Nine of the most grandiose and mysterious buildings of antiquity. Mystical buildings of the ancient world

We fly into space, race to build skyscrapers, clone living organisms and do a lot of things that until recently seemed impossible. And at the same time, they are still unable to unravel the mysteries of the builders and thinkers who lived millennia ago. An ancient cobblestone weighing a hundred tons surprises us more than a computer the size of half a palm.

Goseck Circle, Germany, Goseck

A ring system of concentric ditches and wooden fences was created between 5000 and 4800 BC. Now the complex is reconstructed. Presumably, it was used as a solar calendar.

Statues of "reptilians", French polynesia, Nuku Hiva island

Statues in a place called Temehea-Tohua in the Marquesas Islands depict strange creatures, the appearance of which in the mass consciousness is associated with aliens. They are different: there are large large-mouthed "reptilians", and there are others: with small bodies and disproportionately large elongated helmet-heads with huge eyes. They have one thing in common - an evil expression on their faces. Whether they were aliens from other worlds or just masked priests is unknown. The statues date from around the beginning of the 2nd millennium.

Stonehenge, UK, Salisbury

Altar, observatory, tomb, calendar? Scientists have not come to a consensus. Five thousand years ago, a ring ditch and ramparts around it with a diameter of 115 m appeared. A few centuries later, ancient builders brought here 80 four-ton stones, and a couple of centuries later - 30 megaliths weighing 25 tons. The stones were set in a circle and in the form of a horseshoe. The form in which Stonehenge has survived to this day is largely the result of human activity in recent centuries. People continued to work on the stones: the peasants chipped off pieces of amulets from them, the tourists marked the territory with inscriptions, and the restorers figured out for the ancients how they had it right.

Pyramid of Kukulkan, Mexico, Chichen Itza

Every year, on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, thousands of tourists gather at the foot of the sanctuary of the supreme Mayan deity - the Feathered Serpent. They observe the miracle of the "appearance" of Kukulkan: the Serpent moves down along the balustrade of the main staircase. The illusion is created by the play of triangular shadows cast by the nine platforms of the pyramid at the moment when the setting sun illuminates its northwestern corner for 10 minutes. If the sanctuary had been displaced even by a degree, none of this would have happened.

Karnak stones, France, Brittany, Karnak

In total, about 4,000 megaliths up to four meters high are arranged in slender alleys near the city of Karnak. The rows run parallel to each other or diverge like a fan, in some places they form circles. The complex dates back to the 5th-4th millennium BC. There were legends in Brittany that it was the wizard Merlin who made the ranks of Roman legionnaires turn to stone.

Stone balls, Costa Rica

Pre-Columbian artifacts scattered close up pacific coast Costa Rica, were discovered in the 1930s by banana plantation workers. Hoping to find gold inside, the vandals destroyed many balls. Now most of the rest are kept in museums. The diameter of some stones reaches 2.5 meters, weight - 15 tons. Their purpose is unknown.

Georgia Guidestones, USA, Georgia, Elbert

In 1979, someone under the pseudonym R.C. Christian ordered a construction company to manufacture and install a monument - a structure of six granite monoliths with a total weight of more than 100 tons. On the four side plates are engraved ten commandments to descendants in eight languages, including Russian. The last paragraph reads: "Do not be a cancer for the Earth, leave a place for nature too!"

Nuraghi Sardinia, Italy, Sardinia

Semi-conical structures resembling huge beehives (up to 20 m high) appeared in Sardinia at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, before the arrival of the Romans. The towers were built without a foundation, from stone blocks superimposed on each other, not fastened with any mortar and held only by their own weight. The purpose of the nuraghe is unclear. It is characteristic that archaeologists have repeatedly discovered miniature models of these towers made of bronze during excavations.

Saxahuaman, Peru, Cusco

The archaeological park at an altitude of 3700 meters and an area of ​​3000 hectares is located north of the capital of the Inca Empire. The defensive and at the same time temple complex was built at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. Zigzag crenellated walls, reaching 400 meters in length and six in height, are made of multi-ton stone blocks, including 200-ton ones. How the Incas installed these blocks, how they adjusted them one under the other, is unknown. From above, Saxahuaman looks like the toothy head of the puma Cuzco (the city was founded in the form of a sacred animal of the Incas).

