When people in the ancient world found giant ruins, they often thought that only the mythical giants Cyclops could have built them. Today, as a rule, they no longer believe in this, but the origin of many mysterious buildings from the past still causes a lot of controversy. No one knows who built them or even why.
1. Nan Madol
Nan Madol in Micronesia - ancient city, built on hundreds of tiny islands in the sea. Because of this, Nan Madol is often called the “Venice of the Pacific.” The buildings and walls of the city are built from huge basalt and coral blocks. The very appearance of this city is associated with a myth among local residents. The wizard's two brothers, Olisichpa and Olosohpa, arrived from across the sea in a giant canoe. They sought to create a place to worship the god of the sea and the god good harvest. The brothers' first two attempts to move the stones to the bay ended in failure. It was only when they used dragon magic to levitate giant blocks that they were able to build a city. The descendants of these early masters supposedly ruled the city until it was abandoned. Today, research is still underway to find out how Nan Madol was built, given that the local people who did not have pulleys and metal tools, would have to move 2,000 tons of stone per year for 400 years.
2. Teotihuacan
Some of the largest pre-Columbian structures in the North and South America. At one time, the city was home to more than 100,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world. Despite this, today scientists have no idea who founded Teotihuacan. It is believed to have been founded around 200 BC. - 1000 years before the rise of the Aztec Empire. The city has many pyramids, the largest of which, the Pyramid of the Sun, is the third largest in the world. No less mysterious is why the big city was suddenly abandoned. Although many theories have been put forward, there is not a single proof of any of them.
3. Puma Punku
Puma Punku is a megalithic complex in Bolivia that has attracted much attention from scientists. The blocks of stone that it consists of are cut amazingly evenly and have perfect round holes unknown purpose. In this case, the blocks temple complex weigh up to 130 tons and were mined in a quarry located 80 km away. How they could do something like this thousands of years ago is a mystery. Radiocarbon dating has shown that the complex was built around 530 AD.
4. Derinkuyu
In order to understand what Derinkuyu is, you need to imagine that it is necessary to build a city for 20,000 people without modern technologies. Underground. 3000-4000 years ago. Exactly like this underground cities exists in modern Turkey, and Derinkuyu is the largest of them. Interestingly, the city was used as a refuge until at least 1923. But then it was completely forgotten and only rediscovered in the 1960s. It is worth noting that the structure of the local soil and rock makes the construction of underground cities surprisingly easy. These rocks are soft enough to carve caves into, but strong enough to withstand collapse.
5. Ggantija
Ggantija (meaning "tower of the giants" in Maltese) is a megalithic temple complex on the island of Malta. Local legend says that Ggantija was built by a giantess named Sasuna. She carried huge construction stones on her head, some of these stones were over 5 meters in length. Ggantija consists of three giant temples surrounded by a wall. Its construction began around 3600 BC, meaning these temples are much older than the invention of metal tools and the wheel in Malta. It is not surprising that subsequent generations thought that only giants could have built the complex.
6. Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that is the largest ruin in sub-Saharan Africa. Local legend says that this was the capital of the biblical Queen of Sheba. This is unlikely, since the city was built and inhabited from the 6th to the 15th centuries. There is still debate as to who built Great Zimbabwe. In the past, this was a politically fraught issue, as the white Rhodesian government was unwilling to accept that the developed city was built by indigenous people. Currently, most researchers believe that it was built by the ancestors of the Shona people. At its height, Great Zimbabwe was home to about 18,000 people, and the city was protected by 5-meter-high walls.
7. Baalbek
The city of Baalbek in Lebanon reached its peak during the Roman Empire, but was famous in the region long before that. In the center of the Roman city stood three temples built in honor of Jupiter, Mercury and Venus. And at the base of the Temple of Jupiter there is one mysterious feature - three giant stones, each weighing 800 tons. They are the largest stones ever used in construction.
8. Thauls of Menorca
On the island of Menorca you can find huge T-shaped rock formations called “taulas”. These thauls, reaching a height of 3.7 meters, are made of vertical pillar, on which a separate stone lies horizontally on top. All thauls are surrounded by walls with a single entrance, and all but one face south. Scientists have determined that they were created by the Talayot culture in 1000 BC. It is obvious that these stone monuments had some kind of ritual purpose, but what is a mystery.
