What are the historic tallest buildings in the world?
Built in the medieval ages or even before, some of the oldest buildings have run a true testament to the ordeals of time. They have witnessed earthquakes, battles and more. Sustaining remarkable feats of engineering and innovative designs, some of the tallest buildings of the era have attracted tourists from around the world, to this day. It can be noted how the simple tools of the time were indeed far ahead of their time. The vision and the brilliance of the architecture that was present in the era is amazing. Here we bring you some of the world’s tallest buildings, which have existed for more than 500 years, as of 2018:
1. Lincoln Cathedral, United Kingdom
The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, commonly known as ‘Lincoln Cathedral’ was built between 1185 and 1311. With a height of 525 ft, it remained the tallest building in the world for an impressive 238 years. The central spire of the building had collapsed back in 1549 and was never built again.
2. Pyramid of Khufu, Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Giza, is the oldest structure amid the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is in fact, the only one which remains intact to this day. It is known to have been completed in around 2570 BC and for over 3,800 years, the Pyramid held the title for being the tallest building in the world. Located in Egypt, the height of the Pyramid of Khufu is 481 ft.
3. Pyramid of Khafre, Egypt
Built in the same pyramid complex, the Pyramid of Khafre rises up to 475 ft. It is believed that the pyramid was robbed during the “dark period” aka First Intermediate Period of the Egyptian dynasty.
4. Strasbourg Cathedral, France
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, referred as Strasbourg Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral rising up to 472 ft. The building finished its completion in 1439, yet its numerous parts still come under the category of Romanesque architecture.
5. St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Austria
The city of Vienna offers a lingered legacy of music maestros to its tourists, and even the religious sentiments continue to hold prevalence. The country’s most significant religious building is St. Stephen’s Cathedral, also referred by its German title ‘Stephansdom.’ Its construction was completed in 1160. Witnessing the important events of Austrian history and Hapsburg, the church still stands intact with a height of 448 ft.
6. St. Martin’s Church, Germany
Situated in the state of Bavaria, St. Martin’s Church in Landshut entails Brick Gothic architecture and was built by the year 1500 and it had taken about 110 years for its completion. At 428 ft, this church is the tallest brick building in the world.
7. Salisbury Cathedral, United Kingdom
Another ‘tallest building’ in United Kingdom is the Cathedral of Saint Mary, also known as ‘Salisbury Cathedral.’ At 404 ft, the church has the tallest spire. The cathedral even has a clock which is one of the oldest working clocks of the world. Its construction was completed by year 1320. the cathedral has remained as the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury, and Nick Holtam currently holds the position.
8. Church of Our Lady, Belgium
At 379 ft, the Church of Our Lady is the second tallest brickwork tower. Located in Bruges, the building was constructed in the 13th century, somewhere between 1270 to 1280. The most celebrated treasure of the church is a white marble sculpture of Madonna and Child.
9. Florence Cathedral, Italy
One of the UNESCO World Heritage sites is Florence Cathedral in Italy. It is a Gothic style construction that was initiated in 1296 and completed by 1436. Apart from being one of Italy’s largest churches at 376 ft, the Cathedral also has the largest brick dome in the entire world.
10. Torrazzo of Cremona, Italy
The bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona is 369.75 ft tall. It is the third tallest brick work in the world. It is however, even older to the other two tallest brick buildings, as the tower was built by 1309. The astonishing height is even announced in its wall, using plaque embedment.
Most of the tallest structures, apart from Pyramids are in Europe, and hold Roman Catholic denomination. Over the years, these churches have held religious sentiments for the people. Renovations have contributed their role in keeping the buildings intact. Even today, millions of tourists visit these historical tallest buildings in the world, when traveling to Europe.
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