Though their skills and ingenuity are often underrated by more modern minds, our ancient forebears were quite adept at construction, building structures that have stood to this day. Here are 10 such examples.

10Saint Hripsime Church
AD 618

The first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion, Armenia is home to several revered sites of the religion. One such building is the Saint Hripsime Church, built in the seventh century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rightfully so, the church was commissioned to replace a mausoleum which had been erected in honor of Saint Hripsime.

Hripsime played an important role in Armenia’s Christian history, for she was a devout believer. Around AD 300, she lived in a Roman monastery as a hermit, along with 35 other women. Eventually, after fleeing the affections of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, Hripsime ended up in Armenia, where her beauty caught the eye, and fury, of the pagan Armenian king Drtad. When she refused, King Drtad had Hripsime and all her female companions tortured and killed. Later, after he had successfully converted the Armenian king to Christianity, St. Gregory the Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church, built the first chapel to honor Hripsime.

9The Jokhang
AD 639

Generally considered the most sacred temple in Tibet, the Jokhang is a Buddhist temple located in the capital city of Lhasa. Though the exact date of its construction is up for debate, AD 639 is as good an estimate as you’re going to find. According to Tibetan legend, their king at the time, a man named Songtsan Gampo, got married to two different women: Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of China.

His new brides brought with them a statue of the Buddha, and Gampo was delighted and sought to build a temple to house the Chinese statue. Stoked by jealousy, Princess Bhrikuti demanded one for her statue, and the Jokhang was constructed. Further legends about the temple say it was built on the bed of a dried-up lake, itself above a sleeping demoness whose heart was imprisoned by the construction of the Jokhang. Though it has undergone significant expansion and renovation since it was first built, most of the core parts of the temple date back to its original construction.

8Arch Of Titus
AD 82

Like many of the greatest feats of early architecture, the Arch of Titus was built to honor a man and, in this case, that man was the Roman Emperor Titus. Though his reign was brief, lasting only two years, Titus was considered a good ruler, as well as a renowned military commander; he was responsible for capturing Jerusalem and destroying the Second Temple. The Arch of Titus commemorates that feat, with the south panel depicting Titus and his men taking spoils from the Jewish people. The north panel illustrates Titus’s own triumph granted to him thanks to his victory.

Located on the Via Sacra (“Sacred Road”), it was constructed by Titus’s younger brother Domitian after he succeeded his brother in AD 81, and the Arch of Titus became a model for future arches, most notably the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. And, although it’s known as a triumphal arch, many similar constructions honor things besides military victories, including the building of city infrastructure.

7Seokguram
AD 774

Seokguram, or the Seokguram Grotto, is a hermitage built on the slopes of Mount Toham in Korea, containing within its walls a rather large statue of the Buddha. Designated a World Heritage Site, it was built in the eighth century by Prime Minister Kim Dae-seong, who wished to honor his parents, both of his current life and his previous life. (The nearby Bulguksa Temple was built for the same reason, filial duty being what it is.)

Unfortunately, Kim died before either one of his projects was completed, missing out on the innate beauty of their design, especially the sculpted devas, bodhisattvas, and disciples, which are widely regarded as some of the finest examples of East Asian Buddhist art. Unfortunately, thanks to the deleterious effects of weather, as well as the constant threat of clumsy tourists, the interior of the grotto has been sealed off with a glass wall.

6Dhamek Stupa
AD 500

For centuries, rulers in ancient India had been honored by having their remains encompassed by a large rounded structure known as a stupa. Once the Buddha came around, he decreed that enlightened ones should be honored in the same way. One of the oldest in the entire country is the Dhamek Stupa, located just outside of Sarnath, a city in the northeast of India. (The word stupa is Sanskrit for “heap.”)

The Dhamek Stupa was built under the guidance of one of India’s greatest kings, Ashoka, a man responsible for the propagation of Buddhism across the continent. It’s also one of a handful of monuments built to honor the Buddha, with the Dhamek Stupa marking the spot believed to be where the Buddha gave one of his earliest sermons.

5The Royal Mausoleum Of Mauretania
3 BC

Located near the famed city of Algiers in Algeria, the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania was built for two of the last rulers of the ancient kingdom of Mauretania, Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II. (Their son Ptolemy was the last ruler.) It is no coincidence the mausoleum bears a striking resemblance to one built by the Roman Emperor Augustus, for Juba II wished to create a sign of his allegiance to Rome.

