It is generally accepted that Ancient world is a set 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 contains 21 objects, the most significant of which is the Parthenon - business card not only of Greece, but of 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 of 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 the greatest empire that 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 buildings of antiquity located in the ancient capital are worthily represented by the Roman Forum, which already during the reign of Tarquikius the Proud became the center of political, cultural and religious life 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 of 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 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 the Great Wall of China, 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. And the pagodas and Buddhist monasteries India? These are also monuments of the ancient past.
The first Russian pearls of architecture
All of the above, as well as structures Ancient Rus', belongs 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 churches 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 had just accepted new religion, wanted to confirm it with the grandiose construction of 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 Kiev (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.
Going to almost any country, you can see architectural buildings that are more than 5,000 thousand years old. . The buildings that have survived on our land are sometimes simply amazing. They don't look like structures modern architecture, people don't live there. Historians are wondering which one 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 any traveler should definitely visit - after all, they contain the history of mankind since the birth of great civilizations. They will be discussed in this article.
The oldest buildings in the world
In India, it is considered the oldest building 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. The striking element of the palace is the white marble dome. The main place in the palace is occupied by the mausoleum. Inside it there 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 his body be buried near his beloved.
In the list “The oldest buildings preserved in modern world» historians included Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt .It is named after the woman who was the only recognized pharaoh. Construction took place from 1482 to 1473 BC. The building turned out to be of magnificent beauty, but, unfortunately, over time it suffered severe destruction. Some of them occurred through natural reasons– the building is located near a steep cliff. Also, damage to the ancient building was caused on the orders of Thutmose III, whom the queen removed from rule for 15 years. Restoration began in 1961. Today, Polish restorers are collecting 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 way of life of the country's inhabitants, 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. From a religious point of view ancient egypt, a woman could not take the place of 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 architectural structure on earth. The architectural masterpiece 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 prison 578 BC, where the offenders were located. According to legend, it was held last days lives of the apostles Peter and Paul.
Also the oldest mysterious building in the world - Stonehenge in England . The years of construction are from 1100 to 3500 BC. Approximately 80 stones of different types, weighing up to 50 tons, were used for the structure: dolerite, volcanic tuff. For a long time not a single 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 carry out astronomical observations and calculations.
The oldest building in Russia
There are many buildings in the Russian Federation that have been witnessed historical events. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin , erected from 1475-1479, was rebuilt by workers under the direction of town planner Aristotle Fioravanti. The building has been well preserved to this day. 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 building known today in Russia, - Sophia Temple, built by Prince Vladimir in 1050. The monastery of the princess in Vladimir, 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.
How many years can a residential building last for a person? History gives very unexpected answers to this question - there are cases when separate houses live for centuries and even millennia! It all depends on the material environment and a person’s attention to his home.
So, let's try to determine the oldest residential building in the world.
Wooden house
The oldest of the wooden residential buildings, which not only has survived to this day, but also continues to serve faithfully for its intended purpose, is considered to be the so-called “King’s Farm” in the Faroe Islands (included as an autonomous part of Denmark). It was presumably built in the 11th century.
At first, this house housed the residence of the local bishop and a seminary. But after in 1538 all real estate catholic church in the Faroe Islands became the property of the King of Denmark, the “mansion” received its classic name. The ancient Danish family of Patersons, who have lived here since mid-16th century century, just rents land and housing from the Danish crown.
House made of stone
Perhaps this very original house of either three or four floors, located in the French Aveyron, can be called the oldest residential building made of stone still inhabited. Its history dates back to the 13th century.
Such an unusual design, expanding upward, speaks of the thriftiness of its previous owners. The fact is that in medieval France all residential buildings were taxed on the number of square meters, and only the first floor was taken into account.
If hotels can also be classified as residential buildings, then the “champion” in this category is without a doubt the Hyoshi Hotel. Built in the suburbs of the Japanese city of Komatsu, it welcomed its first guests back in 717.
Since then memorable year almost 50 generations of owners have changed, but the hotel still hospitably opens its doors to guests who are ready to pay 300 euros per day for comfort, modern amenities and SPA treatments in healing springs, but most importantly - for unique aroma antiquity.
They can argue!