9. Longue Caves
In the Chinese village of Longyu, from time immemorial there has been a belief that local ponds are bottomless. But until 1992, this was only a belief, until a local resident decided to drain one of the ponds. As a result, 27 giant underground grottoes were discovered. After their research, it was discovered that the 30-meter grottoes were created by hand about 2000 years ago. They were cut out of solid rock and are not connected to each other (some of them are separated only by thin stone walls). The purpose of these giant caves is unknown.
10. Tomb of the first emperor of China
Most people know about the Terracotta Warriors. These thousands of statues were placed around the emperor's tomb to guard him in his afterlife. Records indicate that the emperor was buried in a palace built for him under the hill. Today the Terracotta Army (not all of it) has been excavated and there is evidence of voids inside the hill where it was found. But the Chinese government banned further excavations. Interestingly, if you believe the Chinese historian, then in the tomb of the one who opens it, entire lakes and rivers of mercury await.
Especially for those who are interested in antiquities,.
It is generally accepted that the Ancient World is a collection of civilizations that existed on earth from prehistoric times to the beginning of the Middle Ages. The framework is very conventional - for the countries of the East they are their own, for America - their own (the beginning of the colonization of the continent by Europeans).
Amazing Legacy
During this time period, there were several civilizations with their own culture. Famous buildings and buildings of antiquity have survived to this day. There are not so few of them, but the most striking heritage sites of the past include such as the “City in the Sky” or Machu Picchu in Peru, the Temple of Jupiter Baalbek in Lebanon, the famous Egyptian pyramids of Giza, a suburb of Cairo. The list of antiquities includes the aqueducts of the Roman Empire, the glazed windows of Alexandria dating back to the first century AD, the remains of Greek temples, the Jervan aqueduct in Iraq, and the concrete domes of Roman temples.
Civilizations close to us
Every continent is sure to have ancient sites. But for the inhabitants of Europe (in the geographical sense of the word), the Ancient World is associated primarily with Greece and Rome, with the Egyptian Cleopatra, since both Julius Caesar and Anthony loved her. 
In addition, they and other ancient Roman emperors dreamed of enslaving Egypt. Russian literature and art until the beginning of the 20th century were associated with the myths of Greece and Rome. And Mediterranean civilizations are considered the cradle of humanity. Therefore, we need to start looking in more detail at the famous structures and buildings of antiquity with Greece and Rome.
Acropolis - the pearl of world architecture
In Greece there are a lot of monuments dating back to prehistoric times, and the entire country is dotted with the ruins of ancient Greek palaces and places of worship. It is quite difficult to count them, but there are objects that are considered symbols of the Ancient World. The most important of them is the Acropolis, located in the continental part of the country in the city of Athens. This is a kind of fortress, standing on a hill, the height of which reaches 156 meters in height, its width is 300 m, and its length is 170. This is a well-fortified upper city, towering over the unprotected lower one. The Acropolis was the place where the temples of the gods, the patrons of this city, were located; residents could hide in it during the war. The majestic Acropolis of Athens is a World Heritage Site. Its history is well studied.
Parthenon - the dominant feature of the Acropolis
It should be noted that sculptures and statues from this Acropolis are in many museums around the world. It houses 21 objects, the most significant of which is the Parthenon - the calling card of not only Greece, but the entire Ancient World.
Listed as one of the World's Greatest Temples, it was built on the foundations of an older temple in the 5th century BC by the architects Callicrates and Ictinus. He dominates the entire area. This ideal, harmonious structure is rich in unique features. But dozens of books have been written about every smallest detail. The only thing that can be noted is that it is surrounded all along the perimeter by columns (this form is called a peripter). This is what makes the temple irresistibly beautiful.
