September 12th, 2014
The sensational discovery of a German archaeologist in Anatolia allows us to take a fresh look at the ancient history of human civilization. On a mountainside in southeastern Turkey, not far from the Syrian border, an expedition led by Klaus Schmidt unearthed a magnificent ancient temple that is 12 thousand years old.
The oldest religious building found to date, Gobekli Tepe, built in the early Neolithic era, was discovered in the middle of the twentieth century. However, scientists became interested in this cultural monument only after massive stone walls and T-shaped columns covered with designs.
It is estimated that the total number of temples at Göbekli Tepe must have reached 20. Each of the buildings probably marked the ascension of Sirius in the sky at different times.
The star Sirius first appeared in the earth's sky about 11,300 thousand years ago. In terms of brightness, it ranks fourth right after the Moon, Venus and Jupiter, so it probably made an indelible impression on a person of the early Neolithic era.
Let's study it in more detail...
Photo 2. 
Klaus Schmidt is a private assistant professor at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, studying the ancient history of mankind. When Schmidt began excavations at Gobekli Tepe in 1994, he was sure that these excavations would become the main work of his life. Archaeological complex in this area can be compared with Stonehenge in England, with the only difference being that the ruins in Anatolia are 6 thousand years older.
As a child, Klaus Schmidt haunted caves in his native Germany, hoping to find prehistoric drawings there. Thirty years later, already representing the German Archaeological Institute, he discovered something infinitely more important - a temple complex, almost twice as ancient as all similar structures on the planet.
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“This place is a supernova,” says Schmidt, standing under a lone tree on a windswept hill 55 kilometers north of Turkey's border with Syria. “Already in the first minute after its discovery, I knew that I had two options: either leave here without saying a word to anyone, or spend the rest of my life here, on these excavations.”
Photo 4. 
Behind him, the first bends of the Anatolian Plateau open up. Ahead, the Mesopotamian plain stretches hundreds of miles all the way to Baghdad and further south, looking like a sea the color of dust. Directly ahead, hidden behind a hill ledge, are the stone circles of Gobekli Tepe. In those days when people had not yet built permanent dwellings for themselves, did not know how to make a simple clay bowl, and obtained food by hunting and gathering, the inhabitants of South-Eastern Anatolia erected a monumental sanctuary for their gods.
Photo 5. 
Compared to Stonehenge - the most famous prehistoric monument in Great Britain - they are not striking in their grandeur of scale. None of the excavated round structures (and there are only a few of them) this moment there are four out of twenty) does not exceed 30 meters in diameter. What makes these finds completely unique are the carvings of boars, foxes, lions, birds, snakes and scorpions on them, as well as the age of the finds themselves. They were created 9.5 thousand years BC. They are 5.5 thousand years old older than the first cities of Mesopotamia and 7 thousand years ago - Stonehenge.
Photo 6. 
In Gobekli Tepe, archaeologists discovered a gigantic complex of round buildings and stone pillars with carved reliefs on a hill. Currently, only a small part of the buildings has been excavated, but if you take into account the age of the ruins, it immediately becomes clear that this is a unique archaeological site.
Photo 7. 
The ancient ruins of Nevali Keri, which have been located at the bottom of the Ataturk reservoir since 1992, are almost as old as Gobekli Tepe, their age is 10,500 years. But the pillars there are much smaller, and the decoration is more modest. Jericho can compete with the temples of Gobekli Tepe in age, but there are no large sculptures there, no architectural decorations. All other ancient archaeological sites belong to a different era - they arose about 2 thousand years later. The people who created these rounded monuments and stone bas-reliefs, this entire complex, did not even have pottery and did not grow cereal crops. They lived in settlements. But they were hunters, not farmers.
Photo 8. 
Judging by the age of the Gobekli Tepe complex, it was in this area that hunters and gatherers switched to a sedentary lifestyle. In Gobekli Tepe, first of all, they amaze intellectual abilities Stone Age people, their hard work and knowledge of construction. But until now, scientists were confident that the implementation of such gigantic projects as the construction of a temple presupposes a sedentary lifestyle and a high degree of organization.