Arkaim, Russia, Chelyabinsk region

The settlement of the Bronze Age (III-II millennium BC) is located on the same latitude as Stonehenge. Coincidence? Scientists don't know. Two rows of circular walls (the diameter of the far one is 170 m), a drainage system and a sewerage system, a well in every house are evidence of a highly developed culture. The monument was discovered by students and schoolchildren from an archaeological expedition in 1987. (In the photo - a model-reconstruction.)

Newgrange, Ireland, Dublin

The Celts called it Fairy Mound and considered it the home of one of their chief gods. A round structure made of stone, earth and rubble with a diameter of 85 meters was erected more than 5000 years ago. A corridor leads inside the mound, ending with a ritual chamber. On the days of the winter solstice, this chamber is brightly illuminated for 15–20 minutes by a ray of sun that enters the window above the tunnel entrance.

Coral Castle, USA, Florida, Homestead

The whimsical structure was single-handedly built in 28 years (1923-1951) by the Latvian immigrant Edward Lindskalnin in honor of lost love. How a man of modest height and build moved huge blocks in space remains a mystery.

Yonaguni pyramids, Japan, Ryukyu archipelago

Monuments of huge stone platforms and pillars located under water at a depth of 5 to 40 meters were discovered in 1986. The main of these structures has the form of a pyramid. Not far from it is a large platform with steps, similar to a stadium with spectator stands. One of the objects resembles a huge head, like the moai statues on Easter Island. There is controversy in the scientific community: many believe that the formations lying on the bottom of the ocean have exclusively natural origin. But loners like Masaaki Kimura, a professor at Ryukyu University who has repeatedly dived to the ruins, insist that a person was involved.

Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Masvingo

One of the largest and oldest stone structures South Africa It was built from the 11th century, and in the 15th century it was abandoned for some unknown reason. All structures (up to 11 meters in height and 250 in length) were built using the dry masonry method. Presumably, up to 18,000 people lived in the settlement.

Delhi Column, India, New Delhi

Iron column over 7 meters high and weighing over 6 tons - part architectural complex Qutub Minar. It was cast in honor of King Chandragupta II in 415. For unclear reasons, the column, which is almost 100% iron, is virtually indestructible. Scientists are trying to explain this fact for various reasons: the special skill and technology of ancient Indian blacksmiths, dry air and specific climatic conditions in the Delhi region, the formation of a protective shell - in particular, as a result of the fact that the Hindus anointed the sacred monument with oils and incense. Ufologists, as usual, see in the column another proof of the intervention of extraterrestrial intelligence. But the secret of "stainless steel" has not yet been unraveled.

Nazca Lines, Peru, Nazca Plateau

A 47-meter spider, a 93-meter hummingbird, a 134-meter eagle, a lizard, an alligator, a snake, other zoomorphic and humanoid creatures ... Giant bird's-eye images seem to be scratched into the devoid of vegetation rock, and as if with one hand, in the same style. In fact, these are furrows up to 50 cm deep and up to 135 cm wide, made in different time in the 5th-7th centuries.

Nabta Observatory, Nubia, Sahara

In the sands next to dry lake is the oldest archaeoastronomical monument on the planet, 1000 years older than Stonehenge. The location of the megaliths allows you to determine the day of the summer solstice. Archaeologists believe that people lived here seasonally, when there was water in the lake, so they needed a calendar.

Antikythera mechanism, Greece, Antikythera

A mechanical device with dials, hands and gears at the beginning of the 20th century was found on a sunken ship sailing from Rhodes (100 BC). After lengthy research and reconstruction, scientists found that the device served astronomical purposes - it made it possible to monitor the movement of celestial bodies and make very complex calculations.

Baalbek Plates, Lebanon

Rimsky temple complex belong to the I-II century AD. But the Romans did not build sanctuaries in an empty place. At the base of the temple of Jupiter lie more ancient slabs weighing 300 tons. The western retaining wall is made up of a series of "trilithons" - three limestone blocks, each more than 19 m long, 4 m high and weighing about 800 tons. Roman technology was not able to lift such a weight. By the way, not far from the complex for more than one thousand years there is another block - under 1000 tons.

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

The complex on the Armenian Highlands is considered the oldest of the largest megalithic structures (approximately X-IX millennium BC). At that time, people were still engaged in hunting and gathering, but someone was able to erect circles from huge steles with images of animals.