Athens - a treasure trove of ancient architecture
Other buildings Ancient Greece on the territory of the sacred center of ancient Athens, the Acropolis is represented by such temples as the Erechtheion, dedicated to the legendary Athenian king Erechtheus, the Areopagus (authority), and the temple of Athena Nike. Throughout the capital there are ruins of many other temples, since all of Greece is a museum of ancient culture under open air. These are the temples of Olympian Zeus, Nike Aptera, Hephaestus, the temple of Apollo in Delphi, Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Hera on the Peloponnese peninsula, and Demeter at Eleusis. These are the most famous structures and buildings of antiquity created in Greece.
Priority of religious buildings
In a later period, one of the first meteorological structures was built in Athens - the Tower of the Winds, 12 meters high, with a base diameter of 8 m. The parameters of these ancient museums are perfect, they underlie all architecture and are studied by all architects of the world.
Of all the above-mentioned objects of antiquity, only the Areopagus is administrative building, all the rest are places of worship. The largest sanctuary is Olympia, which is located on the Peloponnese peninsula. The cult of Zeus reigned in it.
The main visiting card of Rome
The Great Roman Empire is the oldest civilization in the Mediterranean, emerging from Ancient Greece. According to legend, the direct descendants of Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War, the brothers Remus and Romulus, suckled by a she-wolf, founded Rome and greatest empire, which gave the world a great culture.
The buildings of ancient Rome in this article are presented by 10 greatest architectural examples, with which many inhabitants of the Earth are familiar, even those who are far from learned. Who doesn’t know the Colosseum - the main symbol of Rome? A half-destroyed three-tiered outer wall surrounds the oval arena. In ancient times, the total number of arches on the wall was 240, 80 of them were in the lower tier. In the arches of the first and second floors there were sculptures - the work of the best masters of Rome.
The brightest and most characteristic
The Appian Way is also familiar to many, because they know about the sad death of Spartacus’s companions, chained alive to the pillars located along it, from school. And the final shots of the cult American film touched film lovers in many countries around the world.
Famous buildings and buildings of antiquity located in ancient capital, worthily represents the Roman Forum, which already during the reign of Tarquicius the Proud became the center of the political, cultural and religious life of the Roman Empire. Here are the temples of Vesta, Vespasian and Saturn. Each of them is associated with tragic or happy pages of ancient history. The perfectly preserved Trajan Column dates back to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. 185 steps located inside lead to observation deck, located at the 38th altitude. The sculptor Apollodorus of Damascus erected it in 114. It symbolizes the victory over the Dacians.
Next on the list
The Roman Pantheon is unique - the temple of all gods. Built in 126 AD, it dominates the Piazza della Rotonda.
You can find out what the famous structures and buildings of antiquity looked like by looking at the marble Arc de Triomphe of Titus. This oldest building was erected in 81 in honor of the capture of Jerusalem. The arch rises above Via Sacra. Single-span, it has a height of 15.4 meters, a width of 13.5 m, a span depth of about 5 meters, its width is 5.33 meters. Any chariot, including a quadriga, could enter such a gate. Bas-reliefs depicting Titus with trophies have been preserved. The Jewish temple was completely destroyed by him, and the victors got its main shrine - the minor. All this can be seen on the bas-relief.
Famous Roman baths and unique temples
The Baths of Caracalla continue the list of masterpieces of ancient Roman architecture. Where did this name come from? Caracalla is the nickname of Marcus Aurelius, who lived in the 3rd century AD. Ancient Roman baths are a special world where the elite of society had fun, played sports, had intellectual disputes, and concluded contracts. The surroundings matched: the walls and the font itself were made of the best varieties marble, there were sculptures everywhere, including a statue of Apollo Belvedere.
Seventh place in the list of “Architectural structures Ancient Rome"is occupied by a composition of two temples of different configurations - rectangular and round. These temples were erected in honor of Portunus (patron of ports) and Hercules. They are located on the left bank of the Tiber, in the very place where ships used to moor. 
Mausoleum and catacombs
At number eight is the Campus Martius - the left bank part of Rome. Next to it is the Mausoleum of Hadrian - an architectural monument-tomb for the imperial family. On a square pedestal with a side equal to 84 meters, there is a cylinder with a diameter of 64 meters, crowned with a statue of the emperor in the image of the Sun God, driving a quadriga (a team of 4 horses). This huge structure was not used for its intended purpose; it became a strategic object.
