Summary

  • Explore the oldest ancient ruins in the world, such as Tell Qaramel and Eridu, to witness the impressive architecture from thousands of years ago.
  • The Ggantija Temples in Malta are the world's oldest religious buildings, predating the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge.
  • Visit Stonehenge, one of the most recognized ancient ruins, to unravel its mysteries and witness its captivating stone structures that date back over 5,000 years.

When people think of ancient ruins, they may often think of marvels like Stonehenge or what's inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. Undoubtedly, these remarkable human-made landmarks are ancient sites to behold, withstanding the sands of time for thousands of years.

The world has a rich history, with humans occupying the earth for millions of years. With that said, compared to some archeologic sites and ruins worldwide, Stonehenge and the Giza Pyramids seem like they were built yesterday! Check out some of the oldest ruins in the world and be amazed to discover how creative the people were even thousands of years ago.

UPDATE: 2023/08/07 22:40 EST BY REENA JAIN

18 Oldest Ancient Ruins In The World

Archeologists have unearthed numerous ruins throughout the world, many of which even date back to the Neolithic period. Two more of the oldest ancient ruins in the world have been added to the list, which are thousands of years old and impressive pieces of architecture.

18 Tell Qaramel

Tell Qaramel, Syria

R. F. Mazurowski, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Aerial view of Tell Qaramel, Syria

Tell Qaramel, on the Qoueiq River in northern Syria, is considered to have existed between 10,900 and 8850 BC. Its five round stone towers illustrate Neolithic period construction and are among the oldest archaelogical ruins in the world. The oldest of these five round towers was roughly 6 meters in diameter and had a raised hearth in the center with two benches set around it. Carbon dating has found this tower to belong between the eleventh millennium and 9670 BC. According to this dating, this structure is roughly 2000 years older than Jericho's stone tower, which was once believed to be the world's oldest tower structure.

  • Location: Azaz District, Aleppo Governorate, Syria

17 Eridu

Ziggurat at Eridu, Iraq
David Stanley from Nanaimo, CanadaCC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ruins of Ziggurat at Eridu, Iraq

Eridu in Iraq was one of Mesopotamia's and possibly the world's first permanent settlements of ancient Sumerians. It was believed to have been inhabited between the fifth and second millennia BCE. Located barely 14 miles south of Nasiriyah, a city in today's Iraq, this archeological site now has the ruins of a ziggurat (baked mud bricks), a type of temple common in ancient Mesopotamian construction. The ruins date to roughly 5400 BCE, making it one of the oldest archeological sites with traces of urban development.

  • Location: Tell Abu Shahrain, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq

16 Ġgantija Temples

Ggantija Temples, Malta
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The neolithic monument of Ggantija Temples in Xagħra, Gozo island, Malta

The Ggantija Temples of Gozo are the world's largest and oldest free-standing Neolithic structures, drawing thousands of tourists every year. Being one of the oldest archeological sites in the world, they are on the UNESCO World Heritage List and were built between 3600 and 3200 BC. The temples are more than 5500 years old, making them the world's oldest religious buildings and predating the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge in age. These are two temples sharing a common boundary wall with separate entrances. Each temple has five apses connected by a central corridor and houses numerous statues and figurines honoring the goddess of the Great Earth Mother.

  • Location: John Otto Bayer Street, Xagħra, Ggantija, Malta

15 Walls of Jericho

Walls of Jericho, Palestine
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Ruins of the Walls of Jericho, Palestine

The massive stone walls known as the Walls of Jericho encircled a Neolithic settlement in Jericho along the Jordan River around 8000 BCE. These walls were at least 13 feet tall and built to keep intruders out of the city. Today, the ruins of these walls and the city attract tourists to the West Bank because the ancient city is thought to have been inhabited 14,000 years ago and is one of the world's oldest ancient ruins discovered. The walls, on the other hand, are approximately 11,000 years old. The Old Testament book of Joshua also has a passage about the walled city of Jericho that further proves the city's antiquity. Today, the site contains some of the most ancient ruins in the world.

  • Location: Jordan Valley, West Bank, Palestine

14 Sechin Bajo

Sechin Archeological Complex, Peru
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Sechin Bajo, Sechin Archeological Complex, Peru

Sechin Bajo is part of a larger site in Peru—the Sechin Archeological Complex—which is considered the largest (and oldest) Pre-Columbian monument in the world. Occupied between 3500 BCE to 1300 BCE, this breathtaking historical site is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Peru as well as the most fascinating; it houses ancient ruins that paint a picture of pre-Incan culture. In fact, in 2008, archeologists discovered a stone plaza at Sechin Bajo, dated at least 5,500 years old, built around 3500 BCE. Additionally, it’s believed that the Sechin Bajo plaza is the oldest ancient monument in all the Americas!

