11 Oldest Buildings in the World That Are Still Standing Today
From Italy and China, to Egypt and Iran, journey through millennia to explore humanity's most enduring architectural achievements – including the oldest pyramids in existence, which might not be those you expect
Explore 11 of the oldest buildings in the world, each one an architectural milestone that has defied millennia of earthquakes, weather, wars, and changing civilisations.
Humans have built buildings since time immemorial – some to keep the rain off, others to honour gods, some to remember the dead and others to elevate chosen members of society, from priests to royals. These ancient buildings, some dating back nearly 12,000 years, offer rare glimpses into the birth of architecture, from megalithic temples perched on Mediterranean islands to stone observatories aligned with celestial events. These structures represent the earliest experiments with permanent construction, some built with the most primitive tools and still, they have outlasted entire empires and civilisations.
Below are 11 of the oldest buildings in the world – that are not rubble, but still standing – presented from the most recent, to the most ancient.
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Francesco Riccardo Iacomino1/11The Pantheon, Rome, Italy
Built: 125 AD
An architectural marvel that tops every history and architecture buff's must-see list when visiting Rome. For a fee (introduced in 2023), you can step inside this domed masterpiece that has stood for nearly two millennia. It's staggering to think that 2,000 years ago the Romans were constructing buildings of such perfect proportions – the height equals exactly the diameter –using innovative concrete techniques that modern engineers still study today. The interior, accessed through a portico of 12 massive granite columns each weighing 60 tons, reveals the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome with its dramatic central oculus opening to the sky.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/Getty Images2/11The Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Built 70-80 AD
A little older than The Pantheon is Rome's most famous classical building, The Colosseum. The massive arena – officially called the Amphiteatrum Flavium – was inaugurated in 80 AD, and seated well over 50,000 people in its neatly arranged stands: emperor, aristos and Vestal Virgins down the front; plebs, slaves and all the other women up the top. For nearly two millennia, it has captivated audiences – first with its brutal gladiatorial spectacles, and now as the instantly recognizable backdrop for countless Hollywood epics, with Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" cementing its iconic status in pop culture just as firmly as in architectural history.
John Elk III3/11Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France
Built: 16 BC
In sun-drenched Nîmes in southern France, this perfectly proportioned rectangular temple, with its graceful Corinthian columns and intricately carved capitals, has survived remarkably intact while countless contemporaneous structures crumbled. Its pristine condition impressed US presidents no less, with Thomas Jefferson so captivated that he modelled the Virginia State Capitol after it. Nearby, a magnificent amphitheatre and the triple-tiered Pont du Gard aqueduct complete a trifecta of ancient engineering, making this southern French city an unexpected treasure trove for antiquity enthusiasts.
Dallas and John Heaton4/11Ruwanwelisaya Stupa, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Built: 140 BC
In the sacred city of Anuradhapura in central Sri Lanka, this massive Buddhist temple has remained an important pilgrimage site for over two millennia. Built by King Dutugemunu after unifying the island, the white dome reaches nearly 340 feet in circumference and houses sacred relics of the Buddha. Even more remarkable is its perfect hemispherical shape, now restored to its former glory, surrounded by a wall adorned with 1,900 figures of elephants – a symbol of wisdom in Buddhist tradition. The real engineering marvel, though? The stupa's sophisticated drainage system and specially formulated lime mortar that has allowed it to withstand countless monsoons and earthquakes while remaining an active place of worship for an astonishing 22 centuries.
Wang Yukun5/11Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China
Built: 246-208 BC
This vast complex near Xi'an, built over 38 years, has only been partially excavated, with archaeologists proceeding cautiously to preserve its treasures. The most notable find? In 1974, a local farmer digging a well discovered the now famous Terracotta Army, which guards the mausoleum to the east of the main site. The garrison of clay statues includes an estimated 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, only a fraction of which have been uncovered. Ancient texts suggest the emperor's actual burial chamber contains flowing rivers of mercury beneath a ceiling mapped with stars – details that modern scientific testing has partially confirmed, detecting abnormally high mercury levels in the soil above the unopened tomb.