Last on the list of the most important architectural masterpieces The famous Catacombs go to the Roman Empire. This is a network of buildings (60 in total), interconnected and intended for burials (about 750,000 burials), with a total length of 170 km. Most of them stretch along the Appian Way.
Masterpieces of the East
The great architectural structures of the world are worthily complemented by another grandiose monument. This is Great Chinese Wall, the length of which from edge to edge is 21,196 kilometers. Built by one fifth (exactly one million) of the country's population in the 3rd century BC, it clearly defined the borders of the state and made China impregnable. This is a unique ancient monument. What about the pagodas and Buddhist monasteries of India? These are also monuments of the ancient past.
The first Russian pearls of architecture
All of the above, as well as structures Ancient Rus', belongs to the great world heritage. Only our civilization is young compared to others. The architecture of Novgorod, Pskov and Kyiv is considered the most ancient in our country, where from 989 to 996 the Church of the Tithes was erected, destroyed by Batu.
The next oldest architectural monument by our standards Kievan Rus is the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov, well preserved even now, then the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The first cross-domed structures were always based on a cross, and the temple was crowned with a dome. Such churches are the main type of ancient religious buildings in Rus'.
Byzantine masters and their creations
The first stone churches were built by masters invited from Byzantium. Russian religious buildings did not blindly repeat Byzantine architecture. Our churches have a strong personality. Yaroslav the Wise took up construction actively and on a grand scale. He, concerned that a huge country had just adopted a new religion, wanted to approve it with the grandiose construction of temples. The largest, which at that time had no analogues anywhere, even in Byzantium, was the 5-nave, 13-domed St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, founded in 1017.
Triumph of Orthodoxy
It was followed by the St. Sophia cathedrals of Novgorod (1045-1050) and Polotsk (1060). They were also considered 5-nave, although most Russian churches are 3-nave. The dome was supported by internal pillars - hence the names: 4-, 6-, or even 8-pillars.
The Assumption Cathedral was built by specially invited Greeks in 1073-1079 Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. This temple, called the “Great Church,” became a model for Orthodox buildings being built throughout the country. Such religious buildings as the Vydubetsky Monastery in Kyiv (1070-1081), Spas-on-Berest (1113-1125) belong to a new type of cathedral, since they all had an extension (nartesque) with a staircase. The most ancient temples had no vestibules at all.
From the moment of the construction boom launched by Yaroslav the Wise, all the Grand Dukes were engaged in active urban planning. Except architectural monuments, masterpieces were left to descendants applied arts and literature. The Tale of Bygone Years was first mentioned in 852.
The age of many structures once erected by man is several thousand years old, but some of these buildings have not yet lost their attractiveness. We present to you the “ten” most ancient buildings that, like a magnet, attract a huge number of tourists.
10. Royal Tomb
It is located in Southern Sweden and was built back in the Bronze Age more than 3,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered numerous images of animals, birds, ships and even horse-drawn chariots on its walls.
9. Tomb of Naveta de Tudons
She was found in the city of Minorca (Spain). Scientists were able to establish the age of the structure: almost 3200 years. The stone block tomb has unusual shape and looks like a boat turned upside down.
8. Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon
The tomb, which is located in Greece, has already celebrated its 3250th birthday. It is distinguished by its majesty and monumental forms and is one of the most impressive monuments ancient architecture: the weight of the lintels over the passages reaches 120 tons.
7. Coral City
It is the oldest settlement in Peru. The city was inhabited more than 4,600 years ago, and 19 pyramids were built on its territory, which covers an area of 60 hectares. During archaeological excavations, scientists discovered many stone jewelry and even musical instruments. On the other hand, they were unable to find a single weapon. One can only assume that the inhabitants were very peaceful and were engaged exclusively in trade.
6. Pyramid of Djoser
The Egyptian Pyramid of Djoser was built more than 4,700 years ago. It consists of 6 steps, which are located one above the other, and its height reaches 62 meters.