“It has always been assumed that only complex societies with hierarchical structures could build such monumental structures, and that they only appeared with the advent of agriculture,” says Stanford University anthropology professor Ian Hodder, who has led the excavations since 1993. in Çatalhöyük, the most famous Neolithic settlement in Turkey. – Gobekli changed all ideas. This is a complex structure and dates back to the era before the birth of agriculture. This fact alone puts it among the most important archaeological finds over a very long period of time."
Photo 9. 
The archaeological site at Gobekli Tepe was first surveyed in 1963. However, then archaeologists underestimated its importance, and for a long time they did not work there at all. On the hill, in the thickness of which the temple complex is located, there was a field of oats. The peasants continually removed the bulky stones that were in their way from the fields, so top part the temple was destroyed before scientists could explore it.
Based on the excavated areas, we can conclude that people stayed here for a very long time. Near the round building of the sanctuary, several smaller buildings were found, in which, apparently, some kind of ritual meetings took place. But in all these buildings there is not the slightest sign of human habitation.
Excavations have been ongoing for ten years. As a result, only a small part has been cleared so far, but the purpose of Gobekli Tepe for the people who built it remains unclear. Some believe that this place was intended for fertility rituals, and two tall stone in the center of each circle symbolize a man and a woman.
Photo 10. 
But Schmidt is skeptical about the fertility theory. He shares the opinion that Gobekli Tepe could be “the last flowering of a semi-nomadic society, which was about to be destroyed by the advancing era of agriculture.” He points out that if the site remains in nearly perfect condition today, it is only because its builders soon buried their creation under tons of earth, as if their wildlife-rich world had lost all its meaning.
“From my point of view, the people who carved them were asking the greatest questions of all,” the scientist continues. – What is the universe? Why are we here? But the fertility symbols that have been found at other Neolithic sites are missing here, and the T-shaped pillars, while clearly semi-human, are asexual. “I think here we are faced with the earliest images of gods,” says Schmidt, stroking one of the largest blocks with his hand. “They have no eyes, no mouths, no faces. But they have arms and they have palms. These are the creators."
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Perhaps the most interesting thing in Gobekli Tepe is its last days. The buildings were undoubtedly filled up, and this is what explains their good preservation. All the ancient religious buildings were simply abandoned, abandoned, but the temple on the Anatolian hill was literally buried in the ground. A massive building with monolithic giant pillars covered with magnificent reliefs was covered to the top with stones and soil, so that it literally disappeared underground.
Photo 12. 
Although archaeologists liberated only part of Gobekli Tepe from under the embankment, it is already possible to appreciate the extraordinary big sizes sanctuaries It consists of four different temples, surrounded by a low stone fence. Particularly interesting are the T-shaped monoliths with partially preserved reliefs. They depict birds, gazelles, and bulls very naturalistically. Next to the image of a donkey and a snake, you can make out the head of a fox. There are even spiders and a three-dimensional wild boar with a frowning, blunt muzzle.
What the builders of the temple attached great importance the animal world is not surprising in itself. But they depicted wild animals, and this confirms the assumption that the creators of the sanctuary were not settled farmers. Another interesting thing is that in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe there are all kinds of wild cereals, which were later cultivated as grain crops.
Photo 13. 
Perhaps Gobekli Tepe is the missing link in the chain - the connecting element between primitive nomadic hunter-gatherers and sedentary farmers. The production of monolithic stone pillars with reliefs requires certain professional skills - this requires stonemasons. This means that other people supplied artisan stonemasons with everything necessary for life, that is, they had a society based on the division of labor.
Photo 14. 
There are pictograms on some of the pillars. Some archaeologists have suggested that these icons may have influenced sign systems that emerged at a later time, but it is difficult to see whether there is a connection between them. Hieroglyphs were not widespread in neighboring Mesopotamia, but in Ancient Egypt, that is, far from Gobekli Tepe. In addition, the time interval between Ancient Egypt and the Gobekli Tepe culture is very large.
Photo 15. 
The end of the Gobekli Tepe sanctuary occurred at the beginning of the 8th millennium BC. At this time, agriculture spread to neighboring Mesopotamia. The soil in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe is poor, perhaps for this reason the sanctuary lost its significance. The most important centers formed much further south, on fertile plains and river valleys. By at least, this may partly explain why people abandoned the temple where their ancestors had worshiped the gods for hundreds of years. They covered the sanctuary with stones and left there forever.
