Ancient Monuments Still Standing Today

Memphis was the first capital of Ancient Egypt.Memphis served as the first capital of Ancient Egypt.The Great Sphinx of Giza resides there. The necropolis also holds dozens of other archaeological marvels. These include the first complex stone buildings in Egyptian history, the pyramids of Giza, over 9,000 tombs, and several temples.

The Sphinx.The age of the Sphinx is currently debated. People thought the monument dates back 4,500 years, to 2500 BC, and modeled it after pharaoh Khafre, who ruled from about 2603-2578 BC. A new theory suggests erosion on the top structure came from heavy rain—something Egypt hasn't seen since 7000 BC.Debate surrounds the Great Sphinx of Giza. People thought the monument dates back 4,500 years, to 2500 BC, and modeled it after pharaoh Khafre (who ruled 2603-2578 BC). A new idea claims rainfall caused erosion on its top part, a thing Egypt hasn't seen since 7000 BC.

As NBC News reports,NBC News reports the Sphinx's age is debated.Many experts disagree with this analysis. They argue there is no evidence of an Egyptian civilization this old. Traditional Egyptologists still place its construction around 2500 BC, citing factors for limestone erosion.

Experts believe the Stonehenge construction.The construction of Stonehenge took about 1,500 years. Neolithic Britons may have started the first stage over 5,000 years ago, carving a large circle and digging pits for wooden posts.Completing Stonehenge took about 1,500 years. Neolithic (late Stone Age) Britons likely started the first stage over 5,000 years ago; they carved a large circle and dug pits for wooden posts.

Over hundreds of years, Britons moved bluestones 200 miles from the Preseli Hills in Wales to place them in a circle or horseshoe shape on the Salisbury Plain. Quarries 25 miles away supplied the largest stones, called sarsens, which could be up to 24 feet long and weigh over 40 tons.

Stonehenge served multiple purposes. Evidence shows it was a burial site, but it likely served other functions: a ceremonial site, a religious pilgrimage spot, or a memorial honoring and connecting with distant ancestors.

Epidauros is a sacred site for both Greeks and Romans. It bears the name of Apollo's son.Epidaurus.Epidaurus has been inhabited since the Stone Age. The ancient theater was built around 340-330 BC. It grew in the 2nd Century AD, increasing capacity from 6,000 to over 12,000. At one time, it might have been the largest theater in the ancient world.

The theater's acoustics are remarkable. Accident, not design, likely caused this. The seats act as "acoustic traps" that filter low frequencies, making the sound clear for audiencegoers."acoustic traps""that filter out low frequencies and create a high clarity sound for audiencegoers." Efforts to copy the ancient theater's acoustics failed. This likely happened because wooden seats lacked the stone's corrugation from Epidaurus.

Roman Emperor Theodosius II closed the theater and its pagan sanctuaries in 426 AD. The site remains well-preserved today. People still use the theater for annual festivals.

Nemrut Dağ, also known as Nemrut Daği, is the mausoleum for Antiochus I, who ruled the Commagene kingdom in the 1st century BC. The kingdom remained independent for about two centuries before the Roman Empire took over.

According toUNESCOAntiochus built the temple tomb "as a monument to himself," using advanced building techniques for that time. He describes the site as:

This construction stands as one of the most ambitious Hellenistic period projects. Its massive scale and complex design create a project unmatched in the ancient world. Builders used advanced technology for the colossal statues and orthostats, a type of stone not found elsewhere during this time. The blending of its gods and the royal line, traceable through Greek and Persian legends, shows the kingdom's dual cultural origins.

Petra sits in southwestern Jordan. US moviegoers might know Petra as the temple of the Holy Grail inIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeThe real Petra has nothing to do with the Holy Grail.

It was once the capital of theNabataean kingdomThis kingdom existed from about the 4th century BC to 106 AD. Petra functioned as amajor commercial centerIt traded Arabic incense, Chinese silks, and Indian spices for Arabia, Egypt, and Syria.

ArchaeologistZeidoun Al-MuheisenOnly 15% of the city has been uncovered. The rest remains buried underground. The facade carved into the sandstone canyon wall appeared inIndiana JonesThis facade is known as Al Khazneh, or "the Treasury." Rising 250 feet from the canyon floor, it served as a royal tomb. It was likely built in thefirst century BC.

During Ancient Rome, Egyptian style was popular. This inspired Gaius Cestius to build his tomb like the pharaohs. Cestius's pyramidCestius's pyramidCestius's pyramid is much steeper than the usual Egyptian style. This difference might stem from a mistake in architecture or a quirk of Roman building methods.

Little is known about Cestius now because people looted his tomb long ago. His 120-foot pyramid was likely built between 18-12 BC. Later, it became part of the Aurelian walls that circled Rome from 271 to 275 AD.

