The oldest building on earth. The oldest residential building in the world

Looking at the well-preserved picturesque ruins, one can only wonder how people created these masterpieces without having any modern technologies, no machines, no tools. Below is a list of the ten most ancient buildings in the world, the approximate dates of which have been determined through radiocarbon dating. So…

La Hougue Bie

La Hug Bee - historical monument located in Grouville County, Jersey. It is a corridor tomb 20 meters long, built around 3500 BC. e.

Sechin Bajo


Sechin Bajo is an ancient stone site located at the foothills of the Andes, 330 kilometers from the city of Lima, the capital of the Republic of Peru. A find dated to around 3500 BC. e., was discovered by archaeologists from Germany and Peru in 2008. It is the oldest surviving man-made building ever discovered in Northern and South America.


Listoghil is the large central monument at the prehistoric sanctuary of Carrowmore, which is located in County Sligo in the north of Ireland. Dated to around 3500 BC. e.

Mound West Kennet (West Kennet Long Barrow)


West Kennet is a Neolithic tomb located 2.5 kilometers east of the Avebury Megalithic Tombs and Sanctuaries in Wiltshire, England. Mound West Kennet, dating from about 3600 BC. e., was discovered in the seventeenth century by John Aubrey.

Ggantija


Fifth place in the list of the oldest buildings in the world is Ggantija - temple complex located on the island of Gozo off the coast of Malta. It consists of two walled temples, the oldest of which, the southern one, dates back to about 3600 BC. e.

Knap of Howar


Knap of Howar is a well-preserved Neolithic structure located on the island of Papa Westray in the Orkney archipelago in northern Scotland. Radiocarbon analysis showed that these are some of the best preserved ancient stone houses in northern Europe. Used around 3700-3100 BC. e.

Wayland's Smithy


Wayland Smithy is an ancient Neolithic mound and tomb discovered in 1920. Located next to the Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle in the village of Ashbury, English county Oxfordshire. The building dates back to around 3590 BC. e.

Mound Saint-Michel (Saint-Michel tumulus)


Mound Saint-Michel is the largest ancient burial mound in continental Europe, located near the east of the commune of Carnac in the region of Brittany, France. It consists of a mound of earth and stones 125 meters long, 50 meters wide and 10 meters high. According to radiocarbon analysis, it was built approximately between 5000 and 3400 years. BC e. and served as a grave for those of the ruling class.

Bugon Necropolis (Tumulus of Bougon)


Bugonsky necropolis - a group of five burial mounds located near French city La Mothe-Saint-Héré in the department of Poitou-Charentes. Their discovery in 1840 caused big interest from historians. The oldest structures of this prehistoric monument date back to 4800 BC. e.

Barnenes


Barnenes - ancient monument, located near the city of Plouezoc on the Kernelin Peninsula, France. The monument belongs to the early Neolithic and dates back to 4800 BC. e. Barnenes is considered one of the earliest structures in Europe built from huge blocks of stone, as well as the oldest building in the world. It reaches 72 meters in length, 25 meters in width and 8 meters in height.

Share on social networks

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 construction 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 structures. 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

Karal is a city that existed more than five thousand years ago, it is considered the oldest urban settlement in 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.

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 in bronze age about 3 thousand 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.


This is a prehistoric monument and the oldest building in Ireland, which was erected 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.

Buildings of the same age as the capital have not been preserved: most of the buildings of that time were wooden, and enemy raids, fires and just the passage of time led to the fact that the capital was rebuilt more than once, changing beyond recognition. And yet in Moscow there are buildings that have survived many centuries.

oldest building Moscow. According to the chronicles, the first wooden building The temple was erected simultaneously with other buildings of the monastery, in 1357, but as a result of a fire in 1368 it burned down. In its place, a new stone cathedral was built, which sixty years later, between 1420 and 1425, was rebuilt and has survived to this day in this form. Participated in the painting of the temple Andrey Rublev And Daniel Cherny, however, only the ornamental painting on the jambs of the altar windows has been preserved from their work. The decoration of the cathedral has changed a lot more than once. According to the inventory of 1763, there was a porch with a sacristy chamber, from which nothing remains today, and in 1812 Archimandrite Feofan reported on the significant destruction caused by the retreating Napoleonic army. The French robbed the cathedral, lit the iconostasis, which is why "the vaults with the head fell inside the temple ...". In 1934, the entire Spaso-Andronnikov Monastery was planned to be demolished, but for various reasons this did not happen. In many ways, his salvation was facilitated by the work on the cathedral published by the Academy of Architecture in 1940, after which the significance of the temple as a monument of Russian architecture became clear to everyone. In 1959-1960 the building was reconstructed in its original form.

Andronevskaya square, 10

Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Lodo27 was built in 1326-1327 and was at that time the first stone church in Moscow. However, after a hundred years, its condition ceased to correspond to the status of the main temple of Russia: the walls that had lost their presentable appearance, which threatened to collapse, were supported by logs. The construction of the new cathedral began on April 30, 1471 and was entrusted to the Russians. architect Krivtsov And Myshkin. Tragedy prevented the completion of what had been started: during the earthquake on May 20, 1474, the walls of the temple, brought almost to the vaults, collapsed, since “the lime was not gluey, and the stone was not hard.” Ivan III Italian was invited architect Aristotle Fioravanti, who completely dismantled the construction of Russian architects and began construction from scratch. The new cathedral was consecrated on August 12, 1479. Many are associated with it. key events in the history of Russia. For example, in 1547 he was married here to the kingdom Ivan IV, and starting from Peter II The Assumption Cathedral hosted the coronation of each new Russian emperor, despite the fact that the capital was moved to St. Petersburg. repeatedly suffered from fires and was restored again: in 1547 the top of the building was covered with gilded copper sheets, and in 1624 the dilapidated arches were dismantled and folded again. In 1812, the temple, like many other Moscow shrines, was looted and desecrated by the Napoleonic army. After the October Revolution, it was closed for access and worship, and since 1955 it received the status of a museum. After the collapse Soviet Union the temple became known as the "Patriarchal cathedral”, and today divine services are held in it on separate days with the blessing of the patriarch.