Other objects in which people live to this day could well have intervened in the debate about who and what is ancient, if not for one “but” - with all the conventions it is difficult to call a traditional home... a cave. But still.
About 170 families live in the village of Kandovan (Iran). They organized their life in bizarre grottoes that arose in volcanic rocks. People have been settling here for over 800 years.
Original taken from d_popovskiy to 25 ancient wooden buildings in the world
I already wrote about the surviving wooden buildings in Manhattan. Today I propose to look at ancient wooden buildings from different corners peace. Many of them have already been mentioned by me on Facebook. I didn’t have a special method for selecting buildings for a post; everything that accidentally came across the field while surfing the Internet and seemed interesting to me was immediately sent to my wall. The only restriction is that the buildings had to be built no later than 1700, i.e. late XVII century. Thus, the post contains 25 buildings representing 10 centuries of wooden architecture. Not being able to actively travel around the world and photograph all these objects myself, I had to resort to the help of Wikipedia and Flickr.
7th CENTURY
1. Pagoda and condo in Horyu-ji
Ikaruga, Nara, Japan
The temple was founded by Prince Shotoku in 607. In 670, due to a lightning strike, the complex was completely burned down and was rebuilt by 700. The temple was repaired and reassembled several times. The work took place at the beginning of the 12th century, in 1374 and 1603. Despite this, it is believed that 15-20% of Kondo's structures retained the original temple materials during reconstruction. This makes Horyu-ji (the pagoda and kondo) the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world.
XI CENTURY
2. Kirkjubøargarður
Faroe islands
Kirkjubøargarður is one of the oldest inhabited wooden houses in the world, dating back to approximately the 11th century. In 1100, the episcopal residence and seminary were located here. After the Reformation, which took place in the Faroe Islands in 1538, all the properties of the Catholic Church were seized by the King of Denmark. Today this land is owned by the Faroe Islands government. The Patursson family has rented the land since 1550. The house is a museum, but the 17th generation of Patursson still lives in it.
3. Grinstead Church (St Andrew's Church)
Grinstead, Essex, UK
Grinstead Church is the oldest surviving timber church in the world and one of the oldest timber buildings in Europe. It was originally believed that the church was built in 845, but recent dendrochronological studies have rejuvenated the building by two hundred years. The brick extension dates back to the 1500s and the white tower dates back to the 17th century.
The church is an example of the traditional Saxon construction method.
4. Shakyamuni Pagoda at Fogong Temple
Shanxi, China
The Shakyamuni Pagoda at Fogong Temple is the oldest wooden pagoda in China. It was built in 1056-1195. It is claimed that during its 900-year history, the pagoda has survived at least 7 major earthquakes, and one of them almost completely destroyed the main temple complex. Until the twentieth century, the building underwent 10 minor repairs.
XII CENTURY
5. Stavkirka in Urnes
Urnes, Luster, Norway
Stavkirka is the most common type of wooden medieval temple in Scandinavia. From the 11th to the 16th centuries. About 1,700 bets were built in Norway. Most of the buildings were demolished in the 17th century. In 1800, there were 95 such churches, but only 28 buildings have survived to this day. In Norway, the people’s attitude towards stavkirks and the replication of their image is twofold. On the one hand, the government is pursuing an active protectionist policy in relation to cultural heritage; the majority of the population reveres them as shrines. On the other hand, militant representatives youth subcultures, pagans and Satanists are methodically destroying these ancient architectural monuments. The only thing the Norwegian government can do to prevent arson is to install expensive surveillance and fire extinguishing systems.
The Stavkirka in Urnes is the oldest surviving Stavkirka in Norway, built around 1130, a monument world heritage UNESCO.
Ornament on one of the walls of the Urnes headquarters:
6. Hopperstad Stavka
Vikoyri, Norway
Stavkirka was built in 1140.
Interior:
XIII CENTURY
7. Headquarters in Heddal
Heddal, Notodden, Telemark, Norway
The Stavkirka in Heddal is the largest surviving frame church. Exact year construction is unknown, the building dates from the beginning of the 13th century. The church was rebuilt and reconstructed many times.