In the southern part of the island of Langeland, in Denmark, there is a mound called Hulbjerg, which is more than 5,000 years old. The tomb was built from 13 stone blocks that fit perfectly together.
4. Newgrange complex
From a bird's eye view it resembles a military bunker, but in fact it consists of several prehistoric archaeological sites, among which scientists have discovered more than 40 corridor graves from the Neolithic era - which is approximately 5,100 years ago.
3. Sanctuary at Monte d'Accoddi
In the north of Sardinia, archaeologists have unearthed an amazing structure - an ancient temple, built in the form of a step pyramid more than 5,200 years ago. The structure served as a kind of religious center for a millennium, but was abandoned during the Bronze Age - by 1800 BC the structure was completely destroyed and was used only as a cemetery.
The building was discovered in Scotland, its age is estimated at 5500 years. Scientists have established that Knap of Howar was once a stone house with a manor. During archaeological work, they were even able to discover some pieces of furniture made of stone: a fireplace, beds, racks and shelves - preserved almost in their original form.
This complex of monuments, seven of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, was built about 5,800 years ago. Archaeologists suggest that these temples operating at that time were the result of innovative developments that arose in the process of cultural evolution.
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The largest family in the world
A trip to the most ancient cities on the planet will help you touch the origins of civilization. By visiting some of them during your summer vacation, you can not only have a good rest, but also learn a lot of interesting information.
1. Maltese megalithic temples, Malta
Maltese temples are the oldest man-made structures on Earth. Scientific research has proven that temples were built a thousand years before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. Scientists cannot understand how people at that time were able to build such structures without the use of special equipment. After all, many are monolithic stone slabs, from which the temples were built, weigh more than fifty tons. There is indirect evidence that the territory of Malta at that time was inhabited by giant people who had no difficulty moving multi-ton monoliths. There is no answer to the question of what kind of civilization existed in this territory, and where the builders of the stone temples went. After all, similar structures have not been discovered anywhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, numerous wars and civil strife that took place on Maltese territory more or less destroyed the ancient buildings, but many of them have survived and are accessible to tourists. UNESCO took the prehistoric temples under its protection and included them in the World Heritage List. Today they are accessible to tourists.
2. Sardinian Ziggurat, Sardinia
The Sardinian ziggurat was built more than five and a half thousand years ago and was an important religious center. During the Second World War, the ziggurat was thoroughly destroyed, as the defense line passed through this place. But starting in 1954, the Sardinian ziggurat began to be restored and restored. Currently, the prehistoric complex receives numerous groups of tourists from all over the world.
3. Newgrange, Ireland
Newgrange is one of the attractions of Ireland. The oldest structure was erected between 3100 and 2900 BC. Newgrange is a megalithic structure, building material Multi-ton stone slabs were used. The plates were connected to each other without the use of a special solution. The structure has a height of thirteen meters and a diameter of eighty-five meters. Scientists assume that it was used as a calendar, since the structure is strictly oriented to the cardinal points. Perhaps this structure was used to determine the time of sowing and harvesting. Newgrange is located near the River Boyne.
4. Hulbjerg Jættestue, Denmark
The structure was built more than five thousand years ago and was used as a tomb. Scientists archaeologists found the remains of four hundred people in the tomb. The teeth of one of the buried people showed traces of healing. The level of ancient dentistry amazed scientists. Without metal instruments, the doctor managed to place a dental filling of sufficiently high quality.
5. Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt
The oldest one in Egypt was built in 2650 BC. The author of the pyramid, Imhotep, erected it for Pharaoh Djoser as a tomb. The pyramid has a stepped shape, for this reason in the circles of archaeological scientists it is also called the Step Pyramid. The pyramid is very popular among tourists because of its venerable age and unusual shape.
6. Caral, Peru
Caral is a city that existed more than five thousand years ago, it is considered the oldest urban settlement on the American continent. The city arose approximately at the same time as other first world civilizations. Scientists hope to find answers to questions about the emergence of the first civilizations in the city. Currently, seventeen pyramids have been cleared of sand and are accessible to tourists. The reasons for the disappearance of Caral have not yet been established; it is assumed that people left the city in 1600 BC and moved to other more favorable areas of Peru.
