Oldest Roofs in the World

March 26 2020 0comment

Oldest Roofs in the World

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Even today, remnants of prehistoric settlements can be visited and explored. Around the world, some of the very first buildings put up by our ancient ancestors still stand. In today's article, we are going to have a look at some of the oldest roofs which haven't collapsed and have remained standing through the millennia. 

 

Pyramids of Djoser

The pyramids are iconic across the planet as one of the many Wonders of the Ancient World. The Pyramid of Djoser was one of the first to be built - unlike most of the others, this is a step pyramid; this means that rather than having four smooth angled faces, the pyramid is made up of flat platforms which decrease in width as the pyramid gets taller. This did mean that flat roof demarcation was required for worker safety, which was not necessary with the smooth-planed pyramids more common in the tombs of later Pharoahs (though given that the Pyramids were built by slaves, safety was probably the last thing on the Egyptians' minds...). This pyramid is the resting place of Pharoah Djoser, as the name suggests, who ruled Egypt for either 19 or 38 years, and amassed enough wealth for construction of the Pyramid to begin during his lifetime, rather than after his death as became common with later Pharoahs.

 

Knossos

On the Greek island of Crete lie the ruins of the ancient Bronze Age city of Knossos. Knossos, known as Europe's oldest city, is home to the restored Palace of Knossos, built thousands of years ago. The Palace of Knossos is famous for being the home of King Minos, the father of the fabled Minotaur. While no great labyrinth or half-human remains have ever been found, the myth has inspired numerous films, books, and both tabletop and video games. In the palace you can find an intact fresco featuring a leaping bull, a frequent motif in the old city along with battleaxe heads. Knossos was, in its time, the capital of a great sea empire across the Aegean ocean, but was eventually laid low when rival Greek lords from the mainland invaded Crete and sacked the city.

 

Tomb of Cyrus

Cyrus the Great, mighty emperor of Persia, is interred in a small tomb to the south of Pasargadae, ancient capital of the Persian empire. According to the account of Alexander the Great, the tomb once held some cups, a golden coffin, and a golden bed. There was once, allegedly, an inscription asking passers-by not to begrudge the dead king his small monument, as he was, after all, the emperor of the ancient world's largest nation. The inscription, if it ever was there, has been worn away by time. The tomb still stands however, a little building on a pile of stone steps, topped with a round roof. The tomb is believed to be the first ever base-isolated building in the world. The tomb is still in use today, being the site of the Iranian New Year celebrations, when Iranians from around the country come to pay respects to the man who is widely considered to be the founder of their nation.

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