It is not for nothing that ancient buildings are called portraits of the civilizations that built them. Moreover, these portraits conceal the mysteries of entire cultures. After all, these structures stood for thousands of years after their builders disappeared from the face of the earth. It has strange burials to cities unknown until recently - all these architectural artifacts sometimes reveal ancient secrets, and sometimes even more confuse scientists.

1 Teotihuacan Tunnels

Mexico
In 2017, a restoration project was launched to renovate one of Mexico's most famous sites, the pre-Aztec city of Teotihuacan. During work on central square archaeologists used a non-invasive technique to view underground voids. Scanning with electrical impedance tomography showed the unexpected - under the area there was a tunnel leading to a neighboring pyramid. Scientists are still perplexed why the Pyramid of the Moon, which is a colossal feat ancient architecture, could be connected to something else by an underground tunnel.

So far, it is impossible to explore it, and one of the reasons is the depth at which the tunnel passes - 10 meters. Curiously, this tunnel is very similar to another, previously discovered in one of the temples of Teotihuacan. Given that they were built by people who lived 2,000 years ago, it is difficult to say today whether the tunnels served a practical or mystical purpose.

2. Tungundzhi barrows

Australia
For over 60 kilometers along Western Cape York, coastal zone Australia, you can see a number of large burial mounds. Researchers have been discussing the specifics of this phenomenon for years. They apparently did not take the local Aboriginal community seriously (the Tungunji people claimed that their ancestors were buried in barrows). Not surprisingly, a number of strange theories have emerged. For example, some have suggested that these 250 mounds were created by ... birds.

In 2018, when the barrows were scanned by radar, it turned out that the locals and archaeologists who thought the barrows were artificial were right. Eleven sand structures were scanned, and many of them still contained human remains. The juxtaposition of the interior also showed how burial procedures changed over time. But even at different times, different things were placed in all the tombs, such as flowers, spears and corals. The age of the burial mounds is not yet known, but some may be around 6000 years old, i.e. they were created around the same time that the Egyptians were building the pyramids.

3. Tel Edfu urban complex

Egypt
In 2018, during excavations in the Egyptian Tel Edfu, a 4,000-year-old two-story complex was found, which was one of the earliest among the many large ruins in this region. Archaeologists have identified rooms that were used for storage, copper smelting, beer production and bread production. However, the purpose of the other premises has not been determined. The appearance of the facade of the building was typical for ancient egypt but it was very well built. Another mystery is why people abandoned the complex after it was built.

Usually such abandoned places were taken apart for bricks for other construction projects. The same complex not only retained its walls 1.5 - 2 meters thick, but also the entrance doors. Given that they were made from extremely rare wood in Egypt, the doors must have been stolen a long time ago. This brewery-bakery is different from any other that has been preserved since ancient kingdom. Scholars believe that the ancient city of Edfu was an important settlement and a starting point for expeditions to distant places.

4. Villa in Warwick

England
IN English city Warwick recently decided to relocate the high school. The builders who dug the foundation pit discovered a large Roman villa. Its size was 28 meters long and 14.5 meters wide. In their own words, this villa was "the size of a medieval church." Carved from local sandstone, it was probably part of a vast estate in the second century AD.

The villa itself was a very imposing building. In addition to being the largest structure in the region, it was connected to a Roman road. The discovery of corn drying chambers showed that the building, in addition to being someone's home, was used for agriculture. The one who lived in the villa left it about 200 years later.

5 Stonehenge Construction Camp

England
Within walking distance of Stonehenge there are military base in Larkhill. During preparations for new military exercises in 2018, the remains of an ancient fence were discovered. It is believed that ancient trade and meetings took place in such places. Nine wooden pillars stood exactly in the same position as the dolmens in the stone ring of Stonehenge.

This showed that Larkhill was a sort of design center for an overhaul. famous temple, which was also once also a modest ring of wooden poles. The original version of Stonehenge was erected around 3000 BC, but archaeologists believe that the fence is six to seven centuries older than it. It was probably a construction camp.

6. Hardnott Pass Fort

England
During the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian (AD 117-138), part of Britain was part of the empire. Several forts were built to protect this frontier. One fortress stands near Hardnott Pass in Cumbria. It wasn't until 2015 that scientists noticed that its gates align perfectly with the Sun during the solstices. Located in a square building, the gates face each other in two pairs.