The lessons of Gobekli Tepe encourage us to reconsider the idea of the so-called Neolithic revolution. Until now, historians thought that the transition of nomadic tribes to a settled way of life created the preconditions for the construction of large urban centers and huge temples. But the experience of Gobekli Tepe proves that, in all likelihood, it was just the opposite: the very existence of a grandiose sanctuary, where the main rituals took place, encouraged people not to move away from it, but to stay close to the holy place and arrange permanent homes for themselves. This means that first there was a temple, and then a house, a village and a city.
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The mystery of Gobekli Tepe is no less amazing than the secrets of the pyramids, but much older. Scientists can only assume that it was a ritual structure, but it is not known for certain what made the ancient people get together and build such a truly colossal structure.
Among researchers and enthusiasts, a variety of assumptions are emerging: from the mundane to the incredible. Some believe that Gobekli Tepe was not a temple, but only a place where people lived, while others put forward ideas about the intervention of alien races in the history of the Earth and the construction of this complex by aliens. There are opinions that Gobekli Tepe was the Garden of Eden or a prototype of Noah's Ark.
RUSSIAN HISTORIAN GENNADY KLIMOV BELIEVES, that Gobekli Tepe and similar buildings on Russian territory were built by the same race. He confirms his theory by the fact that in the 9th millennium BC. There was no Black Sea yet and the path from the Russian periglacial steppes to these regions was clear.
We are accustomed to the idea that agriculture appeared first, and then settlements, but Gobekli Tepe globally changes our understanding of ancient people in this matter. Scientists have found that to build such a monumental structure, it was necessary to gather at least 500 people at the same time. That is, all these people lived together.
Photo 17. 
Scientists suggest that it was the construction of this temple that played important role in the process of transition to agriculture, and therefore to the emergence of civilization in our usual sense. As soon as the ancient people gathered together and began to live in one place, it became difficult to feed so many workers and pilgrims. And perhaps this is what prompted them to domesticate wild plants and animals.
All conclusions regarding the Gobekli Tepe temple complex are preliminary, since excavations are being carried out only on 5% of its territory. Archaeologists believe that research will continue for about 50 years. The dating of the studied part dates the end of layer III to the 9th millennium BC. e., and its beginning - by the 11th millennium BC. e. or earlier. Layer II dates back to the 8th-9th millennia BC. e.
Photo 18. 
Since the complex appeared before the Neolithic revolution, the origin is in this region agriculture and cattle breeding should apparently be attributed to the era after the 9th millennium BC. e. At the same time, the construction of such a grandiose structure required the efforts of a large number of people and a certain social organization. This is not typical for the Mesolithic. According to rough estimates, the production and delivery of columns weighing 10-20 tons from the quarry to the building, which are separated by up to 500 m, in the absence of draft animals, required the efforts of up to 500 people.
In fact, some columns weigh up to 50 tons, so even more people were needed. It is even suggested that slave labor was used in such work, which is also uncharacteristic of hunter-gatherer communities. Such work required systematic effort and a social hierarchy in which many people were subordinate to one religious or military leader, and the religious leader then had to control the conduct of the rituals. In this case, the very existence of the temple complex in such a distant historical era indicates social stratification at a very early stage in the development of Neolithic culture.
The peculiarity of the architecture of Ancient Egypt is that at a time when other peoples were still at the prehistoric stage, the Egyptians already possessed highly developed art, including architecture.
Other important feature– absence of forests on the territory of Ancient Egypt. For this reason, houses were built from adobe and stone (mainly limestone, sandstone and granite quarried in the Nile Valley).
But all this concerned only palaces and tombs, but ordinary houses were built from ordinary Nile stone, which, when dried in the sun, became suitable for construction.
But, of course, when talking about construction in Ancient Egypt, people are usually interested in the technology of building the pyramids. The question of how exactly the ancient Egyptians managed to erect such grandiose buildings in the absence of technology still occupies the minds of historians. There are several main versions on this matter.
Many historians agree that huge blocks for construction were cut down in quarries using copper tools - chisels, chisels, adzes. The blocks then had to be transported to the construction site, and historians argue fiercely about exactly how this happened.
The most common one is that the blocks were simply dragged and placed on platforms with rollers. There are special brick roads for this purpose. The disadvantage of this version is that blocks weighing up to 300 tons, found in the pyramids, cannot be dragged even a huge number of people.
