Top 5 Oldest Wooden Building In The World

Wood used to be one of the most crucial natural resources to be used in ancient times for buildings. It was the most readily available resource on top of being very compact making it suitable to construct the desired buildings.

Wooden structures can usually sustain for centuries long but one must bear in mind that wood itself is a non-renewable resource that will soon deplete if the ecosystem is not well managed.

Due to that, building something out of wood will eat up huge amounts of costs since the resource is very scarce nowadays. Here we would like to share with you the oldest wooden building that still stands to this day.

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5. Stålekleivloftet

One of the oldest wooden structures in the world will be Stålekleivloftet situated in Norway. There was a story about this structure being the first warehouse ever to be built in Eidsborg and it was not built for a specific anyone.

However, a rich woman named Madame Staleleiv owned a big portion of the neighborhood in 1200 and she might have been the owner who built it.

The land surrounding the warehouse was later developed to become a separate farm and was called Lofthus. It was later in 1840 that this warehouse was transferred to the Vindlaus farm and is now a part of the Vest-Telemark Museum Eidsborg.

4. Roykstovan, Kirkjubøur

This will be one of the oldest wooden buildings that are still inhabited to this day and it is known as Roykstovan, located in Kirkjubøur. Before this, the building used to be a monastery and later became a farmhouse starting in 1557.

The building was believed to be more than 900 years old. On Faroe Island, the farm was considered the biggest plot of land. It was constructed in the 11th century and in the year 1100, it act as a palace and monastery of Faroe Island.

According to the tales of the locals, the wood of this structure was wrapped and numbered with precision before being assembled. The wood was taken from Norway as driftwood.

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3. Greensted Church

The oldest wooden church in the world, Greensted Church is a historical site that is located far in the countryside of Essex city. Not just that but the church is also the oldest wooden structure in Europe.

Unfortunately, one of the only parts of the original building that still exists will be the huge wooden oak that was split forming the middle part of the structure. However, the church is still being utilized even after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The earliest cemetery situated close to the doors of the church is owned by the crusaders in the 12th century that might possibly be an archer.

2. Nanchan Temple

The Buddhist temple of Nanchan in the Tang Dynasty was first constructed in 782 CE based on the inscription found on its pillars. Perhaps its position that is isolated on high grounds prevented its destruction during the Buddha cleansing in 845.

According to another inscription on its pillars, the temple undergo some renovation in 1086 during the Song Dynasty with all except the four original pillars being changed to a round one.

Architectural historians found this building in the 1950s and in 1961, China officially recognized it as the oldest wooden structure in the country. Since the building is the oldest standing wooden structure in China, it holds a huge historical site of Chinese architecture.

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1. Horyuji Temple

The oldest wooden building in the world will be Horyuji Temple which is situated in Japan. Prince Shtoku originally commanded to build the temple which was later known as Wakakusadera and is sometimes used today.

It was believed that the first temple was completed in 607. Based on Nihon Shoki(a very popular Japanese history book), in 670 all the buildings were burnt to ashes due to the lighting storm.

However, Kondo (the main hall that was rebuilt at least 1,300 years ago) was widely recognized as the oldest wooden building in the world. In 1993, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Horyuji Temple can be split into two parts mainly Saiin Garan(West Precinct) and Toin Garan(East Precinct).

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