Ten of the Worlds Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them

Modern architecture makes it easy to forget that buildings existed as many as 4,000 years before Common Era. Most of the oldest buildings in the world can be found in Europe, with Africa coming a close second particularly Egypt followed by Asia. We are therefore spreading out this list across the continents to give you the oldest buildings in each of the contents followed by the oldest buildings in the U.S, Germany and France.

Barnenez, Europe

France dominates when it comes to Europe’s oldest building with the Barnenez. This is a passage grave which has been in existence since 4850 BCE which are initials that stand for Before Common Era. The ancient structure is about eight meters high, 25 meters wide and 72 meters long.

Sechin Bajo, South America

Peru hosts South America’s oldest building and this is the Sechin Bajo. The building is used as a plaza and was built in 3500 BCE.

Djoser Pyramid, Africa

Egypt is well known for its ancient architecture thanks to its massive pyramids. Now, the Pyramid of Djoser simply known as Djoser Pyramid is said to have been built between 2667 and 2648 BCE. As with all pyramids, this is a burial site and it depicts the earliest use of cut stone in large-scale construction,

Mehrgarh, Asia

In Asia, you can find the oldest building in Pakistan, and not India as many would assume. Mehrgarh is a complex of ruins made using mud bricks and was used as a storage facility. These structures were constructed around 2600 BCE.

Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid, North America

The oldest structure in North America can be found in Mexico and this is the Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid. The pyramid is said to have been built way back between 600 and 800 BCE and was a ceremonial centre. This is indeed one of the oldest Mesoamerican structures.

Wiebbe Hayes Stone Fort, Australasia

The oldest building on this continent is the Wiebbe Hayes Stone Fort and you can find this fort in Australia. The defensive fort was used by Batavia survivors who found a resting place in West Wallabi Island also known as the Wiebbe Hayes Island. The fort was constructed in 1629.

Cape Adare Huts, Antarctica

In Antarctica, the oldest building is known as the Cape Adare Huts and these were constructed in 1899. These huts were used as explorer huts and are basically wooden buildings which you can find on Victoria Island.

Tumulus of Boulgon, France

We now move on to the oldest building in France which is the Tumulus of Boulgon. This building consists of a complex of tombs which were built in 4700 BCE.

Ancestral Puebloan Communities, U.S

In the U.S, the Ancestral Puebloan Community villages are considered the oldest buildings. These villages have been a part of the U.S since 1848 following New Mexico’s annexation.

The Göbekli Tepe, Southeastern Turkey

The Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site of a temple in Southeastern Turkey and has been dated back to 9500 – 8000 BCE. This date was discovered by carbon dating old tools found during excavations. This building is in fact the oldest structure on earth that we have found to date.