7. Treasury of Atreus, Greece
The tomb is located in Mycenae, its estimated age is three thousand two hundred years. Great contribution to Scientific research The tombs were brought in by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. During the excavations, it was discovered that all the domed tombs, of which there were nine, had been completely looted, but the earlier tombs, built in the sixteenth century BC, remained intact. Archaeologists discovered the richest burials; the faces of all the people buried in the tomb were covered with masks made of gold. The robes of the buried were also decorated with gold. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the bodies of once reigning dynasties rest in these tombs.
September 12th, 2014
The sensational discovery of a German archaeologist in Anatolia allows us to take a fresh look at the ancient history of human civilization. On a mountainside in southeastern Turkey, not far from the Syrian border, an expedition led by Klaus Schmidt unearthed a magnificent ancient temple, which is 12 thousand years old.
The oldest religious building found to date, Gobekli Tepe, built in the early Neolithic era, was discovered in the middle of the twentieth century. However, scientists became interested in this cultural monument only after massive stone walls and T-shaped columns covered with paintings were found in the 1990s.
It is assumed that total number The number of temples at Göbekli Tepe must have reached 20. Each of the buildings probably marked the ascension of Sirius in the sky at a different time.
The star Sirius first appeared in the earth's sky about 11,300 thousand years ago. In terms of brightness, it ranks fourth right after the Moon, Venus and Jupiter, so it probably made an indelible impression on a person of the early Neolithic era.
Let's study it in more detail...
Photo 2. 
Klaus Schmidt, privatdozent at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, is studying ancient history humanity. When Schmidt began excavations at Gobekli Tepe in 1994, he was sure that these excavations would become the main work of his life. The archaeological complex in this area can be compared to Stonehenge in England, with the only difference being that the ruins in Anatolia are 6 thousand years older.
As a child, Klaus Schmidt haunted caves in his native Germany, hoping to find prehistoric drawings there. Thirty years later, already representing the German Archaeological Institute, he discovered something infinitely more important - a temple complex, almost twice as ancient as all similar structures on the planet.
Photo 3. 
“This place is a supernova,” says Schmidt, standing under a lone tree on a windswept hill 55 kilometers north of Turkey's border with Syria. “Already in the first minute after its discovery, I knew that I had two options: either leave here without saying a word to anyone, or spend the rest of my life here, on these excavations.”
Photo 4. 
Behind him, the first bends of the Anatolian Plateau open up. Ahead, the Mesopotamian plain stretches hundreds of miles all the way to Baghdad and further south, looking like a sea the color of dust. Directly ahead, hidden behind a hill ledge, are the stone circles of Gobekli Tepe. In those days when people had not yet built permanent dwellings for themselves, did not know how to make a simple clay bowl, and obtained food by hunting and gathering, the inhabitants of South-Eastern Anatolia erected a monumental sanctuary for their gods.
Photo 5. 
Compared to Stonehenge - the most famous prehistoric monument in Great Britain - they are not striking in their grandeur of scale. None of the excavated round structures (and there are currently four out of twenty of them) exceed 30 meters in diameter. What makes these finds completely unique are the carvings of boars, foxes, lions, birds, snakes and scorpions on them, as well as the age of the finds themselves. They were created 9.5 thousand years BC. They are 5.5 thousand years old older than the first cities of Mesopotamia and 7 thousand years ago - Stonehenge.
Photo 6. 
In Gobekli Tepe, archaeologists discovered a gigantic complex of round buildings and stone pillars with carved reliefs on a hill. Currently, only a small part of the buildings has been excavated, but if you take into account the age of the ruins, it immediately becomes clear that this is a unique archaeological site.
Photo 7. 
The ancient ruins of Nevali Keri, which have been located at the bottom of the Ataturk reservoir since 1992, are almost as old as Gobekli Tepe, their age is 10,500 years. But the pillars there are much smaller, and the decoration is more modest. Jericho can compete with the temples of Gobekli Tepe in age, but there are no large sculptures there, no architectural decorations. All other ancient archaeological sites belong to a different era - they arose about 2 thousand years later. The people who created these rounded monuments and stone bas-reliefs, this entire complex, did not even have pottery and did not grow cereal crops. They lived in settlements. But they were hunters, not farmers.