On the longest day of the year (summer solstice), at sunrise, the Sun shines through the northeast gate, and at sunset, into the southwest gate. On the shortest day (winter solstice), the process repeats, but in reverse. Why this particular fort was made the way it is is unknown. It is also not clear why the four towers of the fort were built perfectly in accordance with the cardinal directions. One plausible idea is that the fort is linked to religion (several ancient religions).

7. Ritual Hall and Moche Throne

Peru
In 2018, the news of a remarkable find appeared in the press after Peruvian archaeologists examined the monument of Huaca Limon de Ucupe. They found two rooms of the mysterious culture. Long before the Incas, the Moche culture flourished in Peru. Existing for many centuries until 700 AD. this magnificent culture left behind monuments, golden artifacts and advanced agricultural techniques. Any new findings may help explain mysterious disappearance given culture, or at least provide more knowledge about it.

In one room there was a beautiful ritual hall. Unlike the geometric and mythical paintings found elsewhere, the walls of the hall were decorated with realistic sea scenes. One painting was 10 meters in size. Over 100 tables once held plates, hinting at large and varied banquets. The two stepped thrones faced each other. The taller one was intended for the ruler, while the other was probably intended for the patron of the holiday. Next to the door of another room was a podium, perhaps for making announcements during meetings.

8. An ominous Stone Age burial

Sweden
In 2009, a strange grave was found in Sweden that puzzled even experts. In it, on a huge limestone platform measuring 12 by 14 meters, 11 skulls without jaws rested. Moreover, when this burial was created 8000 years ago, it was at the bottom of the lake. The skeleton of a newborn and animal bones were also found. Why they were "buried" underwater is just one of the grave's mysteries. Seven skulls were found to have blunt trauma marks. Men were hit from above or in front, and women from behind.

The sacrifice was unlikely. All injuries were clearly treated, and people lived for some more time. The bones were also oddly laid out. Human skulls were in the middle, and two of them were pierced with stakes. In the south were the bones of bears. Wild boar, deer and elk "decorated" southeastern part. Besides, most of bone was taken from the right side of the body. In truth, researchers cannot figure out the location or meaning of the ritual.

9. Religious objects in the mountains of Eilat

Israel
In 2015 in Israeli mountains Eilat, about 100 ritual objects were discovered. In the Negev desert, stone circles and phallic structures were arranged in dense groups. On an area of ​​80 hectares, archaeologists counted 44 places of worship. Although little is known about what took place in these places, themes of abundance and death were especially common. About 8000 years ago, male symbols were created on these objects, such as stone phalluses, indicating "female" stone circles with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 meters.

As the locations of the objects, flat areas with good view to the neighborhood. Given the small population and the desert around, the huge number of monuments is a mystery. In addition, similar finds continue to be made in other places. Only during one study found 349 ritual sites outside the mountains of Eilat.

10 Maya Archeology

Guatemala
During a recent aerial survey of northern Guatemala, more than 60,000 unknown Mayan archaeological sites were added to the map. Under the dense cover of forests, pyramids, walls, city fortifications, dams and fortifications- all this within 2100 square kilometers. The study revealed entirely new places to explore, but also prompted immediate clues about other aspects of civilization.

The sheer number of private homes suggested that the Maya outnumbered those who live in the area today. They avoided deforestation and fell forests for agriculture like modern farmers, proving that large population can thrive without deforestation. One fortress was strong enough that it could be argued that the Maya fought serious wars. Although most of the new structures are houses, the number of roads is just as amazing.

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On our planet, there are mysterious and mysterious monuments of antiquity, which, although studied by archaeologists and scientists, still raise many questions and discussions. These monuments are the sources of all sorts of myths, legends, various hypotheses and theories regarding their history, origin, and the purposes for which they were created. There are many such places on Earth, but we will talk about the most famous and mysterious of all places in the world.

Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza. It may seem incredible, but the statue of the Sphinx is carved from a monolithic rock. Until now, it remains a mystery who and how did it. Also unknown is the date and time of construction of this majestic monument. The Sphinx is named the largest monument in the world. The Egyptian pyramids are rightly called the oldest of the wonders of the world that have survived to our time. Just like the Sphinx, they are shrouded in secrets and legends. As you know, the pyramids are the tombs for the pharaohs. The largest and most famous of all the pyramids is the Pyramid of Cheops.