Known by several different names, including “the tomb of the Christian woman” thanks to a cross-like shape on a false door, the mausoleum has suffered a great deal of misfortune throughout the centuries. Vandals and thieves destroyed or stole much of the ornate decorations once littering the grounds, and various rulers have tried to destroy it. It wasn’t until Emperor Napoleon III declared it a site to be protected in 1866 that the mausoleum was finally safe. However, since it was declared a World Heritage site in 1982, several factors, including poor maintenance and endless vandalism, have put this marvel of early architecture at risk of being destroyed.

4Ponte Sant’Angelo
AD 134

Constructed under the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, better known for the wall he had built to mark the northern limit of Britannia (as well as keeping out those darn Celts), the Ponte Sant’Angelo is a still-standing bridge located in Rome. Originally known as the Pons Aelius (“Bridge of Hadrian”), the name was changed sometime in the Middle Ages, after the Archangel Michael was said to have appeared to Pope Gregory the Great in AD 590.

One of the finest bridges still standing in all of Rome, the Ponte Sant’Angelo was built to connect the Campus Martius, a public square in ancient Rome, to Hadrian’s mausoleum, which is now known as Castel Sant’Angelo. In addition, the original Roman statues were replaced in the following centuries, with angelic statues designed and mounted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1688.

3Treasury Of Atreus
1250 BC

Sometimes called the Tomb of Agamemnon, the Treasury of Atreus is a tholos, a beehive tomb built in Mycenae, Greece. Perhaps the greatest feat of Mycenaean architecture still standing, the tomb’s builder is unknown, with the legendary Mycenaean king Atreus or his son Agamemnon commonly cited as ordering the construction.

The Treasury of Atreus, along with one other tomb at Orchomenus, is unique in that a side-chamber is connected to the main vaulted chamber. Though the true purpose may never be uncovered, a prevailing thought is that less illustrious family members had their bones collected there.

2Greensted Church
11th Century

Not only is the Greensted Church the oldest wooden church still standing, it might even be the oldest wooden structure in all of Europe. To be fair to buildings such as the House of Bethlehem in Switzerland, much of what is left of the Greensted Church is much newer than the original construction date. In fact, the only things that remain are the tree trunks which form the nave.

Its most prominent feature, the tower, was added sometime in the 1600s, with various construction and reconstruction happening in the centuries afterward. Though not particularly noteworthy when compared to other places of worship, the Greensted Church did host the body of Saint Edmund, England’s first patron saint, for a night.

1Brihadeeswarar Temple
AD 1010

One of the largest temples in India, Brihadeeswarar Temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is located in Thanjavur in the eastern part of the country. The oldest temple made completely of granite (nearly 130,000 tons), the temple is also known as Rajarajeswaram, named for the Chola king Rajaraja I who is believed to be behind its construction.

A World Heritage Site, along with two other Chola temples, Brihadeeswarar Temple is an incredible feat of engineering. In fact, the Shikharam (“crown”) at the top of the temple was carved from a single stone and weighs over 80 tons and sits atop a tower 30 meters (100 ft) high.

+Further Reading

The accomplishments of our ancestors are made even more striking by our own seeming inability to build anything of quality these days! Here are some more lists from the archives that show off the amazing talents of those who have gone before us:

10 Mysterious And Enthralling Buildings Older Than Stonehenge
10 Awe-Inspiring Buildings You Won’t Believe We Tore Down
10 Intriguing Structures And Their Bizarre History
10 Most Famous Unfinished Buildings
10 Fascinating Historic Architectural Features

The Ancient Greeks are credited with inventing sports stadiums for their Olympic and Panhellenic athletic contests. The word stadium itself is of Latin origin, however, and the most famous stadium in the world is, without doubt, the Coliseum in Rome. Intended for gladiatorial shows, the Flavian Amphitheatre (as the Romans called it) held over 50,000 spectators and remains a marvel of ancient architecture.

In the 21st century, football (soccer to those of you across the pond) has become the world’s most popular sport, and there are thousands of football stadiums all around the world. Not all of them can be said to match the Coliseum for its architectural grace and beauty, however. So here are ten bizarre and fascinating football stadiums which have taken the ancient concept of the sports arena in new and surprising directions.

10 Timsah Park, Turkey

Bursaspor is a Turkish football club that won its first-ever Süper Lig title in 2010. They were only the second non-Istanbul club to win the league in Turkey, so this represented a huge achievement. To celebrate this victory, the club commissioned a new stadium. Their former ground, the Bursa Atatürk, had a relatively small capacity of only 25,000 spectators, so it seemed appropriate for the newly crowned Turkish champions to upgrade.