Photo 8. 
Judging by the age of the Gobekli Tepe complex, it was in this area that hunters and gatherers switched to a sedentary lifestyle. In Gobekli Tepe, what is most striking is the intellectual abilities of the Stone Age people, their hard work and knowledge of construction. But until now, scientists were confident that the implementation of such gigantic projects as the construction of a temple presupposes a sedentary lifestyle and a high degree of organization.
“It has always been assumed that only complex societies with hierarchical structures could build such monumental structures, and that they only appeared with the advent of agriculture,” says Stanford University anthropology professor Ian Hodder, who has led the excavations since 1993. in Çatalhöyük, the most famous Neolithic settlement in Turkey. – Gobekli changed all ideas. This complex structure and dates back to the era before the birth of agriculture. This fact alone puts it among the most important archaeological finds over a very long period of time."
Photo 9. 
The archaeological site at Gobekli Tepe was first surveyed in 1963. However, then archaeologists underestimated its significance, and for a long time they didn't work there at all. On the hill, in the thickness of which the temple complex is located, there was a field of oats. The peasants continually removed the bulky stones that were in their way from the fields, so the upper part of the temple was destroyed before scientists could examine it.
Based on the excavated areas, we can conclude that people stayed here for a very long time. Near the round building of the sanctuary, several smaller buildings were found, in which, apparently, some kind of ritual meetings took place. But in all these buildings there is not the slightest sign of human habitation.
Excavations have been ongoing for ten years. As a result, only a small part has been cleared so far, but the purpose of Gobekli Tepe for the people who built it remains unclear. Some believe that this place was intended for fertility rituals, and the two tall stones in the center of each circle symbolize a man and a woman.
Photo 10. 
But Schmidt is skeptical about the fertility theory. He shares the opinion that Gobekli Tepe could be “the last flowering of a semi-nomadic society, which was about to be destroyed by the advancing era of agriculture.” He points out that if the site remains in near-perfect condition today, it is only because its builders soon buried their creation under tons of earth, as if their wildlife-rich world had lost all its meaning.
“From my point of view, the people who carved them were asking the greatest questions of all,” the scientist continues. – What is the universe? Why are we here? But the fertility symbols that have been found at other Neolithic sites are missing here, and the T-shaped pillars, while clearly semi-human, are asexual. “I think here we are faced with the earliest images of gods,” says Schmidt, stroking one of the largest blocks with his hand. “They have no eyes, no mouths, no faces. But they have arms and they have palms. These are the creators."
Photo 11. 
Perhaps the most interesting thing in Gobekli Tepe is its last days. The buildings were undoubtedly filled up, and this is what explains their good preservation. All the ancient religious buildings were simply abandoned, abandoned, but the temple on the Anatolian hill was literally buried in the ground. A massive building with monolithic giant pillars covered with magnificent reliefs was covered to the top with stones and soil, so that it literally disappeared underground.
Photo 12. 
Although archaeologists have liberated only part of Gobekli Tepe from under the mound, the unusually large size of the sanctuary can already be appreciated. It consists of four different temples, surrounded by a low stone fence. Particularly interesting are the T-shaped monoliths with partially preserved reliefs. They depict birds, gazelles, and bulls very naturalistically. Next to the image of a donkey and a snake, you can make out the head of a fox. There are even spiders and a three-dimensional wild boar with a frowning, blunt muzzle.
What the builders of the temple attached great importance the animal world is not surprising in itself. But they depicted wild animals, and this confirms the assumption that the creators of the sanctuary were not settled farmers. Another interesting thing is that in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe there are all kinds of wild cereals, which were later cultivated as grain crops.
Photo 13. 
Perhaps Gobekli Tepe is the missing link in the chain - the connecting element between primitive nomadic hunter-gatherers and sedentary farmers. The production of monolithic stone pillars with reliefs requires certain professional skills - this requires stonemasons. This means that other people supplied artisan stonemasons with everything necessary for life, that is, they had a society based on the division of labor.