Stonehenge. This mysterious ancient monument is located in England. Stonehenge is an impressive stone structure, consisting of stone blocks (megaliths and triliths). As scientists suggest, the beginning of the creation of this architectural ensemble dates back to about 3000 BC. The architectural composition of Stonehenge includes arches pointing exactly to all four directions of the world, an altar stone and two rings consisting of huge stones. Both the authors and the purpose of Stonehenge are still unknown. Scientists and archaeologists put forward many different versions, but none of them can be confirmed. Therefore, the spirit of mystery and mystery hovers around this ancient monument. In addition, Stonehenge is one of the strongest energy places on the planet.

This monument is not at all ancient, as it was created in 1979. But, nevertheless, shrouded in mystery no less than any ancient monument. It consists of four monolithic granite slabs over five meters high, supported by just one cornice stone. The total weight of the monument is about one hundred tons. All plates are directed to the four cardinal directions. They are engraved with a message to posterity in eight languages, a guide to people who survived after a global catastrophe. The monument has been repeatedly subjected to various acts of vandalism.

goseck circle. It consists of round moats surrounded by wooden palisades (restored later). In certain places of these ditches there are gates through which, on certain certain days, sunlight. This ancient monument of architecture is considered one of the earliest solar observatory examples. But this is still a source of controversy among scientists. Various hypotheses have been put forward regarding the use of the Goseck circle, none of which has received accurate scientific confirmation.

Moai monuments on Easter Island. Moai monuments are huge statues of people up to twenty meters high. They were carved from volcanic rock between about 1250 and 1500 AD. As archaeologists found out, there were originally 887 statues, of which 394 have survived to this day. The largest of the statues weighs over 70 tons. A lot of ideas and hypotheses are put forward regarding these monuments.

It is located near the capital of Mexico - the city of Mexico City. The name of the city is translated as "the place where the gods are born." Ancient city abandoned for unknown reasons local population. Why this happened remains a mystery to this day. Ancient amazing pyramids attract many travelers with their beauty. And scientists have found that ancient civilizations understood astronomy, erected calendars from stone, created drawings that were visible only from a height.

It is located on the outskirts of Delhi city. This pillar was made of iron about 1600 years ago, but during this time it has not been corroded at all. Scientists cannot find an explanation for such an indisputable fact. In addition, many hypotheses have been put forward regarding the method of making this monument. The people of India consider the Delhi Pillar to be a miracle that can grant a wish or cure any disease.

Saksayuman fortress. This fortress was built by the ancient Incas and is a series of walls built from solid rock blocks, each of which weighs more than two hundred tons. Nowadays, this ancient monument is in excellent condition, despite its age. It should be noted that scientists still cannot figure out how the Incas managed to build structures from huge stones without fastening materials so that even the thinnest sheet of paper could not squeeze between these blocks. In addition, it is not known how people transported such heavy stones.

These are lines and drawings on a dry plateau in the Nazca Desert (Peru), which cover an area of ​​approximately fifty miles. The time of creation of these lines falls approximately between 200 BC and 700 AD. You can see the Nazca lines either from a height, or at certain times of the year from a neighboring mountain. Scientists are surprised that the animals depicted on the Nazca plateau are not found in this area (for example, a monkey, a whale, a spider, etc.). Also surprising is the exact reproduction of the anatomical structure of some animals, insects, birds. After all, at that time there were no microscopes. No matter what efforts scientists make, no one has yet been able to unravel the purpose of these drawings.

We have presented to your attention a far from complete list of the most mysterious places our planet. They beckon, call, attract many tourists and travelers. But most of all they are of interest to archaeologists and scientists, since it is quite difficult to unravel their secrets, to be more precise, it is almost impossible.

Built thousands of years ago and miraculously preserved to this day, erected from materials of unknown origin and hiding their true functions in incomprehensible forms, there are many mysterious structures on the planet with unsolvable riddles associated with them. Some of them are able to amaze with their impressive age, others with their impressive size, and others with truly fantastic architectural characteristics. Looking at such structures, one can only guess what our world was like thousands of years ago. How people managed to extract unique building materials and process them skillfully, build indestructible stone walls and carve monoliths of an incomprehensible purpose from rocks - scientists have been pondering these questions for hundreds of years.

Located in northeastern Georgia unique monument, which is known to the general public under the name "Georgia Guidelines". The impressive structure is a complex of six granite slabs, each of which is 6.1 meters high and weighs 20 tons. Commemorative inscriptions in eight languages ​​of the world were applied to the granite slabs, they represent a kind of instruction for those who will survive after the apocalypse and will be engaged in the restoration of civilization.

The opening of an unusual monument in Georgia took place in 1980; employees of the construction organization Elberton Granite Finishing Company were engaged in its construction. The author of the idea of ​​an unusual monument is not known for certain, according to one version, he is a certain Robert Christian, who ordered the erection of a monument in private. The monument is also remarkable for its astronomical orientation, it is oriented in such a way that it allows you to track the movement of the sun. In the central part of the monument there is a hole through which at any time of the year you can see polar star.

Despite the fact that the age of the monument is relatively small, it never ceases to attract public attention. Most Interest for visitors is a mysterious message, which contains very fair and well-founded commandments. You can read the mysterious message in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian, as well as in Hindi and Hebrew.

On a barren hill in northeast Georgia is one of the strangest and most mysterious monuments in the world. But it was not created in ancient times. Known as the Georgia Guidestones, it is a stone structure of six granite slabs, 6.1 meters high and 20 tons each.

The monument has inscriptions in eight modern languages, as well as a brief inscription on the top in ancient Egyptian, Akkadian, classical Greek and Sanskrit.

The letters are instructions for discouraged survivors of the Apocalypse who are trying to rebuild civilization.

The design is designed to track the movement of the sun from east to west all year round, and has holes that allow you to find the North Star.

The order for the erection of the monument was given in June 1979 to the construction firm Elberton Granite Finishing Company by a man who introduced himself as Robert C. Christian. The monument was opened a year later.

A team of researchers while working with sonar to search for sunken ships at the bottom of Lake Michigan were very surprised when they discovered a structure resembling the world-famous Stonehenge at a depth of about 15 meters.

Some of the stones are arranged in a circle, and one of them is engraved with the image of a mastodon. The structure was erected 10,000 years ago, which coincides with the post-Ice Age, when both humans and relic animals lived in the region.

The age of underwater ruins, found in the spring of 1987 by a diving instructor on the Japanese south coast off the Yonaguni Islands, is approximately 8,000 years old.

Wide flat platforms, covered with an ornament of rhombuses and rectangles, pass into intricate terraces running down large steps. The edge of the object breaks vertically downwards with a wall of 27 meters.

Professor Masaake Kimura, a marine geologist at Ryukyu University, has been diving at the site for over 18 years to measure and map the structures of the Yonaguni Monument, as it has come to be called.

It's a huge building complex that includes castles, monuments and a stadium, all connected by a complex system of roads and waterways, says Kimura. In all likelihood, it went under water during a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Off the coast of Alexandria, the city of Alexander the Great, lies what is believed to be the ruins of Cleopatra's royal palace.

It is believed that as a result of an earthquake more than 1500 years ago, the queen's palace irrevocably went under water. The excavations are carried out by underwater archaeologists led by the Frenchman Franck Gaudier.

Excavations are underway on the so-called Aphrodite Island. Where, according to reports, was the palace of Cleopatra. The Egyptian government plans to create an underwater museum there.

The largest Roman temple ever built stands in ruins, not in Greece or Rome, but in the ancient Lebanese city of Baalbek (the city of Baal).

The huge temple of Jupiter is part of the temple complex.

Questions are raised by the elements of the structure: giant and heavy platform slabs, twenty-meter marble columns, which were hewn in an unknown way. It seems that giants worked on the construction or magic was used.

The temple was destroyed during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius.

Despite its beauty, the ruins of Baalbek have rarely been visited by tourists in recent decades due to the war, so this majestic place has escaped much looting.

No one knows what made this place so special to the Romans, what prompted them to build such a huge structure.

In southern Turkey, north of the Syrian border, three megalithic stone circles have been found.

They are several thousand years older than the "first" stone circle built at Stonehenge. Ironically, these ancient stone circles were built during the hunter-gatherer society.

Previously, it was believed that the construction of this kind of structures requires a more complex organization of the human community, which could not be the case for human hunters.

Three stone circles at Gobekli Tepe were deliberately buried for unknown reasons. Some believe that the Gobekli Tepe area and the biblical Garden of Eden.