Moscow Kremlin

Assumption Cathedral. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Faceted Chamber, the oldest surviving civil building in Moscow, was built in 1487-1491 according to the project Marco Ruffo And Pietro Antonio Solari. Meetings of the Boyar Duma were held here, the Zemsky Sobor met, and various festivities were held. Interestingly, a special secret "observation chamber" was provided for the king's children in the chamber. The queen with children could watch through a special lattice for magnificent receptions of foreign delegations. Today, the Faceted Chamber is a hall at the residence of the President of Russia.

st. Volkhonka, 3/4

Faceted Chamber. Front facade. View from Cathedral Square. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Gerard Janot

Travel Palace of Vasily III (father of Ivan the Terrible)- the oldest secular building outside the earthen city. Its discovery in 2003 was a real sensation. Then, during the restoration of the Golitsyn estate, white-stone masonry of the 16th century was found under a layer of plaster. layout ancient building almost completely preserved. The place for the construction of the palace was not chosen by chance: it was here in 1395 that the Vladimir Icon of Vladimir was met Mother of God, which, according to legend, saved Rus' from the invasion of hordes Tamerlane. Now the house is occupied by commercial organizations.

st. Staraya Basmannaya, 15

Travel Palace of Vasily III. Photo: pastvu.com / losinka1 - the oldest civil building outside the Kremlin. This white stone residential building was built in the 15th century and was owned by Ivan Bobrishev nicknamed "Yushka", the bed-keeper of the Grand Duke Ivan III. Apparently, Yushka left no heirs, and after his death, the building became state-owned. The English court of the chamber began to be called after in 1553 Sir Richard Chancellor opened the Northern sea ​​route which connected England and Russia. The British supplied gunpowder, saltpeter, lead, pewter, and they brought furs, blubber, wood, hemp, and leather to England. Ivan the Terrible was interested in trade relations with England and granted overseas merchants a house in Zaryadye. After the rupture of trade relations with England in 1649 in connection with the execution in Great Britain King Charles I all English merchants were expelled from Russia, and their property was confiscated. After that, the boyar owned the chambers for more than 20 years. Ivan Andreevich Miloslavsky, and then the metochion of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolitan was located here. In the middle of the XVIII century Peter I arranged in this building one of the first Arithmetic Schools in Russia, and then it was sold into private hands and changed owners many times. By the middle of the 20th century, the chambers had lost their original appearance: in Soviet times there were residential apartments, various institutions. The revival of the chambers in its original form is associated with the name restorer Pyotr Baranovsky, who in the 1960s discovered an architectural monument under the later layers and insisted that it be preserved. After a comprehensive study, the building was returned to the appearance of the XVI century. In 1994, the grand opening of the Old English Court Museum took place, which became a branch of the Museum of the History of Moscow.

st. Varvarka, 4

English court in Zaryadye. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / NVO - a complex of buildings in which fragments of buildings from the late 16th - early 18th centuries have been preserved. This is the oldest of the existing residential buildings in Moscow. Once upon a time there was a yard Chief Marshal Lewald, and later were listed as owners Prince Ivan Urusov, merchant Semyon Mylnikov, collegiate adviser Mikhail Chebyshev. His daughter Ekaterina Chebysheva married Prince Pavel Golitsyn, and from that moment the estate began to be associated with this surname. However, even after the Golitsyns, its owners were representatives of famous families - Karasy, Savostyanovs, Tsyplakovs. In the second half of the 19th century, the estate was leased to various institutions: in different time there were furnished rooms, a music school, a hospital, a printing house, a bookbinding workshop. In the latter in 1914 he worked as a compositor Sergey Yesenin. According to activist of the city protection organization "Arkhnadzor" Alexander Mozhaev, five years ago, the restoration of the estate began, which was planned to be turned into luxury housing, but it was frozen. IN this moment unidentified persons live in a semi-abandoned building (the lights are on in the evenings on the second floor). The estate is in disrepair, and this is especially true of the roof and facade. The outbuildings of the complex are occupied by various commercial organizations.

Krivokolenny lane, 10

Chambers of the Golitsyns. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / NVO

Solodezhnaya Simonov Monastery- the oldest "multi-storey building", was erected in the XVI-XVII centuries and is one of the few surviving buildings of the Simonov Monastery. The monastery, founded in 1370, was almost completely destroyed during the construction of the ZIL automobile plant. The malting room (dryer) was intended for storing monastic products, grain, malt, and according to other sources, it was also a dining room. The uniqueness of this building lies in the fact that it is taller than a modern five-story building: such houses were very rare in those days. Now the building is used for household needs.

st. Vostochnaya, 4

View from the bell tower on the Moscow River (below, the Dulo tower and the Sushila (Solodezhnaya) building are visible; to the left of the bend of the river is the church in Stary Simonov, old photograph.

Going to almost any country, you can see architectural buildings that are over 5,000 years old. . 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 included Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt .He is named after a 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. Restoration began in 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 were witnesses 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 ignored Church 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.