No less questions are raised not only by the delivery of blocks, but also by lifting them to great heights, as well as the composition of the fastening solution.
There are a lot of books and a lot of films about construction technologies. documentaries, but no one has been able to find a definite answer.
Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks were much more fortunate in terms of geography - extensive forests allowed them to greatly diversify their buildings, from which they made ceilings and beams, roofing, and early stages even traditional columns.
The Greeks built rich houses, temples and palaces from stone of different types. For example, Pentelic marble was used to build the Acropolis.
The technology for building simple residential buildings differed little from the Egyptian one - they were built from brick, but the Greeks began to use more durable baked brick. The walls, built of brick, were often tiled.
When constructing structures made of stone, the Greeks did not use fastening mortars, they used dry masonry, fastening the buildings with metal brackets for protection against earthquakes, wooden veneers and tenons. All decorative elements performed after the main construction work, only tiles and tiles were made in advance. Refinement and bringing the structure to perfection was carried out from top to bottom, as the scaffolding and scaffolding were dismantled.
Ancient Rus'
The territory of Rus' has always been rich in forests, so wood became the main building material. Much later, houses began to be built from stone, so two concepts were born - “Rus” and “Stone Rus'”.
Stone construction in Rus' began only in the 10th century and at first applied only to churches.
Residential buildings were log houses. The log house is wooden house, built from logs fastened at the corners. Log house - because the logs were only chopped with an axe. Saws in Rus' began to be used only from the 10th century and only for interior decoration. This is because the saw tears the wood fibers, opening the way for moisture and rot. The log house was sometimes placed on a stone foundation made of boulders. The logs were fastened to each other in different ways, but the strongest method of fastening was fastening “in the burl” - when the ends of the logs extend slightly beyond the walls.
In the 10th century, stone construction of churches and temples began. Architecture Ancient Rus' very original, although it bears some features of the Byzantine tradition. The main features of stone construction in Rus' have always been integration into the landscape and construction on hills and open places, so that they can serve as landmarks, beacons for travelers.
It is generally accepted that the Ancient World is a collection of civilizations that existed on earth from prehistoric times to the beginning of the Middle Ages. The framework is very conventional - for them they are their own, for America - theirs (the beginning of the colonization of the continent by Europeans).
Amazing Legacy
During this time period, there were several civilizations with their own culture. Famous buildings and buildings of antiquity have survived to this day. There are not so few of them, but the most striking heritage sites of the past include such as the “City in the Sky” or Machu Picchu in Peru, the Temple of Jupiter Baalbek in Lebanon, the famous Egyptian pyramids of Giza, a suburb of Cairo. The list of antiquities includes the aqueducts of the Roman Empire, the glazed windows of Alexandria dating back to the first century AD, the remains of Greek temples, the Jervan aqueduct in Iraq, and the concrete domes of Roman temples.
Civilizations close to us
Every continent is sure to have ancient sites. But for the inhabitants of Europe (in the geographical sense of the word), the Ancient World is associated primarily with Greece and Rome, with the Egyptian Cleopatra, since both Julius Caesar and Anthony loved her.
In addition, they and other ancient Roman emperors dreamed of enslaving Egypt. Russian literature and art until the beginning of the 20th century were associated with the myths of Greece and Rome. And Mediterranean civilizations are considered the cradle of humanity. Therefore, we need to start looking in more detail at the famous structures and buildings of antiquity with Greece and Rome.
Acropolis - the pearl of world architecture
In Greece there are a lot of monuments dating back to prehistoric times, and the entire country is dotted with the ruins of ancient Greek palaces and places of worship. It is quite difficult to count them, but there are objects that are considered symbols of the Ancient World. The most important of them is the Acropolis, located in the continental part of the country in the city of Athens. This is a kind of fortress, standing on a hill, the height of which reaches 156 meters in height, its width is 300 m, and its length is 170. This is a well-fortified upper city, towering over the unprotected lower one. The Acropolis was the place where the temples of the gods and patrons were located of this city, residents could hide in it during the war. The majestic Acropolis of Athens is its history well studied.
