Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of the world's most famous long-built structures
1. Chichen Itza (Mexico)
The oldest long-built structure in the world can be called the construction of settlements of the Maya tribes in Mexico. The political and cultural center of this civilization was the city of Chichen Itza. The settlement was founded at the beginning of the 7th century, and the Maya built their city for almost half a millennium. First of all, objects of religious worship were erected.
The most famous structure of the complex is the Temple of Kukulkan. The building is a nine-step pyramid 24 meters high. On each side of the pyramid there is a steep staircase leading to a small temple with four entrances. In the temple, the Maya made sacrifices to their gods.
2. Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
One of the largest religious structures ever built is the Hindu temple complex Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The temple was built in the first half of the 12th century, and work on its construction lasted about 400 years. In the 15th century, Angkor Wat fell into disuse, yet it is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of Cambodia.
3. Sagrada Familia (Spain)
Ask your friends to name the most famous long-built structure in the world, and many of them will surely recall the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The building, which has become one of the symbols of Spain, began construction in 1882. Even before construction began, it was decided that funding would come solely from donations, which is why work stretched for more than a century.
The temple was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI and declared suitable for daily services in November 2010. However, the construction itself is not yet complete: all work is planned to be finished no earlier than 2026. In 2008, a group of Spanish cultural figures called for the construction to stop: in their opinion, little remained of Antoni Gaudí's original design, and the cathedral had become a victim of the whims of the tourism industry.
4. Cologne Cathedral (Germany)
The construction of Cologne Cathedral in Germany is also unfinished to this day, and no one intends to finish it. There is a legend that the architect could not complete the design of the future cathedral and called on the devil for help. Satan, as is customary in such cases, demanded the architect's soul but was deceived. To take revenge, the devil placed a curse on the cathedral, promising that Cologne would perish as soon as the construction of the church was completed.
The residents of Cologne cherish this legend and tell tourists that this is why restoration work in the cathedral never stops. The church was built in two stages: from 1248 to 1437 and from 1842 to 1880.
5. Duomo (Italy)
Milan Cathedral, the Duomo, was built for almost 600 years. Construction began in 1386 and was completed in the early 19th century by order of Napoleon I. But some details were finished in the second half of the 20th century. The Duomo is the fifth largest church in the world.
The cathedral attracts architecture lovers from all over the world: in Europe, it is the only Gothic cathedral made of white marble. The popularity of the building among ordinary tourists skyrocketed after a miniature copy of the cathedral was thrown at then-Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi.