10 structures from the past that were considered old even for the ancient Egyptians and Greeks

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

According to scientists, the construction of housing and religious buildings began long before our era, because there are still fragments of buildings that, even for the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, were considered ancient buildings, causing increased interest. Naturally, most of the oldest architectural masterpieces have been restored completely, but this has not lost their significance.

And this is proved by the fact that modern inhabitants of the planet with admiration and reverence rush to the found temples, mounds and pantheons, because some of them amaze the imagination even now.

One of the most ancient structures on the planet.

At all times, when archaeologists managed to find an ancient city or at least a surviving fragment of a settlement, it was considered a huge piece of luck. As a rule, such amazing finds, after lengthy research by scientists, over time turned into the most visited places, where flows of tourists rushed and still rush. And this is not surprising, because it is they who allow us to slightly open the curtain of time, telling about the life of our ancestors. Therefore, the authors of Novate. Ru have found 10 of the most interesting ancient structures, which, after more than one millennium, will take your breath away with their grandeur and cause only admiration.

1. Temple of Newgrange in Ireland (built 5, 2 thousand years BC)

The oldest religious building Newgrange, which is located in Ireland, is currently considered the oldest structure discovered by scientists. For many centuries it was considered a burial mound, but this hypothesis was dispelled in the middle of the last century, proving that this is a real prehistoric temple.

2. Mound of Bugon or Bugon necropolis in France (built 4, 7 - 3, 5 thousand years BC)

The Tumulus of Bougon is made up of five Stone Age burial mounds located near Poitou Charente, France. In the ancient necropolis, more than 200 graves have been discovered to date, which were transferred to the Bougon Museum. Considering that the necropolis was created over several centuries, it is not surprising that each mound has its own unique architectural style.

3. Tumulus Saint-Michel in France (built 4, 5 thousand years BC)

Tumulus de St-Michel is one of five mounds located east of Carnac in northwestern France. It is the largest grave in continental Europe, because it is 12 m high, 125 m long and 60 m wide. Until 1980, excursions were held in one of the oldest man-made structures, but now the entrance is closed and sealed.

4. Temple complex Jgantiya (built 3, 7 thousand years BC)

Ggantija, which means "tower of the giants", is a Neolithic megalithic temple complex on the island of Gozo, off the coast of Malta. This powerful ensemble consists of two interconnected temples, which (according to the assumption of archaeologists) belong to ritual structures.

Given the fact that bones and remains of animals, statues of the goddesses of fertility and fertility, as well as stone hearths were found in them, it is believed that rituals and sacrifices were carried out in them. Already in the XX century, this complex was recognized as a monument of world culture and protected by UNESCO, and at the beginning of the third millennium AD (i.e. from January 1, 2001) Ggantija was completely restored and now receives tourists.

Informative:Megaliths are architectural structures created from huge boulders. The megalithic structures discovered in our time date back to the 4th-3rd millennium BC. e.and are characteristic of the late Neolithic and Eneolithic.

5. Mound of Meadhow in Scotland (built 3, 5 thousand years BC)

Midhow is a huge neolithic tomb (stone mound) that was discovered on the south coast of Rousey Island in Scotland. The stone tomb and the broch form a veritable temple complex with 12 chambers and a 23-meter main passage. The walls of this necropolis rise 2.5 m above the ground.

Unfortunately, the roof of those times has not survived, but experts believe that these were huge monolithic stones. Judging by the fact that the remains of 25 people and animals were found inside the complex, archaeologists suggested that this structure was intended to protect the peace of the deceased and provide relatives with access to their ashes.

Interesting to know: Broch is a round fortress structure, created without the use of mortar (dry masonry method).

6. Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt (built 3 thousand years BC)

It is one of the oldest untreated structures found so far and is located in the city of Saqqara in Egypt. This first pyramid, consisting of 6 steps hewn out of stone, was erected for Pharaoh Djoser by his architect Imhotep. The scale of the tomb is really impressive, because the base, laid out of white limestone, has a size of 125 * 115 m, and reaches 62 m in height.

7. Pyramid of Cheops in Giza (built 2560 BC)

The pyramid of Khufu (as the Egyptians themselves call it) is the only ancient structure that has survived to this day, which is ranked among the 7 wonders of the world. The largest structure created by mankind is truly gigantic, considering that its base covers an area of 53 thousand square meters. m. (10 football fields), and the lateral surface area reaches 85, 5 thousand square meters. m.

Initially, its height was 147 m, but now 138 m are left to the top. And the most interesting thing is that inside the pyramid of Cheops, Egyptologists found only a small portrait in the passage to the tomb of the queen, and there are simply no other inscriptions or decorative paintings. So until now, no evidence has been found proving that the pyramid belonged precisely to Pharaoh Khufu.

8. Funeral temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt (built 1470 BC)

This truly magnificent structure, which has survived to this day, began to be built during the life of Queen Hatshepsut, who was considered a usurper of power. Its incredible size, architectural solutions and a huge number of statues were truly sacred in that era, and it was not for nothing that it was reverently called "Jeser Jeseru", which means "Most Holy of the Sacred." But not only the ancient Egyptians were struck by its greatness, it is still considered one of the most beautiful temple buildings in the world.

9. Athenian Acropolis (Pantheon) in Greece (built 560-527 BC)

This is the most famous monument of ancient architecture located on the territory of Greece, was the main temple in ancient Athens and was erected in honor of the patroness of this city and all of Attica, the goddess Athena the Virgin. The Acropolis consists of a quadrangular structure, erected in the style of the ancient Greek Doric order, and is located on the top of a cliff that rises 150 meters above sea level.

For many centuries of existence and hostilities that took place, the temple was almost completely destroyed, and only after the proclamation of the independence of Greece, it began to be restored, and by this time it was completely restored.

10. Great Stupa at Sanchi (built 300 BC)

In the village of Sanchi (India), truly outstanding buildings of early Buddhist culture have survived to this day, among which the Great Stupa is considered the main attraction. According to legend, it was in it that the main relics of the Buddha were kept. This unusual and delightful structure, which has a diameter of 36 m and a height of 15 m, is crowned with three harliks (umbrellas), which symbolize the past, present and future of the Buddha.