Sports teams often look for ideas in their club identity, and since Bursaspor’s nickname is the Green Crocodiles, this was used as the very literal inspiration for a new stadium. Called the Timsah Arena (Timsah means crocodile in Turkish), Bursaspor’s home since 2016 is exactly what its name suggests—a crocodile. With an exterior built from green glass and overlapping membranes, this 45,000-seat stadium was met with both amazement and ridicule when it was finished. Complete with a gaping mouth, eyes, teeth, and scales, the Timsah Arena is certainly memorable. Unfortunately, Bursaspor hasn’t won a league title since that famous 2010 victory.^[1]

9 TJ Tatran Cierny Balog Stadium, Slovakia

Far from a masterpiece of modern architecture, the Cierny Balog appears at first glance to be an inconsequential little ground. Situated in the picturesque, pine-clad hills of the Slovakian countryside, it is home to a tiny club called TJ Tatran Cierny Balog. However, if you chose to attend a match, you would be in for a genuinely unique surprise.

That is because the Cierny Hron railway line runs directly between the pitch and the ground’s main stand. And it gets better: trains pass through the stadium even during matches! Fans are known to applaud the trains as they pass through, especially because most of them are actually steam trains from the early 20th century. This has become a regular distraction for the players, who cannot hear each other over the sound of the steam train’s noisy engine. Unsurprisingly, the TJ Tatran Cierny Balog Stadium is believed to be the only sports stadium in the world with an active train track running through it.^[2]

8 The Float, Singapore

Singapore is not known for its sporting prowess. Indeed, with a population of nearly six million and only 733 square kilometers (283 square miles) of land area, Singapore has the third-highest population density of any country in the world. That leaves little room for sporting venues, especially ones as large as football fields. Nonetheless, this obstacle hasn’t stopped the Singaporeans from trying.

In 2007, the “Float @ Marina Bay” was unveiled. As the name suggests, this stadium features a one-of-a-kind floating football pitch. Situated on the Marina Reservoir, thereby making clever use of Singapore’s harbor, the pitch has a 27,000-seat grandstand looking on from the mainland. Although it was originally intended as a temporary fixture, the Float became so popular that it has now been retained as a permanent stadium and will be updated in the near future. Designed by the Singaporean Defence Science and Technology Agency to hold the weight of up to 9,000 people, the Float @ Marina Bay is a testament to the power and potential of creative thinking in architecture.^[3]

7 Cacica Salt Mine, Romania

Although this one is not technically a stadium as it lacks proper seating for spectators, the sheer madness of this football field in Romania makes it worth mentioning. Not far from the Ukrainian border is a small town called Cacica, with an active salt mine that holds nearly 250 million tons of sodium chloride in reserve. It was first used over 5,000 years ago and has been home to monks and miners ever since.

The Cacica salt mine has several notable features, among them a ballroom, a museum, and two chapels for both Orthodox and Catholic workers. Its most unusual installation, however, is a football field nearly 54 meters (150 feet) below ground. Complete with goals, pitch markings, and standing room for spectators, this is probably the only football field in the world that would survive a nuclear blast. The high salinity content of the air apparently makes exercise difficult. But for anybody who wants to give it a try, the pitch costs a little over $20 an hour to rent (100 Romanian lei).^[4]

6 Ecoestádio Janguito Malucelli, Brazil

Our next stadium takes us from the salt mines of Romania to the rainforests of the Amazon. Located on the outskirts of Curitiba—a city in the south of Brazil—is a small football stadium years ahead of its time. Officially called the Estádio Janguito Malucelli but colloquially known as the Ecoestádio for its environmentally sustainable construction, this ground is home to the minor club J. Malucelli Futebol and holds only 6,000 spectators.

The Ecoestádio was built in 2007 without a single drop of concrete. Rather than constructing a large stand, the club chose to situate its field next to a gentle slope, providing a perfect natural stand for spectators. Almost every part of the stadium’s infrastructure is wooden, even down to its grass-covered seats. This wood was taken from reforested areas, and the iron used for metal fittings was recycled from old railway sleepers.) Unfortunately, the Ecoestádio has now fallen into a state of disrepair. This is a tragedy for the fans of J. Malucelli Futebol, who were once very proud of their groundbreaking home field.^[5]

5 National Stadium, Taiwan

The Taiwanese National Stadium in Kaohsiung takes sustainability down a wholly different path. Rather than being built from reforested wood and recycled iron, this colossal stadium is covered in solar panels, which provide sufficient power not only for the stadium’s needs but also for the local area. It was designed by the award-winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2009 for the World Games. Since then, it has been used by the Taiwanese National Football Team.

