Tuesday 18 February 2014

The History Of Architecture, And Buildings Still In Use Today

Hello my fellow learners. Today we are going to look at some of the oldest architectural buildings still standing, and why architects are a source of gold.

Ok, let’s begin. We have all heard about the Seven Wonders of the World, but did you know that only one of these beautiful structures still exists today? This would be the magnificent Great Pyramids of Giza, however, it is a sad but known fact that this great Pyramid is starting to decay and crumble.

But stop, before you dash off to book your plane ticket, wait, there are plenty of other ancient structures still kicking that demands your admiration too. These range from a church that is over 2000 years old, to a timber built Buddhist temple, and believe it or not these 2 remarkable buildings are STILL in use even today.  

Istanbul in Turkey has a long and checkered past, ranging from blood thirsty wars, to the peaceful loving people of today. However, in a place known as Santa Sophia there still stands a monolith, housing a church, mosque and museum that were built in 537AD. This structure stands like a beacon shining over the occupants of Santa Sophia offering hope and inner peace.

Ah back to those Romans again, this race of people are infamous for building some of the most exquisite structures ever known to man. The Pantheon housed in Rome was originally built as a temple in 117AD by a man known as Hadrian, and has been used in various forms or other throughout history. It is THE most well preserved out of all the Roman buildings ever constructed, however, today people can now view it as a museum and a Roman Catholic church.

The Colosseum also built by Romans once housed over 50,000 of them, anyone who has seen the old movie Ben Hur with Charlton Heston will remember the legendary chariot scene, which was supposed to have been shot in the Colosseum, this was the staging area where many people were sent to die at the hands of the infamous gladiators, and yes I too have seen the movie Gladiator, this was a good depiction of what horrendous deeds were done.

These examples are but a drop in the ocean of what still stands today, however, none of these magnificent buildings would be around without the help and design of architects, that folks are why these professionals are still solely needed today.






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