The last major reconstruction, carried out in the 1950s, returned the headquarters to an appearance as close as possible to the original. The church building still contains about a third of the wood used in its construction in the 13th century.
XIV CENTURY
8. Kapellbrücke Bridge
Lucerne, Switzerland
The Kapellbrücke Bridge was built in 1365 and is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Under the ridge of the roof along the entire bridge there are 111 triangular paintings telling about the most important points in the history of Switzerland. In 1993, Kapellbrücke was badly damaged in a fire believed to have been caused by an unextinguished cigarette. 78 of the 111 paintings were destroyed. The bridge and some of the paintings were restored according to the surviving inventory.
9. Church of the Ascension Holy Virgin Mary and St. Archangel Michael in Khaczów
Haczow, Poland
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel is a Gothic wooden church in the village of Chaczów, which, together with other wooden churches in southern Lesser Poland and Subcarpathia, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church was built in the 14th century, probably in 1388. In 2006, work began on updating the shingles. The cost of the work is more than 100 thousand euros.
The interior of the church is also valuable, including: the baroque main altar of the late 17th century, vessels from the 17th-18th centuries, Gothic sculptures from the 15th century, a stone font from the 16th century, and Gothic portals. In addition, the interior is decorated with unique polychrome from 1494. This is probably the oldest polychrome of this type in Europe.
10. Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus
Kizhi, Russia
The exact date of construction of the church is unknown, but it is believed that it was built before 1391. The building was erected by the venerable monk Lazar, who lived 105 years and died in 1391. The church became the first building of the future Murom Monastery. After the revolution, on the site of the Murom Holy Dormition Monastery, the authorities organized an agricultural commune named after. Trotsky, after 1945 - a home for the disabled, and in the 1960s the place was abandoned. In 1959, the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus was dismantled and transported to Kizhi, where it was restored in 1960.
The church has preserved an iconostasis consisting of 17 icons of the 16th-18th centuries and representing the oldest type of two-tier iconostasis.
XV CENTURY
11. Het Houten Huys
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Not counting the suburbs that later became part of the city, two wooden buildings remain in Amsterdam. The oldest of them is Het Houten Huys, built in 1425.
12. Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kolodny
Kolodnoye, Transcarpathia, Ukraine
The church was built in 1470. This is the oldest wooden temple in Ukraine and one of the oldest monuments of wooden architecture in Europe. In 2007-2008, restoration work was carried out, as a result of which the roof was replaced, the arcade in the bell tower was covered with a bird net, the doors were repaired, and all the holes and cracks in the log houses were plugged with wooden stakes.
13. Church of the Laying of the Robe from the village of Borodava
Kirillov, Russia
The Church of the Deposition of the Robe is the oldest precisely dated surviving monument of wooden architecture in Russia. The building was built in 1485 in the village of Borodava, located near the famous Feropontov Monastery. In 1957, the church was moved to the city of Kirillov. Currently it is located on the territory of the New Town of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
14. Rothenburgerhaus
Lucerne, Switzerland
The Rothenburgerhaus was built around 1500 and is the oldest residential wooden building in Switzerland.
15. Huis van Jan Brouckaerd (House of Jan Brouckaerd)
Ghent, Netherlands
In the Netherlands, medieval houses with wooden facades have been preserved. One of them is Huis van Jan Brouckaerd, built in the 16th century.
16. De Waag and De Steur
Mechelen, Belgium
The buildings De Waag and De Steur were built on the Salt Quay in the first half of the 16th century. They can be seen on the old postcard in the center of the frame.
The buildings were restored in 1927.
17. Church of St. Catherine
Ostrava, Czech Republic
The building was the oldest wooden church in Central Europe. The church was originally built in 1543. However, in 2002, a misfortune happened - from short circuit The church caught fire in the electrical wiring and burned down in a few minutes. Thus Ostrava lost one of its oldest buildings.
Residents of the Ostrava region are considered people indifferent to religion. Nevertheless, more than two million Czech crowns were collected for the restoration of the temple. There were also donations from businessmen, parishioners from other cities of the country, and even from Polish believers. Rector Jiri Strnishte says that an old woman from Ivano-Frankivsk came to him, who came to visit her daughter, who works at a construction site in Ostrava, and donated two hundred crowns for the restoration of the church.