Parthenon - the dominant feature of the Acropolis
It should be noted that sculptures and statues from this Acropolis are in many museums around the world. It houses 21 objects, the most significant of which is the Parthenon - the calling card of not only Greece, but the entire Ancient World.
Listed as one of the World's Greatest Temples, it was built on the foundations of more than ancient temple in the 5th century BC by the architects Callicrates and Iktin. He dominates the entire area. This ideal, harmonious structure is rich unique features. But dozens of books have been written about every smallest detail. The only thing that can be noted is that it is surrounded all along the perimeter by columns (this form is called a peripter). This is what makes the temple irresistibly beautiful.
Athens - a treasure trove of ancient architecture
Other buildings of Ancient Greece on the territory of the sacred center of the Acropolis are represented by such temples as the Erechtheion, dedicated to the legendary Athenian king Erechtheus, the Areopagus (authority), and the temple of Athena Nike. Throughout the capital there are ruins of many other temples, since all of Greece is a museum ancient culture under open air. These are the temples of Olympian Zeus, Nike Aptera, Apollo in Delphi, Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Hera on the Peloponnese peninsula, and Demeter at Eleusis. These are the most famous structures and buildings of antiquity created in Greece.
Priority of religious buildings
In more late period In Athens, one of the first meteorological structures was built - the Tower of the Winds, 12 meters high, with a base diameter of 8 m. The parameters of these ancient museums are perfect, they form the basis of all architecture and are studied by all architects of the world.
Of all the above-mentioned objects of antiquity, only the Areopagus is administrative building, all the rest are places of worship. The largest sanctuary is Olympia, which is located on the Peloponnese peninsula. The cult of Zeus reigned in it.
The main visiting card of Rome
The Great Roman Empire is the oldest civilization in the Mediterranean, emerging from Ancient Greece. According to legend, the direct descendants of Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War, the brothers Remus and Romulus, suckled by a she-wolf, founded Rome and greatest empire, which gave the world a great culture.
The buildings of ancient Rome in this article are presented by 10 greatest architectural examples, with which many inhabitants of the Earth are familiar, even those who are far from learned. Who doesn't know the Colosseum? main symbol Rome? A half-destroyed three-tiered outer wall surrounds the oval arena. In ancient times, the total number of arches on the wall was 240, 80 of them were in the lower tier. In the arches of the first and second floors there were sculptures - works the best masters Rome.
The brightest and most characteristic
The Appian Way is also familiar to many, because they know about the sad death of Spartacus’s companions, chained alive to the pillars located along it, from school. And the final shots of the cult American film touched film lovers in many countries around the world.
The famous buildings and structures of antiquity located in the ancient capital are worthily represented by the Roman Forum, which already during the reign of Tarquicius the Proud became the center of the political, cultural and religious life of the Roman Empire. Here are the temples of Vesta, Vespasian and Saturn. Each of them is associated with tragic or happy pages of ancient history. The perfectly preserved Trajan Column dates back to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. 185 steps located inside lead to observation deck, located at the 38th altitude. The sculptor Apollodorus of Damascus erected it in 114. It symbolizes the victory over the Dacians.
Next on the list
The Roman Pantheon is unique - the temple of all gods. Built in 126 AD, it dominates the Piazza della Rotonda.
You can find out what the famous buildings and buildings of antiquity looked like by looking at the marble Arc de Triomphe Tita. Erected it oldest building in 81 in honor of the capture of Jerusalem. The arch rises above Via Sacra. Single-span, it has a height of 15.4 meters, a width of 13.5 m, a span depth of about 5 meters, its width is 5.33 meters. Any chariot, including a quadriga, could enter such a gate. Bas-reliefs depicting Titus with trophies have been preserved. The Jewish temple was completely destroyed by him, and the victors got its main shrine - the minor. All this can be seen on the bas-relief.
Famous Roman baths and unique temples
The list of masterpieces of ancient Roman architecture continues. Where did this name come from? Caracalla is the nickname of someone who lived in the 3rd century AD. Ancient Roman baths are a special world where the elite of society had fun, played sports, had intellectual disputes, and concluded contracts. The surroundings matched: the walls and the font itself were made of the best varieties marble, there were sculptures everywhere, including a statue of Apollo Belvedere.
The seventh line in the list " Architectural structures Ancient Rome"is occupied by a composition of two temples of different configurations - rectangular and round. These temples were erected in honor of Portunus (patron of ports) and Hercules. They are located on the left bank of the Tiber, in the very place where ships used to moor.
