Built for centuries. The Oldest Surviving Monuments on Earth
For thousands of years, mankind has been admiringly looking at the pyramids of Giza, the mysterious Stonehenge, the dolmens in the hidden corners of the planet and asking the same questions. Why, and most importantly, how these amazing monuments have been built? For thousands of years they have been resisting the elements and continue to amaze with their correct architectural forms. The ancient monuments remain one of the main mysteries of the planet. Many of them amaze with their dimensions, so it is difficult to imagine how ancient civilizations managed to erect such structures without using special equipment. Each ancient monument has its own amazing features. Some of them are strictly oriented around the world, while others are directly related to important astronomical phenomena. Which of the oldest monuments hide the most secrets?
Stonehenge, England
One of the most famous and mysterious monuments in the world is Stonehenge. It is located 130 km from London and consists of a complex of huge stones that are placed in a circle. The modern scientists have not determined the exact age of the building, but it is presumably at least 3,000 years. One of the distinctive features of Stonehenge is its location. The monument is located on the English desert plain, away from the mountain massifs and the rocks.
The complex contains more than one hundred stone blocks whose minimum weight is 5 tonnes, and maximum - 50 tonnes. How the people of ancient civilizations have managed to transfer so many megaliths to the plain remains unknown. The purpose of this grandiose complex is even more difficult to explain. According to the widespread versions, Stonehenge could be the oldest observatory in the world, the land square for extraterrestrial space ships and even the entrance portal into the parallel world.
According to one of the beautiful legends, the monument was built by the wizard Merlin. The surrounding districts have been constantly explored for several years. The archaeologists have discovered a lot of ancient ruins and even funerals on the plain. They are all, however, much more 'young' than the main archaeological monument of this region. In 1986, Stonehenge was declared a memorial to the world and today attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Next - Pyramid Of Djoser
Pyramid Of Djoser, Egypt
The Djoser Pyramid, located in Sakkara, is the oldest in the world. It is almost 200 years older than the world-famous Cheops pyramid. The crypt for Djoser Pharaoh was built about 6 700 years ago, it consists of six steps and has the height of 62 meters. The building has been preserved for several thousand years. However, since the pyramid was heavily sanded, it was not easy to evaluate its exact parameters. The length of the sides from the rectangular base of the pyramid is about 121 and 109 meters.
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Newgrange, Ireland
The unique Newgrange crypt, located in Ireland, is one of the oldest monuments in the world. It was built not later than 2,500 years BC. The ancient corridor is located not far from Dublin, its height is 13.5 meters. The diameter of the mound is also quite impressive and reaches 85 meters.
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Great Sphinx, Egypt
The Great Sphinx of Giza is probably one of the most famous and recognizable ancient monuments in the world. The ones in Giza. The huge statue, which is not far from the Cheops pyramid, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and is considered one of the most mysterious buildings in the world. One of Sphinx's main castles is the history of its origins. According to one of the versions, Sphinx was built in honor of Chephren Pharaoh. However, there is no official confirmation of this theory.
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Treasury of Atreus, Greece
The treasure house of the Atreus, located in Mykene, was built not later than 1250 BC. For the first time, this building was only explored in the second half of the 19th century. Among the other tholos, which are presented on the territory of the Mediterranean, the ancient crypt is distinguished by its impressive size. The scientists have estimated that the original length of the entrance into the crypt camera was 36 meters.
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Al-Khazneh, Jordan
Among the desert landscapes of Jordan is the ancient Petra town, which was still founded in the prehistoric era by the native inhabitants of these places - the Nabataeans. Petra is often called «the city of the pink rocks», because their numerous buildings were carved in the rocks. Today you can see the unique temples, the necropolis and the altars during the walk through the strange city, whose age is more than 3 000 years.
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Pyramid of Calakmul, Mexico
The Calakmul pyramids located in the mighty city of the Maya are called 'Structure I.' And 'Structure II.' called. A total of some hundred unique buildings have been preserved on the territory. The pyramids are the largest building of this type, their height is about 45 meters. The length of the side of the largest pyramid reaches 140 meters. The flowering period of the ancient Calakmul city lasted from the 2nd to the 7th century. At that time the majestic pyramids were built.
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Gobekli Tepe, Turkey
In Turkey, there is also a curious, mysterious monument - Göbekli Tepe rocky trip, whose name is literally translated as a 'bellied hill'. This most ancient monument is a temple complex built by one of the ancient civilizations. The scientists have been trying to establish the approximate age of the building for several years. And every time the research results are surprising.
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Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt
The unique temple of Hatshepsut Queen, located in the district of Deir el-Bahari, is one of the oldest architectural monuments in the world. According to the historical data, construction work was completed in 1473 BC. The author of the project remains unknown, but his strange talent is simply amazing. The huge temple is supported by the numerous columns, the complex looks incredibly harmonious.
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Naveta de Tudons, Spain
In Spain, on Menorca Island is the ancient tomb Naveta de Tudons, whose age, according to the assumptions of the scientist, forms about 3 200 years. It is built of the large stone blocks and reminds of the kielobene boat. The unique crypt was discovered by archaeologists very recently, in 1975. In the research of their interiors, the ancient ceramic buttons and bronze bracelets were found. Currently, the crypt is completely restored and opened to visitors.
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Megalithic Temples of Malta, Malta
In Malta, the archaeologists have discovered the astonishingly preserved ancient temples whose age is more than 5 500 years. Seven megalithic temples, which today belong to the historical objects of the world, have been used for a thousand years and are now regarded as a unified architectural complex. During the research of the temples were discovered the valuable historical artifacts, which have thrown a light on the specific periods of the history of the islands.
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