During the Middle Ages, the overgrown tomb was thought to hold Rome's mythical founders, Romulus and Remus. The first repair happened in the 17th century. Later work continued in the modern era.

Teotihuacan is unique because it is a whole city, not just one monument. Located 30 miles from Mexico City, Teotihuacan served as a major power center for the first 700 years of the current age. Details about its original residents are scarce. The city was abandonedwhen the Aztecs found it in 1400. The Aztecs named it Teotihuacan, meaning "the place where the gods were created."

Teotihuacan holds huge monuments like the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Builders used a large, geometric plan.UNESCO:

Teotihuacan art developed most among Mexico's classic civilizations. Its expression shows dry, obsessive geometry in the Sun and Moon pyramids. This contrasts with the sculpted and painted decoration of the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent.

The Pantheon remains exceedingly well-preserved.PantheonEmperor Hadrian built the Pantheon during the Roman Empire's golden age. It replaced two earlier pantheons and finished around 125 AD. Its exact use is unknown, but it likely showcased the emperor's public appearances.

The building's most spectacular feature is the rotunda. A dome tops it, featuring an open-air oculus at the very top. History says the Pantheon "may well be the first building from Classical architecture where the interior is made to outshine the exterior."

Raphael was buried in the building during the Renaissance. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it also functioned as a mausoleum for the Italian monarchy.

The Berber Zwagha tribe inhabited the area starting in the 8th century BC.SabrathaThe Berber Zwagha tribe inhabited the area starting in the 8th century BC, then became a Carthaginian colony around 500 BC, and a territory of the Roman Republic in 105 BC. The city's theater, which still stands today, was built between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

The theater, like other city buildings, was carved from local sandstone. Early 20th-century work restored it; today, it is a top tourist spot in Libya.

The first Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD, stood five stories tall. Empress Wu Zetian rebuilt the pagoda between 701 and 704 AD after its collapse. UNESCO.UNESCO describes it as"One of the few major Tang Dynasty-era buildings remains in Xi'an today."

The brick pagoda is now seven stories tall. The Ming Dynasty renovated it. It sits inside the Buddhist Da Ci'en Temple.The China GuideThe building stays "remarkably well preserved given its age, other than a slight lean to one side."

China's first Buddhist temple was built on Mount Emei's peak in the 1st century AD. Later, temples, gardens, pavilions, and towers were added. The Giant Buddha of Leshan is its most striking monument.

Carved from the hillside in the 8th century, the statue recalls the Argonath from The Lord of the Rings.ArgonathfromThe Lord of the Rings, the statue isdescribed by UNESCOas "the largest Buddhist sculpture in the world."

Borobudur was built between the 8th and 9th centuries during Java's Shailendra dynasty.Shailendra dynasty, Borobuduris consideredBorobudur is one of the world's greatest Buddhist monuments. The structure has a pyramidal base with five concentric terraces. These terraces hold 72 stupas, or Buddhist shrines.

The monument's design relates to Buddhist theology. UNESCO explains this connection.

The Borobudur Temple's vertical sections—base, body, and superstructure—match the Buddhist view of the Universe. Buddhists see the universe split into three stacked spheres.These spheres are kamadhatu, rupadhatu, andarupadhatu,representing the sphere of desires, the sphere of forms, and the sphere of formlessness, respectively.The base represents the sphere of desires where we are bound to our wants. The middle section is the sphere of forms where we leave desires but remain tied to names and shapes. The top sphere is formlessness, having no name or shape left.

Borobudur features...The kamadhatu exists.forms the base of the monument.The rupadhatu exists.the five terraces represent rupadhatu.The arupadhatu exists.the three circular platforms rise from the center.

India's geography and climate made stepwells necessary in the west. These stepwells served as large water tanks. Indians gathered there to collect water, bathe, and pray. Chand Baori, in Abhaneri near Bandikui, Rajasthan, is a visually striking example.

Built Chand Baori, India (c. 900 AD).It was built between 800 and 900 AD.King Chand built the Chand Baori stepwell between 800 and 900 AD. He dedicated it to Harshat Mata, the goddess of joy and happiness. This stepwell holds 13 stories and 3,500 steps; it is one of India's largest and deepest.

King Lalibela ordered the Church of Saint George in the mountainous Amhara region of Ethiopia. This church is one of 11 medieval churches carved from volcanic rock. Lalibela sought to build a "New Jerusalem" after Christian losses to Muslims during the Crusades.

The churches were built in the 12th and 13th centuries. They separate into two groups, one north and one south of the Jordan River.UNESCO describes the site.

Builders did not build the churches traditionally. They carved the churches from living rock blocks. Workers then chiseled doors, windows, columns, floors, and roofs from these blocks. They finished the massive work with drainage ditches, trenches, and ceremonial passages, some leading to hermit caves and catacombs.