Timeline: Architecture

Timeline

c. 3000 BCE - c. 2800 BCE
The Neolithic chambered cairn known as Maeshowe constructed and in use.
c. 2560 BCE
The Great Pyramid of Giza is constructed by Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops).
c. 2500 BCE
The Great Sphinx of Giza is built.
c. 1500 BCE - c. 1400 BCE
First palace structure and Treasury of Atreus tomb built at Mycenae.
1400 BCE - 1300 BCE
Mycenaean palace architecture at Tiryns.
1400 BCE - 1300 BCE
Mycenaean fortifications, palaces and tombs constructed at Argos.
c. 1300 BCE - c. 1250 BCE
Cyclopean stone bridge built near Mycenae.
c. 580 BCE
Long-distance aqueducts were constructed at Samos and Athens.
c. 575 BCE
Nebuchadnezzar II builds the Ishtar Gate and great walls of Babylon.
c. 550 BCE - c. 430 BCE
Construction of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
c. 546 BCE
Cyrus the Great begins construction of Pasargadae.
510 BCE - 370 BCE
Greeks fighting Amazons becomes a popular subject of architectural sculpture across Greece.
c. 460 BCE - 457 BCE
Temple of Zeus is built at Olympia with a statue of Apollo dominating the west pediment and containing the cult statue of Zeus by Phidias.
421 BCE - 406 BCE
The Erechtheion of Athens acropolis is constructed with six Caryatids in the south porch.
380 BCE
Rebuilding of Rome. Strong walls around the seven hills.
312 BCE
Rome's first aqueduct constructed, the 16 km long Aqua Appia.
146 BCE
First Roman all-marble building is constructed, the temple of Jupiter Stater in Rome.
144 BCE - 140 BCE
Rome's 91 km long Aqua Marcia aqueduct constructed.
c. 110 BCE - c. 50 BCE
Tower of The Winds by Andronicus constructed in Athens.
55 BCE
Pompey the Great builds the first permanent stone theatre in Rome.
c. 20 BCE
Military engineer and architect Vitruvius publishes his "De Architectura".
19 BCE
Arch of Augustus built in Rome to commemorate victory over the Parthians.
14 BCE - 96 CE
Rome launches an extensive cultural patronage and construction programme in Iberia.
c. 13 BCE
Official inauguration of the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome.
2 BCE
Augusutus inaugurates the Temple of Mars Ultor in Rome to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE.
c. 1 CE - c. 100 CE
Construction of the temple of Jupiter Baal by the Romans at Baalbek.
c. 65 CE
The Circus Maximus in Rome is rebuilt and its capacity increased to 250,000.
c. 65 CE
The Baths of Nero are built in Rome.
72 CE
Vespasian begins construction of the Colosseum in Rome.
113 CE
Trajan's column is constructed in Rome which commemorates the emperor's campaigns in Dacia.
122 CE
Construction begins on Hadrian's Wall.
c. 125 CE
The Pantheon is completed in Rome.
216 CE
End of the architectural project of the Severan forum.
c. 235 CE
The Baths of Caracalla in Rome are completed.
c. 315 CE
Arch of Constantine I built in Rome to commemorate victory over Maxentius in 312 CE.
315 CE
The Baths of Constantine I in Rome are completed.
25 Jul 315 CE
The Arch of Constantine in Rome, a triumphal arch dedicated to Constantine the Great to commemorate his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, is officially opened.
410 CE - 413 CE
The Theodosian Walls are built to better protect Constantinople.
c. 450 CE
The adobe brick pyramids Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna are constructed at Moche, capital of the Moche civilization.
532 CE - 537 CE
Hagia Sophia is built anew in Constantinople.
608 CE
The Pantheon in Rome is converted into a Christian church.
9 May 1092 CE
The original Lincoln Cathedral, commissioned by William the Conqueror, is consecrated. Construction began in 1072, was completed in 1092, and the cathedral was seriously damaged in 1185 by an earthquake, resulting in the remodeling in the Gothic style seen today.
9 Jul 1357 CE
The foundation stone of the famous Charles Bridge in Prague, modern-day Czech Republic, is laid by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, spanning 1,693 feet (516 m) and originally known as "Stone Bridge" or "Prague Bridge.".
c. 1450 CE
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founds Machu Picchu in the High Andes.
18 Apr 1506 CE
The cornerstone of the present-day St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is laid by officiant Pope Julius II, initiating the construction of a new building to replace the old one that had become dilapidated.
19 Feb 1516 CE
The Lady Chapel is consecrated at Westminster Abbey, London, England, commissioned by King Henry VII as a mausoleum for himself and his wife, Elizabeth of York. The name of the chapel refers to "Our Lady", the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. It is considered one of the most impressive pieces of architecture in the world, noted for its vaulted ceiling.
29 Jul 1655 CE
The town hall of Amsterdam is officially opened, regarded as the largest building in the world at that time, designed by architect Jacob van Campen, with construction beginning in 1648. The building, after renovation in 1808, is now known as the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.
22 May 1762 CE
The Trevi Fountain in Rome is officially inaugurated by Pope Clement XIII. Designed by artist Nicola Salvi, work on the fountain began in 1732 and took 30 years to complete.
15 Jul 1823 CE
The original Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, said to be the burial place of St. Paul and first established by Roman emperor Constantine the Great, burns down in an accidental fire. Rebuilding began quickly and the present-day basilica dates from 1840.
29 Jul 1836 CE
The famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris is inaugurated, dedicated to the armies of the Revolution and Empire, completing a project commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806. The date of 28 July often cited is inaccurate.
12 Dec 1925 CE
The term "Motel" is coined by architect Arthur Heineman when he opens his Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. Heineman named his establishment the "Milestone Motor Hotel" but could not fit that on the sign, and so shorted the last two words to "Motel." The Milestone Motel is considered the first motel in the world and was in operation until 1991.