Construction lasted about two years. When restoring the church, ancient wood that survived the fire was used so that the Church of St. Catherine would not be removed from the list of architectural monuments. According to the abbot, they had to “literally use sticks, pieces of wood and planks, almost crawling on their knees, to collect pieces of unburnt wood.” The temple was restored using traditional methods construction of wooden buildings. The grand opening took place on October 30, 2004.
18. De Duiveltjes
Mechelen, Belgium
The house was built in 1545-1550 and restored in 1867.
The building has a unique wooden facade, decorated with carved monsters - satyrs and devils, which gave the house its nickname.
19. Oude Huis
Amsterdam, Netherlands
As mentioned above, only two wooden buildings remain in Amsterdam. One of them is Het Houten Huys, and the second is Oude Huis, located at Zeedijk 1. The building was built in the 1550s.
XVII CENTURY
20. Pittstone Windmill
Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, UK
The mill was probably built in 1627 and is considered the oldest windmill England. In 1902, the building was seriously damaged by a terrible storm. In 1922, the destroyed mill was purchased by a farmer whose land was located nearby. In 1937 he donated the building to the National Trust, but it was not until 1963 that renovation work began. Moreover, they were carried out by volunteers at their own expense. The mill is currently open to the public on Sundays in the summer.
Flickr
The house has been rebuilt over the centuries; the central part of the building is the oldest.
24. Wurleser's House
Staten Island, New York, USA
The Dutch word "voorlezer" (reader) was used among Dutch colonists to refer to active people, taking on semi-official responsibilities associated with active participation in local legislation, education and religious life. After the British captured the Dutch colonies, the Wurlesers continued to maintain economic records and documentation. Last Man, who was awarded this title, resigned in 1789. His successor already held the title of clerk.
The building, located on Staten Island, was built around 1695 and is the oldest wooden school building in the United States. On the ground floor there was a living room and a large hall for church services. The second floor was occupied by a bedroom and another large hall, which is believed to have been intended for school activities.
25. Spaso-Zashiverskaya Church
Baryshevsky village council, Novosibirsk region, Russia
We fly into space, race to build skyscrapers, clone living organisms and do many things that only recently seemed impossible. And at the same time, they are still unable to solve the mysteries of the builders and thinkers who lived thousands of years ago. An ancient cobblestone weighing a hundred tons surprises us more than a computer half the size of a palm.
Goseck Circle, Germany, Goseck
The ring system of concentric ditches and wooden enclosures was created between 5000 and 4800 BC. The complex has now been reconstructed. Presumably it was used as a solar calendar.
Reptilian statues French polynesia, Nuku Hiva Island
The statues in a place called Temehea Tohua in the Marquesas Islands depict strange creatures whose appearance in the popular 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 angry expression on their faces. Whether these were aliens from other worlds or just masked priests is unknown. The statues date back to 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 installed in a circle and in the shape of a horseshoe. The appearance in which Stonehenge has survived to this day is largely the result of human activity recent centuries. People continued to work on the stones: peasants chipped away pieces of amulets from them, tourists marked the territory with inscriptions, and restorers figured out for the ancients how things stood correctly here.
Pyramid of Kukulcan, Mexico, Chichen Itza
Every year on the days of spring and autumn equinox Thousands of tourists gather at the foot of the sanctuary of the supreme Mayan deity - the Feathered Serpent. They witness the miracle of Kukulkan's "appearance": 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 shifted even a degree, nothing like this would have happened.
Carnac stones, France, Brittany, Carnac
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 fan out, forming circles here and there. The complex dates back to the 5th–4th millennium BC. There were legends in Brittany that it was the wizard Merlin who turned the ranks of Roman legionnaires to stone.
Stone balls, Costa Rica
Pre-Columbian artifacts scattered near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica were discovered in the 1930s by workers banana plantations. Hoping to find gold inside, vandals destroyed many of the balls. Now most of the remaining ones are kept in museums. The diameter of some stones reaches 2.5 meters, weight - 15 tons. Their purpose is unknown.