Mausoleum and catacombs
At number eight is the Campus Martius - the left bank part of Rome. Next to it is the Mausoleum of Hadrian - an architectural monument-tomb for the imperial family. On a square pedestal with a side equal to 84 meters, there is a cylinder with a diameter of 64 meters, topped with a statue of the emperor in the image of the Sun God, driving a quadriga (a team of 4 horses). This huge structure was not used for its intended purpose; it became a strategic object.
Last on the list of the most important architectural masterpieces of the Roman Empire are the famous Catacombs. This is a network of buildings (60 in total), interconnected and intended for burials (about 750,000 burials), with a total length of 170 km. Most of of them stretches along the Appian Way.
Masterpieces of the East
The greats of the world are worthily complemented by another grandiose monument. This is Great Chinese Wall, the length of which from edge to edge is 21,196 kilometers. Built by one fifth (exactly one million) of the country's population in the 3rd century BC, it clearly defined the borders of the state and made China impregnable. This is a unique ancient monument. What about the pagodas and Buddhist monasteries of India? These are also monuments of the ancient past.
The first Russian pearls of architecture
All of the above, like the buildings of Ancient Rus', belong to the great world heritage. Only our civilization is young compared to others. The architecture of Novgorod, Pskov and Kyiv is considered the most ancient in our country, where from 989 to 996 the Church of the Tithes was erected, destroyed by Batu.
The next oldest architectural monument by our standards Kievan Rus is the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov, well preserved even now, then the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The first cross-domed structures were always based on a cross, and the temple was crowned with a dome. Such churches are the main type of ancient religious buildings in Rus'.
Byzantine masters and their creations
The first stone temples were built by masters invited from Byzantium. Russian religious buildings did not blindly repeat Byzantine architecture. Our churches have bright personality. Yaroslav the Wise took up construction actively and on a grand scale. He, concerned that a huge country has just accepted new religion, wanted to approve her grandiose construction temples. The largest, which at that time had no analogues anywhere, even in Byzantium, was the 5-nave, 13-domed building built in 1017.
Triumph of Orthodoxy
It was followed by the St. Sophia cathedrals of Novgorod (1045-1050) and Polotsk (1060). They were also considered 5-nave, although most Russian churches are 3-nave. The dome was supported by internal pillars - hence the names: 4-, 6-, or even 8-pillars.
The Assumption Cathedral was built by specially invited Greeks in 1073-1079 Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. This temple, called the “Great Church,” became a model for Orthodox buildings being built throughout the country. Such religious buildings as the Vydubetsky Monastery in Kyiv (1070-1081), Spas-on-Berest (1113-1125) belong to a new type of cathedral, since they all had an extension (nartesque) with a staircase. The most ancient temples had no vestibules at all.
From the moment of the construction boom launched by Yaroslav the Wise, all the Grand Dukes were engaged in active urban planning. In addition to architectural monuments, masterpieces were left to descendants applied arts and literature. The Tale of Bygone Years was first mentioned in 852.
As you know, the list of the most famous ancient attractions of ancient culture includes only seven wonders. But we plucked up courage and included three more buildings in it that, in our opinion, are worthy of your attention. So.
Ajanta or Ajanta Caves is a Buddhist temple and monastery complex located near the village of the same name, 100 km northeast of the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra state, India. It was discovered in 1839. It is a horseshoe-shaped cliff, in which, starting from the 2nd century BC. e. to the 5th century AD e. 30 (according to other sources 29) caves with columns, Buddha statues and world-famous wall paintings reflecting the life of India of that era were carved. This painting, illustrating Buddhist legends and myths, is not only a work of art, but also valuable historical source knowledge about those times.
Newgrange
Newgrange is an ancient structure made of huge blocks of stone, one of the largest and oldest corridor tombs, built by man approximately between 3000 BC. e. - 2500 BC e. (older Great Pyramid at Giza and probably Stonehenge). Located 40.2 km north of the city of Dublin, approximately one kilometer north of the River Boyne, County Meath, Ireland. The height of the mound is 13.5 meters, diameter is 85 meters. Ancient people built it from 200,000 tons of stone, wood and earth. It is a large round mound inside, which contains a 19-meter stone corridor leading to the burial chamber. Included in the list of the most mysterious attractions in the world.