  • Location: Casma, Peru

13 Knap Of Howar

Knap of Howar, Scotland
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Knap of Howar neolithic house, Scotland, UK

Sitting on Scotland’s Orkney Islands, the Knap of Howar stands as the oldest farmstead made of stone in Northern Europe. Occupied over 5,000 years ago, this ancient ruin is composed of two houses with a low-level doorway and stone cupboards. It’s believed that this modest farmstead belonged to a Neolithic farmer who kept livestock (like cattle and pigs) and cultivated crops like wheat or barley. Additionally, the site also overlooks the ocean, providing gorgeous coastal views of the unique location of Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

  • Location: Papay Westray, Orkney Islands, Scotland

12 Gobekli Tepe

Göbekli Tepe, Haliliye, Turkey
Photo by Frank Samol on Unsplash
A photo from Göbekli Tepe, Haliliye, Turkey

Located in Southeast Turkey, Gobekli Tepe is one of the world's oldest ruins; it was once nicknamed the oldest temple in the world until Boncuklu Tarla was discovered (which is rumored to be thousands of years older). Regardless, Gobekli Tepe still deserves mention, as it’s pretty old compared to other ruins discovered worldwide. Once thought to be a cemetery, researchers discovered Gobekli Tepe’s actual purpose: a megalith for rituals, social gatherings, and other religious events. Additionally, archeologists consider Goblekli Tepe an important ancient site and speculate that humans used this site during the Pre-Potter Neolithic era, which was around 11,500 years ago.

  • Location: Sanliurfa Province, Turkey

11 Boncuklu Tarla

Aerial view of ruins of Mardin, Turkey
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Aerial view of ruins of Mardin, Turkey

Also known as Beaded Field, Boncuklu Tarla was recently discovered to be at least 1,000 years older than Gobeklitepe in Mardin, Southeast Turkey. Specifically, it’s estimated that this site is at least 12,000 years old! Furthermore, it was said that numerous communities settled in the area where the ruins were found, including the Assyrians, Romans, Ottomans, and Babylonians. Archaeologists and their dedicated team unearthed ruins like homes, temples, and other structures during the discovery.

  • Location: Mardin Province, Turkey

Related: What To Know Of The Ancient Roman Ruins On Cyprus

10 Potok Cave

Potok Cave in northern Slovenia, a high-elevation archeological and paleontological from Paleolithic
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Potok Cave in northern Slovenia, a high-elevation archeological and paleontological from Paleolithic

Ancestors of modern humans—known as the Aurignacian people—survived the harsh winters of the Ice Age. Furthermore, thanks to caves like Northern Slovenia’s Potok Cave, surviving the harsh terrain of the Ice Age made it a little more manageable. Thus, the Potok Cave was said to be a hunting station for the Aurignacian people (or, alternatively, a site of religious rituals). Regardless of its use, hundreds of artifacts in the form of animal bones, stone artifacts, and other evidence of human activity were found in the Potok Cave (specifically near the rear, which was said to be the warmest part of the cave) by researchers, of which their archeological dig spanned for decades (since the early 20th century)!

  • Location: Mount Olševa, Slovenia

9 The Burrup Peninsula

The beautiful Burrup Peninsula
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The beautiful Burrup Peninsula in Hearson’s Cove Murujuga National Park

Also known as Murujuga, the Burrup Peninsula is a site of natural beauty, showcasing Pilbara's beautiful hills and the local area's endemic species. However, the Burrup Peninsula is also known for being the home of Australia’s Aboriginal community, inhabiting the area for over 50,000 years. Thus, Murujuga houses some of the world’s oldest petroglyphs and rock carvings, which are around 40,000 years old.

  • Location: Murujuga National Park (Burrup Peninsula), Western Australia

8 Theopetra Cave

Theopetra Cave, a prehistoric site in Meteora, Thessaly, Greece
Heracles Kritikos / Shutterstock
Theopetra Cave, a prehistoric site in Meteora, Thessaly, Greece

Nestled atop a limestone hill near the village of Theopetra, the Theopetra Cave, which looks like any ordinary cave, is made of nothing more than rocks and dirt. However, this cave reveals a storied past of human civilization in the form of a man-made wall (built for protection from the cold winds during the Ice Age). In fact, researchers estimated that humans began living in the cave 130,000 years ago, during the Middle Paleolithic era. The cave also revealed human life around the Neolithic period, acting as an archeological time capsule!

