the villain-priest Imhotep from the Mummy franchise). The pyramid is older than its "sisters" from Giza and is the first Egyptian pyramid. Initially, the pyramid of Djoser, “dressed” in polished white limestone, towered 62 meters, and its foundation was 109 x 125 meters in area. The step pyramid is considered the oldest large-scale stone structure.

Tarxien complex: a treasure of Malta

Malta is known for its impressive temples, which are great for our top oldest buildings. So, the “venerable age” is distinguished by the archaeological complex in Tarxien, dating back to approximately 3150 BC (“sunset” of the megalith). In 1980, this ensemble became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tarxien consists of three separate but connected temple structures. The main entrance is a reconstruction of 1956 (when the entire site was being restored). At the same time, many of the ornate tiles found at the site were moved to the Valletta Museum of Archeology.

Newgrage: the oldest in Ireland

5100 years ago (about 3200 BC) the oldest building in Ireland appeared. It's up historical monument Newgrage, built during the Neolithic period. It is older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. The building consists of a large round mound-roof and internal stone passages and chambers. It is believed that the Scottish landmark has religious significance, but scientists did not come to a consensus - why the building was built. Human bones were found in his small rooms - perhaps Newgrage served as a place for offering sacrifices (or a tomb was built here). Now it is one of the most important megalithic structures in Europe.

La Hoog Bee: A Curiosity on the Island of Jersey

The name of the next oldest building is perceived as something Asian - La Hougue Bie. However, it is located in the parish of Grouville on the island of Jersey (UK). The building dates back to 3500 BC, now it is a historical monument with a museum. This is an 18.6-meter walk-through chamber, covered with an earth embankment 12.2 meters high. La Hug Bi was discovered only in 1925. During World War II, this structure was an important strategic observation point; an underground command bunker was set up in the adjacent embankment.

Knap of Howar: part of a Neolithic homestead in Scotland

The oldest stone building in Scotland is called Knap of Howar. It is believed that it was part of a Neolithic manor. Radiocarbon analyzes showed that the house was built from 3700 BC to 3100 BC (or 5500 years ago). The building, consisting of two rooms, has been perfectly preserved: 1.6-meter walls, shelves for things, stoves, beds. Ancient farmers cultivated wheat and barley, kept pigs and sheep, and fished. This was evidenced by the debris found by archaeologists near the buildings and in them.

Ggantija: tower of the giants in Gozo

We have already mentioned the megalithic temples of Malta, but Tarshien is not the oldest building in the archipelago. Religious buildings on the island of Gozo is even older - the structures of Ggantiy were erected around 3600 BC. The name translates as "Tower of the Giants". This and other Neolithic buildings of the country are protected by UNESCO (under common name"Megalithic Temples of Malta"). Ggantija consists of an older South Temple and a North Temple (they stand side by side on the Shaara Plateau). The start of large-scale excavations falls on the year 1827, then the area was in private hands, which negatively affected the buildings. In 1933, Ggantija passed to the government of Malta, and the temples have already been restored and studied five times.

Bugon Necropolis: French sensation

The Bugon Necropolis (France) is a group of five Neolithic mounds (they are called Tumulus A, B, C, D, E, F). The oldest building in the world got its name in honor of the Bugon River, near which it is located. Scientists believe that Tumulus began to build around 4800 BC. The opening of the necropolis in 1840 made a splash in scientific world. To protect the monuments, they were bought (in 1873) by the Department of Deux-Sèvres (New Aquitaine region). Archaeological excavations started in the 1960s, at the same time dishes and household items, jewelry, human remains, and tools were found in the cells.

A journey through the most ancient cities on the planet will help you touch the origins of civilization. Visiting during summer vacation some of them, you can not only have a good rest, but also learn a lot of interesting information.

1. Maltese megalithic temples, Malta

Maltese temples are the oldest man-made structures on the ground. Scientific research has proven that temples were built a thousand years before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. Scientists cannot understand how people at that time could build such structures without the use of special equipment. After all, many monolithic stone slabs from which temples were built weigh more than fifty tons. There is indirect evidence that giant people lived in Malta at that time, and it was not difficult for them to move multi-ton monoliths. There is no answer to the question what kind of civilization existed in this territory, and where did the builders of stone temples go. After all, nowhere else on Earth were found similar buildings. Unfortunately, numerous wars and civil strife that took place on the Maltese territory destroyed the ancient buildings to a greater or lesser extent, but many of them survived and are available for tourists to visit. UNESCO took prehistoric temples under its protection and listed them world heritage. Today they are open to tourists.

2. Sardinian ziggurat, Sardinia

The Sardinian ziggurat was built over five and a half thousand years ago and was an important religious center. During the Second World War, the ziggurat was thoroughly destroyed, as a line of defense passed through this place. But starting in 1954, the Sardinian ziggurat began to be restored and restored. Currently, the prehistoric complex hosts numerous groups of tourists from all over the world.

3. Newgrange, Ireland

Newgrange is one of Ireland's landmarks. The oldest building was erected between 3100 and 2900 BC. Newgrange is megalithic structure, multi-ton stone slabs were used as building material. The plates were interconnected without the use of a special solution. The structure is thirteen meters high and eighty-five meters in diameter. Scientists suggest that it was used as a calendar, since the structure is strictly oriented to the cardinal points. Perhaps, with the help of this structure, the time of sowing and harvesting was determined. Newgrange is located near the Boyne River.

4Hulbjerg Jættestue, Denmark

The building was built over five thousand years ago and was used as a tomb. Scientists archaeologists found the remains of four hundred people in the tomb. The teeth of one of the buried people had traces of healing. The level of ancient dentistry amazed scientists. Without metal instruments, the doctor managed to put a dental filling of a sufficiently high quality.

5. Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt

The oldest in Egypt was built in 2650 BC. The author of the pyramid, Imhotep, erected it for Pharaoh Djoser as a tomb. The pyramid has a stepped shape, for this reason in the circles of scientific archaeologists it is also called the Step Pyramid. The pyramid is very popular among tourists because of its venerable age and unusual shape.

6. Caral, Peru

Caral is a city that existed more than five thousand years ago, it is considered the oldest urban settlement on the American continent. The city arose approximately at the same time as other first world civilizations. Scientists hope to find answers to questions about the emergence of the first civilizations in the city. Currently, seventeen pyramids have been cleared of sand and are available for tourists to visit. The reasons for the disappearance of Caral have not yet been established, it is assumed that people left the city in 1600 BC and moved to other more favorable areas of Peru.

7. Treasury of Atreus, Greece

The tomb is located in Mycenae, its estimated age is three thousand two hundred years. The famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann made a great contribution to the scientific research of the tomb. During the excavations, it was found that all the domed tombs, and there were nine of them, were completely looted, but the earlier tombs, erected in the sixteenth century BC, remained intact. Archaeologists discovered the richest burials, the faces of all the people buried in the tomb were covered with masks made of gold. The robes of the buried were also decorated with gold. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the bodies of once-reigning dynasties rest in these tombs.

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

The oldest temple in 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 it is a traveling palace. The layout of the palace has been preserved almost completely! Historians found out that this royal hotel was built on a special place. Here they met the famous icon of the 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 (the 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

The oldest building in Moscow in the photo. The Cathedral of the Transfiguration on Bor is a monastery cathedral located in the Moscow Kremlin, in the courtyard of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The name "on the Bor" comes from the coniferous forests surrounding the temple, 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.