Publications in the Architecture section
The oldest buildings in Russia
From Derbent to Vyborg, from Kaliningrad to the Bashkir village of Chishmy. We peer into the depths of history and study, together with Sofia Bagdasarova, which buildings in Russia are breaking age records.
The most ancient buildings
The most ancient buildings erected by man are, undoubtedly, megalithic structures (menhirs, dolmens and cromlechs). The most famous is the British Stonehenge, however, a considerable number of similar structures have been preserved in Russia. It is impossible to choose the oldest of them, the chronological framework is too wide, and there are no exact dates. The most famous are the dolmens of the Kuban and Caucasus, created in the 3rd–2nd millennium BC. e. But you can find them in Northern Russia (for example, on Solovki) and in Siberia.
The oldest Christian churches
The oldest churches in Russia were built in the Byzantine era, even before the Great Schism of Christianity into Orthodoxy and Catholicism in 1054. They are located in the Black Sea basin, the ruler of which was Byzantium. The first of them is the Crimean Church of John the Baptist in Kerch - the ancient city of Panticapaeum, founded in the 7th century BC. e., later - Byzantine possession. This temple, built by the Byzantines, stood at least as early as 757 AD. e.
Younger and more provincial in terms of architecture are the churches of the Alanian state, which adopted Christianity in 916 (now Karachay-Cherkessia). These are the Shoaninsky temple (1st half of the 10th century), the Sentinsky temple (967) and three Zelenchuk temples - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (916–925), Elijah the Prophet (10th century) and the Life-Giving Trinity (10th century). They are included in .
The oldest Islamic buildings
In the same southern region stands the oldest Islamic religious building. The Juma Mosque stands in Derbent, an important fortress of the Armenian Emirate of the Arab Caliphate (modern Dagestan). It was built in 733–734.
Islamic architects also built other types of buildings, but due to their poor state of preservation, researchers sometimes wonder what their purpose was. Such is the mausoleum of Tura Khan, which may have been not a tomb, but a courtroom. It was built in the 14th–15th centuries (and maybe in the 12th century) near the village of Chishmy in Bashkortostan. Near the city of Bolgar in Tatarstan there is the historical and archaeological complex “Bulgar” - the former city of the Bulgar ulus of the Golden Horde. On its territory there are many attractions, including the mysterious Black Chamber (XIV century): either a mausoleum, or a resting place for dervishes. Other buildings of Bulgar also date back to that era.
The oldest ancient Russian church
The most ancient temples of Ancient Rus' remained on the lands of Ukraine and Belarus. Thus, the oldest church of this medieval state on the territory of modern Russia turned out to be the Hagia Sophia in Novgorod, founded in 1045 and completed five years later.
But the oldest church in Moscow dates back to the post-Mongol period - this is the Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery (1420–1425), now the Andrei Rublev Museum.
In St. Petersburg, the oldest church is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, built in stone in 1712.
Oldest Catholic Church
The oldest Catholic cathedral on the territory of the Russian Federation is, apparently, Gothic, built in 1288 in East Prussian Königsberg (modern Kaliningrad). It is also, most likely, the oldest Lutheran church, since it, like other Catholic churches in those lands, was taken over by Protestants in the 16th century. Today, an Orthodox community is located within its walls, and the building bears the name of St. Nicholas Church.
The most ancient defensive structures
The oldest fortified building, perhaps, is the Crimean Tower of Zeno in ancient Chersonesos, which began to be built in the 2nd century BC. e. during the struggle of this policy with the Scythians. It was rebuilt several times - most recently in the 10th century. Although today the tower is almost a ruin, its power still makes an impression.
In the same 10th century, another fortress tower was erected in Volga Bulgaria (now Tatarstan), which can be seen in the Devil's Settlement (Elabuga Museum-Reserve). Its modern appearance is the result of reconstruction; the original masonry is preserved only on one side.
And in the north of the country there are fortresses founded by eternal enemies - the Novgorodians, the Livonian knights and the Swedish military. These are the stone Novgorod Detinets (1333), the Pskov “Persi” Krom (1393), the Koporye Fortress (1237) and
Hello 
Every day, walking through the center of St. Petersburg, I pay attention to the sights of our city, which, of course, are familiar to everyone:
Saint Isaac's Cathedral,
Alexandria pillar,
Marble Castle,
Engineering castle.
All of them were built a very long time ago; they cannot yet be classified as the most ancient buildings, but a lot of time has passed, and they have not lost their attractiveness and beauty.
