Monuments, temples, and the biggest buildings in a civilization appear to last the longest (i.e., the pyramids, Angkor Wat temples, Roman amphitheaters, royal tombs and monuments, the Great Wall). Some modern structures have used steel instead of wood for their frames, which should make them more durable. The Pompidou Center in Paris is now over 30 years old and still looks new.
The longer a structure lasts, the better it is built. Structures made from concrete last much longer than those made from other materials. This is because concrete can be made into any shape and used for many different purposes after it's first use. It can be filled with soil and covered with grass or another plant material to create an outdoor room, or it can be used again as footings for a building or bridge. Concrete can also be used over and over again without becoming too old-looking, unlike wood that turns gray or silver or iron that rusts away.
As long as people are willing to work hard and spend money to build something, they can create anything they want. Using this rule, some famous buildings were actually planned before they were built. For example, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was designed by its creator, Antonio di Goro, as a watchtower for trading ships at sea.
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Five of the World's Oldest Structures
The Sagrada Familia, a church constructed by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, is the world's longest-running architectural project. The cathedral has been under construction for 130 years and is still not done, but it is now a hallowed sanctuary for all time, having been proclaimed a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI during his tenure.
The building of roads and bridges continues to this day. In fact, there are more bridges being built today than at any other time in history. The longest bridge in the world is also one of the newest: the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City was completed in 1883. It is now considered an American icon and a landmark of the city.
Another famous bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge in California. It crosses the Golden Gate Strait between San Francisco and Marin County. The bridge is so named because it connects the United States with its neighbor to the north, Canada. It is officially known as the Golden Gate Bridge and World War II Veterans' Memorial Highway Bridge. Opened in 1937, it is now the most photographed bridge in the world. More than 9 million people cross it each year!
The longest road tunnel in the world is also located in Europe: the Channel Tunnel, which links France with England. It is used by cars and trucks for faster transportation between Britain and France. The tunnel was built in 1994 - 1995 to replace the old ferry service that had become too expensive to operate.
The spherical, 19-columned edifice is known as the Temple of Hercules Victor and originates from the 2nd century BC, making it the oldest surviving building in Rome! Another temple that appears to be identical to the remnants of the Athenian Pantheon is the Temple of Portunus, which was built around 100–80..
The ruins of this ancient structure were discovered by archaeologists in 1884 during construction work for an electric station. The site museum now displays some of the artifacts found here during the excavation process.
The Chinese Great Wall The Great Wall of China is a network of fortifications constructed along the historical northern boundaries of ancient Chinese kingdoms. It is the longest building ever erected by humans. It is approximately 21,196 kilometers long, 9.1 meters (30 feet) broad, and 15 meters tall. A new section of wall can be as long as 50 meters (160 feet). It takes about 20 years to build a wall this large.
You may be wondering how much it would cost to build such a wall? The total estimated cost of construction is $140 billion ($567 million per kilometer). American economist Paul Krugman calls this figure "absurd". He writes, "It's hard to imagine anything that wouldn't be cheaper: not just because it would take longer than we've estimated (which I doubt), but because there's so much idle capacity in the economy, especially in construction."
However, this does not include the cost of materials or labor during maintenance, which must be done even though most of the wall is now in remote areas far from any human settlement.
In fact, the real cost may be much higher. Research conducted by Chinese academics suggests that the actual cost may have been as high as $788 million ($3,300 million PPP rate). This is based on an analysis of military records, surveys of local residents, and other sources between 1644 and 1909.
The Pantheon is the world's oldest edifice that is still in use today. It has been a Roman Catholic church since the 7th century. It was the third version of the edifice, built approximately 125 A.D. by the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus. The original version of the temple was erected in 27 B.C. by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.
The word "Pantheon" is derived from the Greek words pan (all) and theon (god). It was originally constructed as a pantheon, or temple for all gods, but it now serves only as a church.
It is not known who designed the first version of the temple, but it is believed to have been someone other than Marcus Aurelius because this emperors name does not appear on any of the inscriptions found inside the temple. However, he did build the second version which had been intended as a more permanent replacement for the first version. The third version was also built by another emperor, Lucius Aurelius Commodus, but his name can be seen on some of the stones used in its construction.
The temple was built with excellent materials including marble and granite. It is even believed that some of the stone came from the ancient city of Ephesus, which at that time was part of the Roman Empire.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is simply incredible. Between 2080 and 2060 BC, this tomb for Pharaoh Khufu was completed in under 20 years. The African pyramids' triangular construction was particularly unusual at the time, and this pyramid stood as the highest edifice for more than five centuries. It's still one of the largest buildings in existence today.
The Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara was also built within 20 years. But instead of constructing one huge monument, ancient Egyptians built a series of small pyramids over several decades. The Djoser Pyramid is actually two small pyramids joined together, with its original purpose unclear. Some believe it was used for royal tombs, while others think it was probably just another temple for Osiris, the Egyptian god of death.
Both the Great Pyramid and the Djoser Pyramid were designed by famous architects who took part in the development of ancient Egypt. Their skills are demonstrated by the fact that they were able things that nobody had done before. The Great Pyramid was originally covered in white limestone, but now only its greenish hue remains after many years of weathering. The Djoser Pyramid was painted red inside and out once, but now it's mostly gray.
These are just two of hundreds of monuments that have been discovered in Egypt. Many more remain to be excavated.
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