Derinkuyu
Derinkuyu - ancient multi-level underground city, located near the city of the same name in the province of Nevsehir, Türkiye. It was built in the II-I millennium BC. e. Discovered in 1963. The underground city reaches a depth of 60 meters and in ancient times could shelter up to 20 thousand people along with food and livestock. Here people hid for centuries from raids by nomads, religious persecution and other dangers. Although the Derinkuyu underground city was intended as a temporary shelter, its scale is impressive. It includes numerous wine cellars, stables, cellars, warehouses, refectories, chapels, numerous ventilation ducts, and a complex network of tunnels and corridors.
7 wonders ancient world
The Lighthouse of Alexandria is a lighthouse built according to the design of the architect Sostratus of Knidus approximately in 279-280. BC e. on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria in Egypt, so that ships could safely pass the reefs on their way to Alexandria Bay. According to estimates, its light was visible at a distance of 51 km (according to other sources, up to 83 km). It is assumed that the Alexandria Lighthouse was about 115–120 meters high and at that time was the most tall building in the world. In the 14th century, it was completely destroyed by an earthquake, and in its place, by order of the then Sultan of Egypt Qaitbay (1416/1418–1496), the Qait Bay fortress was erected, which today is a maritime museum.
Colossus of Rhodes - bronze statue ancient Greek god Sun - Helios built between 292 BC. e. - 280 BC e. in the harbor of the port city of Rhodes on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea in Greece. It was built according to the design of the architect Chares, a student of Lysippos, in honor of the victory of the inhabitants of Rhodes over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I One-Eye, who, together with his son and an army of 40,000 people, unsuccessfully besieged the city in 305 BC. The height of the statue is about 30 meters. It stood on a 10-meter pedestal and weighed, according to various estimates, from 30 to 70 tons. Compared to other wonders of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes “lived” a short life. About 50 years after its creation, it was completely destroyed by an earthquake and melted down.
In fifth place on the list is the “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus” - a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC. e. in Halicarnassus (modern city of Bodrum, Turkey) for the king of Caria Mausolus and his wife-sister Artemisia III. Famous craftsmen were involved in the construction and decoration of the tomb, including the famous sculptors Skopas, Briaxides, Timotheos and Leochares. The tomb of Mausolus was a majestic and unusually shaped building, built of brick and lined with white marble inside and out. The mausoleum in Halicarnassus, 45 meters high, stood for approximately 19 centuries, but in the 13th century it collapsed from strong earthquake.
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is an ancient Greek statue of Zeus that was located in the center of the temple of the same name at Olympia on the Peloponnese Peninsula. It was erected in the 5th century BC by the ancient Greek sculptor and architect Phidias. The statue of the god reached 12–13 meters in height and was made of wood (according to some sources, from cedar, according to others, from ebony). Parts made of ivory, gold and precious stones were attached to this wooden base using bronze and iron nails and special hooks. The circumstances surrounding the possible destruction of the statue are unknown. According to information from the Byzantine historian George Kedrin, it was transported to Constantinople, where it burned down during a fire in 476.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus - a Greek temple located in the city of Ephesus, Asia Minor (near modern city Selcuk, Türkiye). Was dedicated to Artemis - Greek goddess hunting. Temple built in the middle of the 6th century BC. e, was a rectangular building 105 meters long and 51 meters wide, consisting of marble and wood, and surrounded on all sides by a double row of 127 columns, the height of which was 18 meters. Throughout its existence, it was rebuilt three times until July 21, 356 BC. e. was not set on fire by Herostratus, a resident of Ephesus who dreamed of becoming famous at any cost.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, more correctly called the Hanging Gardens of Amytis, is the only one of the seven wonders of the world whose location has not been definitively established. It is believed that the Hanging Gardens were built around 575 BC. e. in the ancient city of Babylon (near the modern city of Hilla, in Iraq), by King Nebuchadnezzar II, for his wife Amytis, who missed the forests of her homeland. They are a pyramid consisting of four tiers-platforms supported by columns up to 25 m high. On these tiers, fertile soil lay in a thick carpet, where seeds of various herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees native to Media were planted. The pyramid resembled an ever-blooming green hill. However, after in 331 BC. e. The troops of Alexander the Great captured Babylon, and the great commander himself died, the city gradually fell into decay. The gardens were abandoned and eventually destroyed.