Anders Blomqvist6/11Sanchi Stupa, Sanchi, India
Built: 300 BC
"The workmanship is so exquisite that it appears to have been done by the gods rather than by men," wrote Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang after visiting this magnificent monument in the 7th century – and modern visitors tend to agree. The "Great Stupa" at this Buddhist temple complex in central India was originally commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, and remains one of Buddhism's most impressive early monuments. What visitors find most breathtaking is the astonishing intricacy of the stonework, executed by skilled ivory carvers from the nearby town of Vidisha with a precision that rivals anything produced by the Roman Empire. Read More: 17 Historic Buildings in India That Are a Must-Visit
George Pachantouris7/11The Parthenon, Athens, Greece
Built: 432-447 BC
Perched above Athens' urban sprawl, The Parthenon has reigned over the city for two and a half millennia. Despite centuries of damage – from its conversion to a church and mosque to a catastrophic explosion during the Venetian siege of 1687 –surviving elements still amaze visitors today. What most tourists don't realize is that the temple isn't actually built with straight lines at all. Its architects cleverly incorporated subtle curves and optical illusions throughout the structure, with columns that bulge slightly in the middle and a foundation that rises imperceptibly toward the center. These seemingly small details create an impression of perfect harmony that has influenced civic architecture worldwide, from government buildings to banks and museums on every continent. Visiting Athens? Soak in uninterrupted views of the Parthenon from this hotel's rooftop lounge.
Raffaele Nicolussi8/11The Tomb of Cyrus, Iran
Built: 530 BC
The Tomb of Cyrus is one of Iran's 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an understated yet elegant mausoleum that rises from the windswept plains of Fars Province. It forms part of Pasargadae, which was once the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire. He had it built in the 6th century BC, creating a simple, almost modernist structure that stands in stark contrast to the intricate architecture typically associated with ancient rulers. A six-stepped base supports a modest chamber with a gabled roof, crafted from massive limestone blocks fitted with such precision that they've withstood earthquakes for 2,500 years.
Photo: Richard Sharrocks9/11Ziggurat of Ur, Iraq
Built: 2100 BC
A Ziggurat is a massive stepped platform that once symbolically connected earth to heaven. They were the ancient Mesopotamian equivalents of Egypt's pyramids, though serving as temples rather than tombs. The earliest surviving example stands in southern Iraq, near the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers: the Ziggurat of Ur. This biblical city revealed astonishing treasures when British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley excavated it in the 1920s – 16 royal tombs yielded golden daggers with lapis lazuli, intricately carved rams, bull-headed lyres, and a queen's gold headdress. The ziggurat itself, with its three levels of sun-dried bricks encased in fired bricks set with bitumen, has survived millennia of desert conditions and stands as testament to one of the planet's earliest urban civilisation.
Nick Brundle Photography10/11The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
Built: 2560 BC
The pyramids of Giza are startling in their scale and grandeur, in a way which photographs never quite capture. The largest of them, the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops), was built around 4,500 years ago and now stands at a height of 138.8 metres. It was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for more than 3,800 years, until the construction of the Lincoln Cathedral. Its construction continues to astonish modern engineers – its base is level to within just 2.1 centimeters, and its sides are aligned to true north with an accuracy of 0.05 degrees. Inside, narrow corridors lead to several chambers, including the King's Chamber with its massive granite sarcophagus, testifying to the extraordinary technological capabilities of a civilization that predated iron tools. This iconic landmark continues to inspire artists, film-makers and fashion. Read More: Grand Egyptian Museum Is Now Open: What To See Inside Tutankhamen's New Billion Dollar Home
George Pachantouris11/11Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt
Built: 2667–2648 BC
Rising in six distinct tiers to a height of 204 feet above the desert at Saqqara, the Step Pyramid of Djoser represents the crucial missing link in architectural evolution – the world's first large-scale stone monument. Predating the Great Pyramid of Giza by around a century, this structure marked humanity's first attempt to build for eternity in stone rather than mud brick. Designed by Imhotep – history's first named architect – the pyramid began as a traditional flat-roofed tomb before being enlarged multiple times to create its distinctive stepped profile. The surrounding 40-acre complex includes ceremonial courtyards, shrines, and colonnaded entrances that would define Egyptian architecture for millennia to come.
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