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The oldest residential buildings still inhabited: Where are these buildings and what they look like?
The oldest residential buildings still inhabited: Where are these buildings and what they look like?

Video: The oldest residential buildings still inhabited: Where are these buildings and what they look like?

Video: The oldest residential buildings still inhabited: Where are these buildings and what they look like?
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Many ancient cities and houses are known in the world, but the overwhelming majority of them have survived to this day either in the form of ruins or in a greatly altered form. And very few of these buildings and settlements were able to retain their original appearance and remain inhabited. It is very difficult to identify the most ancient of them, but nevertheless such attempts are constantly being made. The oldest residential buildings in the world are very attractive, because they are silent witnesses of a century or even a thousand years of history.

The oldest wooden house

In a village on the island of Streimoy, which is part of the Faroe Islands (Denmark), a building called the "Royal Farm" has survived. It is considered the oldest wooden house on the planet, where people still live.

This building is considered the oldest residential wooden house
This building is considered the oldest residential wooden house
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The village house was built in the 11th century. For the first few centuries it belonged to the Church, but then it came under the jurisdiction of the Danish kingdom. Its current inhabitants, the Patturson family, are members of an ancient family that has owned the building since the 16th century. This is the 17th generation of tenants in the old house, which still officially belongs to the King of Denmark.

Almost two dozen generations of tenants have changed in the house
Almost two dozen generations of tenants have changed in the house

The oldest stone house

The oldest still inhabited stone house (at least in Europe) is considered to be a mini-castle located in Aveyron (France). Mention of this building dates back to the XIII century. The stone masonry has collapsed here and there, however, the house looks very picturesque.

The oldest residential stone house in Europe, presumably located in France
The oldest residential stone house in Europe, presumably located in France

The building has an unusual shape - it is wider at the top than at the bottom. Historians believe that in this way the first owner of the house managed to circumvent the law of that time. In medieval France, the authorities taxed residential buildings according to their area, and since it was measured in the area of the base of the building, it was possible to cheat and make the second and subsequent floors more spacious without overpaying for extra footage.

The unusual shape of the building is associated not only with the features of the local relief
The unusual shape of the building is associated not only with the features of the local relief

The oldest cave villages

The oldest and largest inhabited cave settlement in terms of area is considered to be Kandovan (Iran). The village is more than 800 years old and in its picturesque and even fantasy grottoes of volcanic origin, adapted for apartments, more than one and a half hundred families live.

Kandovan
Kandovan

Some of the inhabitants of the village, as in ancient times, are engaged in agriculture. And in the winter, many inhabitants of cave apartments leave to live in the city. In recent years, this place has become so popular with tourists that restaurants and a hotel have even appeared in Kandovan.

Apartment caves
Apartment caves

Another ancient inhabited settlement located in Iran is Meymand. Some historians believe that the inhabitants inhabited this village 12 thousand years ago, so it claims to be the first and can press Kandovan. There are now 350 residential buildings built in the rocks in Meymand.

Meimand
Meimand

The oldest city

Speaking about the most ancient inhabited cities, it is possible to be mistaken, because historical and archaeological data are constantly updated. Today, one of the contenders for the role of the oldest city in Europe, which is still inhabited by people, is considered Matera (Italy)..

Matera is recognized as the oldest settlement in Italy and perhaps even the oldest inhabited city in all of Europe
Matera is recognized as the oldest settlement in Italy and perhaps even the oldest inhabited city in all of Europe

People lived here 9 thousand years ago, and in our time thousands of townspeople continue to live here. Matera is sometimes called the second Bethlehem. It is no coincidence that directors like to use the landscapes of this city when shooting films based on biblical plots.

Picturesque view of the ancient city
Picturesque view of the ancient city

The oldest house in Russia

In our country, the oldest residential building is considered to be a small building located in the center of Vyborg. It stands on a rock, so all its sides have different heights.

This house in Vyborg claims to be the oldest residential building in our country
This house in Vyborg claims to be the oldest residential building in our country
The oldest house in Russia
The oldest house in Russia

It is assumed that the house was built in the 16th century as a private fortress. The repeated reconstruction that this building has undergone over the centuries of its existence was insignificant, so that to this day the house has been preserved almost unchanged.

The house has tenants
The house has tenants

People still live in the oldest stone house in Russia - it houses two residential apartments. Tourists often come to take a look at this unique building.

Read also: What is the secret of the oldest hotel in the world, which has been operating for over 1300 years.

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