16 Insane Architectural Feats From The Ancient World

[Ichingcarpenter]

I don't care for his ratings on who is number 1 or number 16 but each one is fascinating building feats in their own right. The article has links, photos and statements on each one, I just highlighted the ones
I was not real familiar with

1Pantheon, Rome

2. Saksaywaman, Peru


3.. Chand Baori, India This one I didn't know about


You might recognize it as a location from The Dark Knight Rises, but this 10th century marvel is the largest stepwell in the world, with 3,500 steps carved Escher-like into the ground.

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4. Chogha Zanbil, Iran
The best preserved ziggurat, or Mesopotamian temple tower, in the world, it dates back to 1250 C.E. It’s a massive complex, complete with walls for the town and tombs for the kings.


5. Gobleki Tepe, Turkey.... this is my number 1

6. Leshan Giant Buddha

Standing (sitting) at 233 feet tall, this statue is the tallest premodern statue in the world. It depicts the Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees, and if you need to take a seat yourself, just settle down on his big toe.





7. Marib Dam, Yemen.... this one I haven't read much about

Keeping a thirsty desert kingdom hydrated isn’t easy. This incredible feat of ancient engineering, the oldest known dam in the world, was completed sometime in the 8th century B.C.E, though construction began around 2000 B.C.E. The Kingdom of Saba’ and the subsequent rulers used it for 1000 years, only 950 years longer than a modern dam.







8. Rock Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

9. Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni, Malta

10. The Underground City Of Derinkuyu, Turkey

11. Pumapunku, Bolivia

12. Petra, Jordan

13. Newgrange, Ireland

14. The Nazca Lines, Peru


15. Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

16. The Trilithon at Baalbeck, Lebanon


http://chicagopost.net/entertainment/16-insane-architectural-feats-from-the-ancient-world/