Ito’s design is intended to resemble a sleeping dragon, and the solar panels on the stadium’s roof are supposed to look like its shimmering scales. This was not purely aesthetic, however. With help from the Taiwanese Weather Bureau, the stadium was positioned with one end open to the prevailing summer wind, thus keeping fans cool without artificial air-conditioning. Furthermore, the roof was carefully designed to shelter spectators from the summer heat. The stadium also has facilities for reusing rainwater. The Kaohsiung National Stadium is a marvel of sustainable architecture and will hopefully serve as an example for future projects worldwide.^[6]

4 Batarija, Croatia

We now move from the high-tech to the Medieval. Trogir is a Croatian island city on the Adriatic Coast that was founded by the Greeks and conquered by the Romans. During the Middle Ages, the Venetians arrived and built countless churches, cathedrals, and castles. This Venetian “old town” became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

NK Trogir is a local football club founded in 1912, and they somehow ended up with a stadium right in the middle of the old town. Behind one goal stands the 15th-century St. Marko’s Tower and behind the other is the 14th-century Kamerlengo Fortress which was used as a shooting location for Game of Thrones.

Known as Batarija, this tiny football field has a capacity of only 160 spectators. However, those lucky few will find themselves sitting just a few feet away from the warm water of the Adriatic. The person who laid this pitch deserves huge credit for finding arguably the most beautiful—and historic—location of any football field in the world.^[7]

3 Rock Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

This stadium has not yet been constructed, and while there are plenty of mind-boggling concept stadiums (for example, Chelsea FC’s proposed power station stadium), this one is the best of the lot. Designed by MZ Architects and intended to be built in Abu Dhabi, the Rock Stadium would perhaps be the world’s most impressive football field—if it is ever completed.

Inspired by the ruins of Petra, ancient Greek auditoria, and monolithic Egyptian architecture, the Rock Stadium’s main stand will be literally carved into the face of a mountain. The pitch itself will be sunk below the desert floor to keep it cool, and the roofs of the three supplementary stands will be almost flush with the sand, therefore creating something which looks like a natural rock formation. This design, which has already won several awards, was made in cooperation with geologists, topographers, and cave experts. Football fans can only cross their fingers and wait, however, as there has not been a project update for several years.^[8]

2 Allianz Arena, Germany

Home to a member of European footballing royalty, the Munich Allianz Arena was opened in 2005 to replace the old Olympiastadion. Some have called it an eyesore, and others have acclaimed it as the first truly modern football stadium. Well, with an exterior clad entirely with inflated air-foil panels, this 75,000-seat stadium certainly looks like a UFO has landed in the green hills of Bavaria.

The most famous tenant of the Allianz Arena is Bayern Munich. However, until 2017, they shared the stadium with their city rivals, 1860 Munich. This is where the brilliance of the Allianz Arena shines—literally. Its facade of inflated panels can light up in a variety of colors. So when Bayern Munich is playing, the stadium lights up red, but when 1860 Munich is playing, it lights up blue. When the German National Team plays at the Allianz, the stadium lights up in the colors of the German flag. Allianz Arena, the inspiration for American football’s MetLife Stadium, is so bright that it can be seen from 80 kilometers (50 miles) away in the Austrian Alps.^[9]

1 Mmabatho Stadium, South Africa

It is hard to decide if South Africa’s Mmabatho Stadium is bizarre or brilliant. Though it is neither as quirky nor ingenious as some of the other stadiums on this list, the Mmabatho is quite unlike anything else. Built by an Israeli firm in Mafikeng in 1981 and allegedly designed by architects from the USSR, the Mmabatho holds 60,000 spectators. It is no longer used for professional football matches, however, both because of its dangerous state of decay and a host of complex South African political tensions.

As for the Mmabatho’s architecture, only pictures can fully convey just how strange it is. The oblique, clashing angles of the concrete stands defy belief. It is hard to figure out how fans get to their seats, never mind how the whole thing is even standing. Curiously, the Mmabatho is an almost identical knockoff of another South African sports field, the Odi Stadium, which is now closed and on the verge of collapse. These twin stadiums are regarded as white elephants, and they represent a particularly unusual part of South African history.^[10]