Photo 14. 
There are pictograms on some of the pillars. Some archaeologists have suggested that these icons may have influenced sign systems that emerged at a later time, but it is difficult to see whether there is a connection between them. Hieroglyphs were not widespread in neighboring Mesopotamia, but in Ancient Egypt, that is, far from Gobekli Tepe. In addition, the time interval between Ancient Egypt and the Gobekli Tepe culture is very large.
Photo 15. 
The end of the Gobekli Tepe sanctuary occurred at the beginning of the 8th millennium BC. At this time, agriculture spread to neighboring Mesopotamia. The soil in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe is poor, perhaps for this reason the sanctuary lost its significance. The most important centers formed much further south, on fertile plains and river valleys. At least this may partly explain why people abandoned the temple where their ancestors had worshiped the gods for hundreds of years. They covered the sanctuary with stones and left there forever.
The lessons of Gobekli Tepe encourage us to reconsider the idea of the so-called Neolithic revolution. Until now, historians thought that the transition of nomadic tribes to a settled way of life created the preconditions for the construction of large urban centers and huge temples. But the experience of Gobekli Tepe proves that, in all likelihood, it was just the opposite: the very existence of a grandiose sanctuary, where the main rituals took place, encouraged people not to move away from it, but to stay close to the holy place and arrange permanent homes for themselves. This means that first there was a temple, and then a house, a village and a city.
Photo 16. 
The mystery of Gobekli Tepe is no less amazing than the secrets of the pyramids, but much older. Scientists can only assume that it was a ritual structure, but it is not known for certain what made the ancient people get together and build such a truly colossal structure.
Among researchers and enthusiasts, a variety of assumptions are emerging: from the mundane to the incredible. Some believe that Gobekli Tepe was not a temple, but only a place where people lived, while others put forward ideas about the intervention of alien races in the history of the Earth and the construction of this complex by aliens. There are opinions that Gobekli Tepe was the Garden of Eden or a prototype of Noah's Ark.
RUSSIAN HISTORIAN GENNADY KLIMOV BELIEVES, that Gobekli Tepe and similar buildings on Russian territory were built by the same race. He confirms his theory by the fact that in the 9th millennium BC. There was no Black Sea yet and the path from the Russian periglacial steppes to these regions was clear.
We are accustomed to the idea that agriculture appeared first, and then settlements, but Gobekli Tepe globally changes our understanding of ancient people in this matter. Scientists have found that to build such a monumental structure, it was necessary to gather at least 500 people at the same time. That is, all these people lived together.
Photo 17. 
Scientists suggest that it was the construction of this temple that played important role in the process of transition to agriculture, and therefore to the emergence of civilization in our usual understanding. As soon as the ancient people gathered together and began to live in one place, it became difficult to feed so many workers and pilgrims. And perhaps this is what pushed them to domestication wild plants and animals.
All conclusions regarding the Gobekli Tepe temple complex are preliminary, since excavations are being carried out only on 5% of its territory. Archaeologists believe that research will continue for about 50 years. The dating of the studied part dates the end of layer III to the 9th millennium BC. e., and its beginning - by the 11th millennium BC. e. or earlier. Layer II dates back to the 8th-9th millennia BC. e.
Photo 18. 
Since the complex appeared before the Neolithic revolution, the origin of agriculture and cattle breeding in this region should apparently be attributed to the era after the 9th millennium BC. e. At the same time, the construction of such a grandiose structure required effort large quantity people and certain social organization. This is not typical for the Mesolithic. According to rough estimates, the production and delivery of columns weighing 10-20 tons from the quarry to the building, which are separated by up to 500 m, in the absence of draft animals, required the efforts of up to 500 people.
In fact, some columns weigh up to 50 tons, so even more people were needed. It is even suggested that slave labor was used in such work, which is also uncharacteristic of hunter-gatherer communities. Such work required systematic effort and a social hierarchy in which many people were subordinate to a single religious or military leader, and the religious leader then had to supervise the rituals. In this case, the very existence of the temple complex in such a distant historical era indicates social stratification at a very early stage in the development of Neolithic culture.