TOP 5 OLDEST STRUCTURES IN AFRICA

Africa is known to be the “cradle of humanity” and this is because it holds so many histories which plays an important role in human development.

In Africa, there are some stupendously ancient structures still standing on the continent. While many of them are barely recognizable as buildings, others are very well preserved, dating back as far as 2667-2648 BC.

In this piece of writing, we would be highlighting the top 5 oldest structures.

● Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt (c.2560 BC)
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the most popular of all the Egyptian pyramids. It is also one of the most popular ancient place in Africa’s history. It is also referred to as the Pyramid of Cheops or the Pyramid of Khufu. As the largest of the three Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza, it has been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. According to beliefs, it took 10-20 years to build the pyramid around 2560 BC. For more than 3,800 years, it was the tallest man-made structure anywhere on the planet. It was also said that there was atleast 3 chambers in it, the Queen's Chamber, the King's Chamber and one lower chamber.

● Red Pyramid, Egypt (c. 2580 BC)
The Red Pyramid is slightly older than the Pyramid of Giza. Also known as the North Pyramid. This is the largest of three pyramids to be found in the Dahshur necropolis in Cairo. It takes its name from the color of the limestone from which it is constructed, which has a slight reddish hue. In ancient fact, the Tura limestone which would have once encased it was white, not red-so the Red Pyramid wasn't red at all in old times.

● Bent Pyramid, Egypt (c. 2580 BC)
Just about a kilometre north of the famous Red Pyramid is another known as the Bent Pyramid, constructed by the same Pharaoh Sneferu. The sides of the pyramids rise steeply from the desert sand, but reaching the top, the incline becomes shallow, giving an obvious reason for its name, Bent Pyramid as it has a bend on its sides.

● Pyramid of Meidum, Egypt (c. 2580 BC)
The Pyramid of Meidum is located in Lower Egypt south of Cairo, and is the second oldest building in Africa. Originally, it was likely constructed for the Third Dyasty pharaoh Huni, but it seems that Pharaoh Sneferu continued work on the structure. The architect who designed the Pyramid of Meidum was the successor of Imhotep, Sadly, the structure collapsed, probably because Imhotep's successor experimented with modifications to the original design. So the image seen explains the uncanny look.

Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt (2667- 2648 BC)

Lastly, the oldest building still standing in Africa is the original Egyptian pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser. Its design was conceived by the engineer Imhotep, who was also a physician and architect (and amazingly enough, a commoner, later considered a god after he was deified two thousand years after his death). The Pyramid of Djoser is a step pyramid, which can be contrasted with the smooth-sided pyramids developed later. Each step is referred to as a "mastaba," which translates to "house of eternity."

Seeing all of these ancient buildings it can be agreed upon that the African (Egypt especially), strides in engineering and architecture is quite astonishing.