  • Location: Meteora, Thessaly, Greece

7 Gona Archaeological Site

On the journey towards Abune Yosef, Ethiopia
Photo by Erik Hathaway on Unsplash
On the journey towards Abune Yosef, Ethiopia

Archeologists studied this site for decades, combing through the earth to find discoveries related to the link between archaic humans to modern-day Homo sapiens. Located in the Ethiopian Lowlands, the Gona archeological sites contain key evidence of Homo erectus (an early ancestor to modern-day humans), which dates around 1.8 million years old. Researchers also found fossils of early human species (Australopithecus Garhi) that date back approximately 4.5 million years ago!

Related: Lost City Of Heracleion: What We Know Of Egypt's Two-Century-Old Underwater Ruins

6 Stonehenge

Stonehenge, Salisbury, England, UK
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
Epic View of the Historic Landmark, Stonehenge in Salisbury, England, UK

Found along the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge is easily one of the most recognized ancient ruins in the world. These captivating and curious rings of stone date back over 5,000 years and are some of the oldest stone structures on the planet. Even though the mystery surrounding these enormous sandstone slabs is still being debated, researchers have discovered a clue to one of Stonehenge's unsolved puzzles. Who built Stonehenge is still debated today though two popular theories maintain that it was used as a site for religious rituals or otherwise to monitor the movements of the sun and moon.

  • Location: Wiltshire, England

5 Sigiriya

A photo of the fortress of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Photo by Brian Kyed on Unsplash
A photo of the fortress of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

The ancient fortress of Sigiriya was carved into a 200-meter vertical rock face near the town of Dambulla in Sri Lanka. On top of the stone are the fascinating remains of an ancient civilization thought to be the capital of the kingdom of Kassapa. Once, it included a citadel, an upper palace, a mirror wall with stunning colorful frescoes, and a gateway in the shape of a lion. Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a unique history in that it was abandoned when its king died but was used as a Buddhist temple until the 14th century, making it one of the world's oldest archeological sites.

  • Location: Dambulla in Sri Lanka

4 Masada

Masada, Israel
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
A photo of Masada, Israel

Perched atop a cliff, Masada could possibly be one of the most impressive and oldest archaeological sites in the world. This ancient fortress overlooks the Judaean Desert and the Dead Sea in Israel. The site is stunning with a haunting beauty. It was built as the palace of King Herod thousands of years ago. This fortress was famously the location of the last stand of the Jewish Revolt; they would end up choosing death over a life of Roman slavery.

Travelers visiting the ruins today can experience the best-preserved examples of Roman siege works in history. Two pathways lead to the top, and though it isn't an easy hike in the heat, the views are quite nice.

  • Location: Judaean Desert, Israel

3 Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army in Xi'an, China
Photo by Aaron Greenwood on Unsplash
The Terracotta Army in Xi'an, China

This well-known collection of thousands of life-sized soldiers and horses found in Xi'an, China, was originally constructed in the 3rd century BC. The Terracotta Warriors, also known as the Terracotta Army, are truly impressive and stand guard near the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi. While many of these soldiers still remain unexcavated, there are currently 600 underground pits full of cleared soldiers. The soldiers are hand-carved, and with their incredible detail, it is estimated that they took 40 years of craftsmanship.

  • Location: Xi'an, China

Related: Cruger Island Was Once Home To The Only Mayan Ruins In New York State

2 Karnak

Karnak, Luxor, Egypt
Photo by Lea Kobal on Unsplash
A photo from Karnak, Luxor, Egypt

Taking over 2,000 years to build, Karnak is covered with the contributions of temples, sanctuaries, obelisks, and shrines contributed by different pharos over the years. Travelers visiting the Karnak Temple complex in Luxor, Egypt, can Walk through the Avenue of Sphinxes and discover the Great Hypostyle Hall. While travelers are here, they should stop to admire Sacred Lake and the nearby granite scarab. It’s said that if travelers encircle it seven times, they will have good luck in love.

  • Location: Luxor, Egypt

1 Teotihuacan

An aerial photo of Teotihuacan, México
Photo by Abimelec Castillo on Unsplash
An aerial photo of Teotihuacan, México

Found on the periphery of modern-day Mexico City, this famous ancient city was once thought of as an Aztec archeologic site, but now it's known that the Aztecs did not build the city. The Aztecs simply claimed it as theirs, and who built it still remains unknown. It was likely this was once the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, with pyramids as large as those in Giza. Today, travelers can explore its two iconic pyramids, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. They can then stroll along the Avenue of the Dead and visit the Citadel and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

  • Location: Mexico City, Mexico