The Most Beautiful Adobe Buildings in the World
- heliya erfani
- 10 months ago
Get to Know the most beautiful adobe buildings in the world
The passage of time, natural disasters, chaos, and ongoing wars have eradicated many of these invaluable structures. Nevertheless, across the world, one can still access various precious historic edifices. By wandering through their corridors, one can admire history. In this article, we intend to take a brief look at these ancient historical remnants and compile a shortlist of the most beautiful brick buildings in the world.
Stay with us till the end of this article on the Sepehran blog.
A Glimpse of the World’s Most Beautiful Adobe Buildings:
Yazd, known as the world’s largest adobe city, valuable heritage of structures that have remained robust and enduring over millennia. Near this historical city is a smaller town named Meybod, which houses one of humanity’s most valuable historical edifices.
Narin Castle, also known as the Kohan Dej, can be considered one of the oldest brick structures in the world. The age of this grand fortress dates back to the Median era and even earlier. However, the current Narin Castle is primarily a relic from the Sassanian period, standing proudly and beautifully in the heart of Iran’s central desert. Throughout different eras, the castle served as a governmental citadel or military fortress, and the restoration works, variety of bricks, and architectural styles narrate its ancient history.
The dense complex is predominantly built from brick and clay. The walls, especially those that enclose a significant part of the Meybod settlement as the castle’s barrier, benefit from thicknesses ranging from 5 to 20 meters, often layered. Some parts are made of brick and clay, while others combine brick, clay, and layered construction.
The antiquity of the castle has connected it with legends. Some believe the castle is the “White Fortress” mentioned in the Shahnameh. Others believe that it was built during the time of Keyumars. Some attribute its construction to the Sassanian commander (Mehbad), who was among the generals of Qobad and Khosrow Anushirvan. Another group believes it was built during the time of Prophet Soleymann, constructed by demons who transferred Soleyman treasure to this location.
Before the earthquake of December 2003(1382), Bam Citadel was considered the largest adobe structure in the world. The reconstruction process by the government, along with global support for this process, underscores the significance of this structure in the eyes of the world. This historical citadel, which was still in use up to 1850, was built in the 5th century BC and especially during the Sassanian era, served as a successful trade center on the Silk Road. It played a pivotal role in boosting trade between East Asia and European countries. At its height, it covered an area of 180,000 square meters, housing a population of around 15,000 people.
Fortunately, the restorations carried out in the decade following the earthquake have ensured this massive adobe structure is safe from destruction and removed from the UNESCO list of endangered sites.
This historic village, added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1992, is about a thousand years old. The houses in this historical area are made of mud and straw, and their roofs are covered with cedar trees. The historical significance of these houses to the indigenous people is so profound that they annually hold traditional ceremonies to repair and plaster their thick walls.
So, the Pueblo tribe in New Mexico, indigenous Native Americans, have effectively protected this historical heritage during their 1,000-year residence.
The archaeological site of Chan Chan, located in the La Libertad region of Peru, five kilometers west of Trujillo, is a amazing collection of mud and adobe buildings that were once the residence of the Chimu kings. Spanning an area of about 20 square kilometers, it comprises eleven citadels and is considered the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. This massive adobe complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on November 28, 1986, and is one of Peru’s most significant tourist and historical attractions.
The largest mosque and also the largest adobe structure in the world, the Djenne Grand Mosque in Mali, located in the ancient province of Timbuktu, is 100 meters long and 40 meters wide. The building, roughly a century old, is designed to withstand wind and rain, making it impermeable to rainwater.
Construction of this beautiful mosque began in 1906 and took a year to complete. The grandeur and unique architecture of this beautiful mosque were so impressive that UNESCO added it to the World Heritage list in 1988.
Although it suffered a lot of damage during the recent battles; But the restoration process of the project is promising. Therefore, the fear of its destruction has been eliminated.
The Siwa Oasis is a green region in the border desert of Egypt and Libya that has been of interest since ancient times due to its numerous mudbrick houses. This desert region is located 50 kilometers from the Libyan border and 560 kilometers from Cairo. The structures in it are made of a local clay called Karshif, collected from the sand and shores of a lake. Historically, this area was of interest to trade caravans because of its natural springs and abundant palm trees. As they moved along their route, they chose Siwa as a resting place.
Today, this region has gained significant tourist value, reviving its ancient trade prosperity. Many tourists travel to this historical area to enjoy the freshwater springs, walk alongside palm trees, and visit ancient monuments.
600 kilometers north of Bukhara in Uzbekistan lies a historical city called Khiva. This city was once the center of the Khwarezm region, and its history is traced back to the sixth century AD. The city houses a collection of historical structures surrounded by mud and brick walls. These structures, built in Islamic and Iranian architectural styles, include gates, mosques, schools, mausoleums, baths, palaces, and traditional houses. The grandeur of these buildings is such that they are among the top 10 brick structures in the world.
The city boasts 50 historical monuments and 250 old houses. According to many people’s beliefs, it is one of the places mentioned in the Avesta as “Iranveej,” the homeland of the Aryans. Popular belief holds that this complex was built 2,500 years ago by Sam, the son of Prophet Noah (PBUH).
Shibam is a historical city in the Hadhramaut province of Yemen, known worldwide for its ancient skyscrapers that are over a thousand years old. These ancient towers, made of mud and clay, stand approximately 40 meters tall. Descriptions of these towers are recorded in many historical inscriptions.
Researchers estimate that the region’s age is around 500 years. However, the popular belief is that the history of Shibam dates back to long before Islam. The basis for the researchers’ 500-year estimation for Shibam relies on houses that were mostly built in the 16th century. Around 1532, a devastating flood ravaged the city and caused significant damage to many of its buildings.
After this event, the people undertook significant reconstruction of the city. Thus, most of the existing structures are less than 500 years old. Nonetheless, several structures from older periods remain, including a fortress dating back to 1220 and a mosque that’s 904 years old.
The towers in this historical city vary from 7 to 16 floors. The urban design in Shibam features narrow alleys between the towers, creating an overall city texture resembling an impenetrable fortress.
What do you think about the adobe buildings of the world? If you know another building that is not in this list, comment the address and name of the building in the comments section.