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui and Isla de Pasqua, is one of the Polynesian islands in the southeast Pacific. He became famous for his monumental statues, which were created by the people of Rapanui.

The statues, the so-called moai, were part of the ancestor worship of the island's settlers and were erected between 1250 and 1500 AD.

The heaviest statue weighs about 86 tons and proves that such work was a real feat for the people of Rapa Nui. Nearly half of all the remaining statues are still in the main quarry, and hundreds of them have been moved to stone platforms around the perimeter of the island.

The secret of creating, moving and installing statues was revealed in 1956 by the famous Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl.

The creators of the moai turned out to be an endangered native tribe of the “long-ears”, which got its name because they had a custom to lengthen their earlobes with heavy jewelry, which for centuries kept the secret of creating statues a secret from the main population of the island - the “short-eared” tribe.

Perhaps the most famous monument in the world is Stonehenge, located in English county Wiltshire. It consists of earthen ramparts that surround stone slabs arranged in a circle.

The construction dates back to 2500 BC. Although there are many theories and conjectures regarding the construction and use of the megalithic structure, no one knows for sure about the original purpose of the construction. This remains one of the greatest mysteries of the Earth.

9. Machu - Picchu

Machu Picchu is the best preserved city of the Inca Empire. A city that was hidden in the Peruvian Andes, on a high steep mountain with a flat top, a place that escaped a deadly encounter with the Spanish conquistadors.

The place has been isolated from the outside world for many centuries. The city was rediscovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911.

The stones of this city are set so closely together that the blade of a knife cannot fit between them. Modern research show that Machu Picchu was built around 1450 AD by the great Inca ruler Pachacuti, a century before his empire was conquered.

Machu Picchu was used as the residence of the ruler. Due to its modest size, it could not claim the title of a large city: there were about 200 buildings in total. In 1532, the inhabitants of the city mysteriously disappeared.

Few people know that the modern African country of Zimbabwe was actually named after the stone ruins that dot the countryside.

The "Great Ruins of Zimbabwe" is one of the oldest and largest structures located in southern Africa. According to scientists, at one time about 18,000 inhabitants lived here.

Greater Zimbabwe is believed to have been the main shrine and ancestral center of the Shona people (Bantu people).

The city was founded around 1130 AD. e. and existed for two or three centuries.

In ancient times, it was the center of the state of Monomotapa, also known as the power of the Great (Great) Zimbabwe, Muene Mutapa or Munhumutapa. The reason why the inhabitants left it is unknown.

Although not as famous as the ruins of Machu Picchu, the ruins of the Peruvian Chavin de Huantar are part of the valuable heritage of Humanity.

Chavin de Huantar, religious center the most advanced civilization of the pre-Inca era in Peru, was built in 327 BC. e. and includes the quintessence of all the knowledge of the creators.

It is believed that it was here that the place of power was located, where the shamans drew the magical energy necessary to communicate with the gods. In one of the corridors of the "Old Temple", the mysterious five-meter-high Lanzon monolith occupies a dominant position.

The stone image of a frightening deity strikes with the size of a huge face and bulging eyes. The locals call him the "bloodsucker".

Vessels found in the temple indicate that the site may have been associated with a tradition of sacrifice.

The ruins of the city were discovered about a hundred years ago by a local farmer. The reason why the city was abandoned by the inhabitants remains unsolved.

Coral castle - complex huge statues and megaliths with a total weight of 1100 tons, built by hand, without the use of machines.

The complex includes: a two-story square tower weighing 243 tons, various buildings, massive walls, an underground pool with spiral staircase, stone map of Florida, rough-hewn chairs, heart-shaped table, accurate sundial, stone Mars and Saturn, as well as a 30-ton month, with its horn exactly pointing to the North Star, and much more.

How to explain the fact that a man of small stature and build (152 cm and 45 kg) built a rock garden alone, using pieces of coral weighing several tons each?

Coral Castle, in the town of Homestead, Florida - a monument to an immigrant from Latvia, Ed Leedskalnin, for a lost love. Ed began construction in 1923 after his Latvian fiancée left him a few days before their wedding, and devoted his entire life to completing it.

Construction continued even after his death in 1951. Experts wonder how a simple stonemason Leedskalnin, who only had four grades of education, could have built Coral Castle on his own. One engineer claimed that even Albert Einstein could not understand.

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