Georgia Tablets, USA, Georgia, Elbert
In 1979, someone under the pseudonym R.C. Christian ordered construction company production and installation of the monument - a structure of six granite monoliths with a total weight of more than 100 tons. The ten commandments to descendants are engraved on the four side plates in eight languages, including Russian. The last point says: “Don’t be a cancer for the Earth, leave room for nature too!”
Nuraghi of Sardinia, Italy, Sardinia
Semiconical 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 held together by any mortar and supported only by their own gravity. The purpose of the nuraghe is unclear. It is characteristic that archaeologists have more than once discovered miniature bronze models of these towers during excavations.
Sacsahuaman, Peru, Cusco
The archaeological park at an altitude of 3,700 meters and an area of 3,000 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. The zigzag battlements, 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 after another is unknown. From above, Sacahuaman looks like the toothy head of a Cusco puma (the city was founded in the shape of the sacred animal of the Incas).
Arkaim, Russia, Chelyabinsk region
The Bronze Age settlement (III–II millennium BC) is located at 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 and sewer 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. (The photo shows a reconstruction model.)
Newgrange, Ireland, Dublin
The Celts called it the fairy mound and considered it the home of one of their main gods. The circular structure made of stone, earth and rubble with a diameter of 85 meters was erected more than 5,000 years ago. A corridor leads inside the mound, ending in a ritual chamber. In days winter solstice this chamber is brightly illuminated for 15–20 minutes by a ray of sun falling through a window above the entrance to the tunnel.
Coral Castle, USA, Florida, Homestead
The bizarre structure was built single-handedly over 28 years (1923–1951) by Latvian emigrant Edward Lindskalnin in honor of a lost love. How a man of modest stature and build moved huge blocks in space remains a mystery.
Pyramids of Yonaguni, Japan, Ryukyu Archipelago
Monuments of huge stone platforms and pillars located underwater at a depth of 5 to 40 meters were discovered in 1986. The main one of these structures has the shape of a pyramid. Not far from it there is a large platform with steps, similar to a stadium with spectator stands. One of the objects resembles huge head, like the moai statues on Easter Island. There is debate in the scientific community: many believe that the formations lying on the ocean floor are exclusively of natural origin. But loners like Masaaki Kimura, a professor at the University of the Ryukyu, who has repeatedly dived to the ruins, insist that there was a human presence here.
Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Masvingo
One of the largest and oldest stone structures South Africa It was built in the 11th century, and was abandoned in the 15th century for an unknown reason. All structures (up to 11 meters in height and 250 in length) were erected using the dry masonry method. Presumably, up to 18,000 people lived in the settlement.
Delhi Column, India, New Delhi
The iron column, over 7 meters high and weighing over 6 tons, is part of the Qutub Minar architectural complex. It was cast in honor of King Chandragupta II in 415. For reasons that are unclear, the column, which is almost 100% iron, is virtually resistant to corrosion. Scientists are trying to explain this fact with various reasons: the special skill and technology of ancient Indian blacksmiths, dry air and specific climatic conditions in the Delhi region, the formation containment- in particular, as a result of the fact that Hindus anointed the sacred monument with oils and incense. Ufologists, as usual, see in the column yet another evidence of the intervention of extraterrestrial intelligence. But the secret of “stainless steel” has not yet been solved.
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 images from a bird's eye view seem to be scratched on 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 V-VII centuries.
Nabta Observatory, Nubia, Sahara
In the sands next to a dry lake lies the oldest archaeoastronomical monument on the planet, 1000 years older than Stonehenge. The location of the megaliths makes it possible to determine the day of the summer solstice. Archaeologists believe that people lived here seasonally, when there was water in the lake, and therefore needed a calendar.
Antikythera Mechanism, Greece, Antikythera
A mechanical device with dials, hands and gears was found at the beginning of the 20th century 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 movement celestial bodies and perform very complex calculations.
Baalbek slabs, Lebanon
The Roman temple complex dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries AD. But the Romans did not build sanctuaries out of nowhere. 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 over 19 m long, 4 m high and weighing about 800 tons. Roman technology was not able to lift such weight. By the way, not far from the complex, another block has been lying for more than one thousand years - under 1000 tons.
Gobekli Tepe, Türkiye
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 hunting and gathering, but someone was able to erect circles of huge steles with images of animals.