At the same time, if you just go deeper into the city, you can see buildings that in appearance can be called the most ancient buildings, although they were erected several decades ago.
You don’t even have to go far, every day, almost everywhere you can hear about dilapidated housing. It happens that even when buying an apartment in a new building, the very next year flaws appear, because of which it is simply life-threatening to stay in these apartments.
I was wondering what the most ancient buildings in the world?
The most ancient buildings in the world
First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Alexander (his blog), the reader of my ““.
It was discovered in 1975; bronze bracelets and ceramic buttons were found in it.
Currently, it has been completely restored and is open to the public. This is one of the symbols and main attractions of the city of Menorca.
The most ancient buildings - 8th place!
The Treasury of Atreus or the Tomb of Agamemnon, built in the ancient city of Mycenae (Greece) during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC, which is more than 3250 years ago and ranks 8th in the ranking of the most ancient buildings in the world.
The Treasury of Atreus, thanks to its grandeur and monumental form, is one of the most impressive monuments surviving from Mycenaean Greece. For example, lintels over passages weigh more than 120 tons!!!
The most ancient buildings - 7th place!
The city of Coral was inhabited approximately between 2600 BC. and 2000 BC - this is more than 4600 years ago. And on its territory of 60 hectares there are 19 pyramids.
The most interesting thing is that during archaeological excavations, beads, necklaces, musical instruments and much more were found, but there were absolutely no weapons. This means that this one of the most ancient cities was peaceful and most likely its inhabitants were engaged in trade
The most ancient buildings - 6th place!
The Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt is the oldest stone structure in the world.
It was erected before 3000 BC. - this is more than 4,700 years ago and consisted of six steps located on top of each other. The total height of the Djoser pyramid is 62 meters.
The most ancient buildings - 5th place!
And again the mound. On the 5th line of the top 10 ancient buildings in the world, I placed the Hulbjerg mound, located on the southern tip of the island of Langeland.
The most interesting thing is that the Hulbjerg Tomb was built 5000 years ago. Moreover, it is completely assembled from 13 stone blocks precisely fitted to each other.
The most ancient buildings - 4th place!
Newgrange is a UNESCO-protected prehistoric site located in County Meath, in the eastern part of Ireland, approximately one kilometer north of the River Boyne.
It was built around 3200 BC - more than 5,100 years ago.
Today, Newgrange is a popular tourist attraction.
The walls of the passages are composed of large stone slabs, twenty-two of which are on the west side and twenty-one on the east. The height of the stone sides is on average about 1.5 meters in height; decorates many blocks.
The most ancient buildings - 3rd place!
With each line we are getting closer and closer to first place. And we dive deeper and deeper into history.
Built Monte d'Accoddi in the north of Sardinia, between Sassari and Porto Torres around 2700 - 2000 BC - that's about 5,200 years.
The most ancient buildings - 2nd place!
Knap of Howar - on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney (Scotland) approximately 5500 years ago in the period from 3700 -2800. BC. a manor was built - This is the oldest stone house in Northern Europe.
The walls of the Knap of Howar still stand and support a 1.6m cornice, and the stone furniture also remains, giving a vivid insight into life in the house. Fireplaces, beds, and shelving were found in almost their original condition. Just imagine - more than 5,000 years have passed, and they are intact!
The most ancient buildings - 1st place!
Now, in fact, we have reached the oldest building in our rating.
And it's right up there with the Megalithic Temples of Malta, a series of prehistoric monuments in Malta, seven of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Surprisingly, they were built (just think!) more than 5.5 thousand years ago.
Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in the process of cultural evolution. The temples were built between 3600 and 3000. BC, which were fully functional and in use until 2500 BC.
Perhaps you can suggest your options in the comments?
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 building material was used and why these buildings were 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 admit the intervention of 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 rich cities of South Asia; the 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 known 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 important mystery of 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 earth. The approximate age of the complex is 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 still 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.
According to experts, architectural structures appeared long before our era. The ancient buildings preserved on our planet are amazing, they amaze the imagination. Let's find out what the most ancient buildings in the world are. The structures of the ancient world that have reached us are completely different from the structures of modern architecture.
Who built the most ancient buildings, for what purpose, and using what technology, how they have survived to this day - all these questions arise when you see the buildings of the ancient world. Read more about the most interesting buildings of that period below.