The Pyramid of Cheops is the largest among Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" to survive to this day, and one of the most famous tombs in the world. The pyramid is located on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt on the Giza plateau, in close proximity to the famous “Great Sphinx”. The lion's share of Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built around 2560 BC. e. and is a tomb Egyptian pharaoh IV dynasty of Khufu (Cheops). It is believed that it was designed by the architect Hemion, the nephew of Cheops. Initially, the pyramid had a height of 146.5 m, but as a result of erosion, today its height is 138.75 m. Total weight The pyramid is estimated at about 6.25 million tons, with an area of ≈ 85,000 m².
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October 24, 2013
Tens of thousands of years ago
Ancient civilizations that existed on earth tens of thousands of years ago have long disappeared. But after them, numerous facts of their stay remained, which grateful descendants admire today.
Some modern scientists boldly claim that archeology, as a science, knows almost everything about the past. And if there are some mysteries left on our land that are not solved, then it is a matter of time. Although all new finds and discoveries cast doubt on the veracity of such a bold statement.
Entire cities
There are still buildings, pyramids and even entire cities about which there is no consensus among scientists. It remains a mystery who built these structures, what construction material was used and why were these buildings abandoned?
Numerous scientists have been studying the most ancient structures on earth for decades and trying to find explanations for the principles of their construction. The construction secrets of some of these structures have been revealed, for example, the ensemble of stone blocks of Stonehenge in the UK.
But the secrets of other buildings remain unknown. As a result, some researchers and experts allow intervention extraterrestrial civilizations. Such assumptions can be understood, because some ancient buildings are simply gigantic in scale.
During the construction of ancient structures, stone slabs of such sizes were used that today it would be problematic to move them even with the use of modern technology. The mathematical and geometric parameters for the construction of monumental structures are very accurate and correct. And taking into account that precise calculations were used together with multi-ton slabs, such construction simply amazes modern scientists, researchers and tourists.
City of Mohenjaro-daro
Here, for example, are world-famous structures, the appearance and functionality of which still remains inexplicable.
The city of Mohenjaro-Daro, located in the Indus Valley of Pakistan 2600 years ago BC. According to scientists, it was one of the richest cities in South Asia; its inhabitants left it about 900 years ago. for unknown reasons. Mohenjaro-Daro stands out for its ideal street layout and the use of baked bricks as the main material for building houses. The entire city was built with a sewer system in mind. Complex irrigation and religious structures were found in this area.
The ancient Lebanese city of Baalbek has been famous since ancient times. But records about him are found only from the time of Alexander the Great. What peoples inhabited it before those times is unknown to modern scientists. But the found temple ensemble proves that some kind of civilization existed in this territory. During the construction of the temple, which surpasses the Cheops pyramid in some parameters, monolithic slabs weighing up to 1000 tons were used.
The purpose of construction, the number of inhabitants, the real name of the city of Machu Picchu in Peru and why it was abandoned remain unknown to archaeologists today. The ancient buildings of the city have been perfectly preserved for research by modern historians and archaeologists. The residences of rulers, temples and sanctuaries attract many tourists to Machu Picchu.
Palace of Knossos in Crete
The huge palace of Knossos on Crete is fraught with many mysteries. The palace had more than 1,500 rooms located on five levels, but they had a rather confusing arrangement. The rooms of the palace were decorated with paintings; the composition of the paints has not yet been found by chemist scientists. And the most main mystery Knossos is the Phaistos disc with A-linear writing, the solution to which promises many discoveries in the field of archaeology.
The mysterious Gobekli Tepe complex is located in the southeastern part of Turkey. It is the largest and oldest of all known megalithic structures on the ground. Approximate age the complex dates back 12,000 years. During the construction of such a gigantic structure, slabs weighing up to 50 tons were used, and the nearest quarry is 500 meters away. How were the slabs delivered and installed, and why was the complex then deliberately covered with earth by people?
All these questions remain unanswered. The people who lived before us left historians and archaeologists many mysteries that scientists have yet to solve. It is quite possible that thanks to this, entire layers of eras will reveal their secrets to us.