The Bugon necropolis is the oldest surviving structure
The oldest structure in the world is located in the Bougon necropolis, which was discovered in France on the banks of the Bougon River in the first half of the nineteenth century. Extensive excavations were carried out there in the late sixties of the last century. The necropolis consists of five megalithic burial mounds dating back to the Neolithic era. As a result of excavations, it turned out that the oldest building of this complex was built in four thousand eight hundred BC. e.
Skara Brae - the remains of the oldest settlement in Scotland
Ten houses built on the territory of modern Scotland in two thousand five hundred BC. e. - the oldest buildings in Europe. This settlement is named Skara Brae. It is located on the islands. All the houses were perfectly preserved, thanks to which scientists found out how ancient people lived. According to the researchers, the dwellings were well equipped - they had water supply, heating, and covered passages.
Great Zimbabwe is one of the oldest structures on Earth
In South Africa, the oldest and at the same time the largest structure is considered Great Zimbabwe. This structure appeared in the eleventh century, its population was at least eighteen thousand people. Scientists do not know why Great Zimbabwe was abandoned in the fifteenth century. The height of the ancient ruins reaches eleven meters. All structures were erected using the dry masonry method - granite slabs are laid in rows. This is surprising, since the standard material in Africa during that period was wood and clay.
Pyramid of Josser in Saqara - the oldest of the Egyptian pyramids
In two thousand six hundred and fifty BC. e. In Egypt, the architect Imhotep built the Pyramid of Josser. As you know, this is the oldest pyramid in Egypt and one of the most ancient structures in the world. Its height is sixty-two meters.
The Mamertine dungeon is one of the most ancient prisons
The Mamertine prison was erected in Rome near the Capitoline Hill even BC. e. - in five hundred and seventy-eight. Criminals were kept there, and many of them were innocent. It was in this prison that Saints Peter and Paul ended their lives.
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut - a famous building of the ancient world
A work of ancient architecture that has survived to this day in excellent condition is the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. It is located in Egypt. The year of construction is not reliably known, presumably one thousand four hundred and seventy-three BC. e. Even now we can say that the architect who created the temple is a genius.
Suspension bridges and skyscrapers are marvels of modern engineering, but some of the world's most impressive structures were built thousands of years ago. On our list you will find several amazing architectural monuments, each of which was created long before the birth of Christ.
Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the structure that became the Great Wall of China to begin. The length of this monumental structure exceeds 10,000 kilometers.
Newgrange
About four days a year, starting from the winter solstice, the rays of the sun penetrate the top of this monument and fall on the floor of the inner chamber, filling the ancient temple with light. Built long before Stonehenge (3200 BC), Newgrange was most likely used as a religious building. The remains of an earthen rampart around suggest that the inhabitants of the village could have defended themselves against invasion here.
Acropolis
The first buildings that formed the Acropolis in Athens were destroyed by the Persians around 480 BC. The complete reconstruction of the majestic structure took the Greeks fifty years - but the work was really worth it. The highlight of the Acropolis was the famous Parthenon, where once stood a beautiful statue of Athena made of gold and ivory.
Gobekli Tepe
This is the world's first temple, built back in 9000 BC. The statues located here date back a thousand years earlier. And the most interesting thing is that some design features still baffle archaeologists: T-shaped pillars weigh more than 60 tons - how did people of a primitive society even cope with them?
Stonehenge
Perhaps the most famous archaeological site on the planet. Stonehenge was built in 3000 BC from different types of stone - some of them, it is not clear how, were delivered to the site 300 kilometers away. In addition, scientists continue to debate about the true purpose of Stonehenge. The strangest theories are put forward: from an ancient mystical cult to an advanced astronomical instrument.
Karnak stones
Most likely, this ancient monument served people to track the movement of the Sun and stars. Just think, in 4500 BC. Our ancestors were able to carry out the most complex mathematical calculations, building interesting and original machines for this. As many as 3,000 stones are placed in strict order on the field, some weighing more than several tons.
Megalithic Temples
The group of six temples of different styles is one of Malta's favorite tourist spots. The megalithic buildings are notable not only for their age (they date back to 3,500 BC), but also for their direct connection with modern technical solutions.
Knap of Howar
A simple stone house? Not really. In front of you is the oldest house in northern Europe. The two buildings of the Knap of Howar are connected by a tricky passage, and there are wonderful views of the sea right from the door. A hole in the roof indicates that the house was heated by fire, and the surviving furniture is made of stone.