Earth Architecture
Rammed earth architecture is said to have originated in ancient China around 2,000 years before Christ. Parts of the Great Wall of China were built using rammed earth. The oldest surviving specimens of earth architecture are found in the Middle East (ancient Mesopotamia). The Citadel of Bam in Iran, is a complete township made of mud that is at least 2000 years old. Much of it was destroyed in the earthquake of 2003, but the remnants testify to the consummate skill of the artisans who built it. Using little more than the earth beneath their feet, these hardy people created structures remarkable for their sturdiness, inventiveness, and beauty.
Twenty miles away from the Citadel of Bam is the Citadel of Rayen which was constructed between 224 - 652 AD. The Dijinguere Ber Mosque, in Timbuktu, Mali was built between the 1324 and 1327 and is still standing. The Dejenne Mosque in Mali is the world’s largest earthen building. Its prayer hall with ninety wooden pillars supporting its ceiling, can accommodate as many as 3000 people. It was built in just one year and is today a UNESCO World Heritage site. So too is the city of Shibam in Yemen, which is made up of towering skyscrapers made of earth, many of which have been around for more than 500 years.
Earth architecture is one of the most environmentally sound ways to build. It is a sustainable building technique that substantially reduces dependence on cement, the production of which accounts for five per cent of man’s CO2 output. Though mud is usually considered a primitive building material, it is estimated that half of the global population still lives and works in earthen buildings. Many assume that earth is a fragile material ill-suited for large structures, but the examples cited above provide ample proof of the durability of earth architecture.
Earth architecture makes a lot of sense, both environmentally and financially. Earth walls are usually thick, and provide effective thermal insulation, warding off the heat during the day and conserving the warmth during the nights. Earth buildings occupy a special place in humanity’s cultural consciousness and encourage a more intimate relationship between a community and the Earth. The main building of Banasura Hill Resort is a typical example of the possibilities of earthen architecture.
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Highlights
- Asia's largest 'Earth' Resort
- Nestled on a 35 acre eco-friendly farm
- Set at 3500 feet amidst gushing waterfalls
- Adjacent to forests with exotic flora and fauna
- Neighboring an ethnic tribal hamlet
- The 'Greenest' destination in the Nilgiris Biosphere
Stunning Earth Structures of the World
The Djenne Mosque in Mali is the world’s largest mud structure. It was built in 1907, and is today a proud UNESCO World Heritage site. The prayer hall of the mosque measures 26 by 50 meters (85 ft x 165 ft), and is large enough to accommodate 3000 people. The mud covered wooden roof is supported by ninety massive rectangular pillars. The walls vary in thickness between sixteen and twenty-four inches.
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Saint Francis of Assisi Church is a small mission in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Work on the church was started in 1772 by Spanish priests of the Franciscan Order and completed in 1815. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful edifice in the State of New Mexico, and is an outstanding example of adobe architecture.
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Marrakesh is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat, and lies near the foothills of the snow capped Atlas Mountains. Like many North African cities, Marrakesh is divided into two distinct parts: the Medina, comprising the historical walled city, and the modern district called Gueliz.
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The ancient Citadel of Bam located in the Kerman Province of Iran, dates back to the Parthian Empire (248 BC–224 AD). With an area of 180,000 square meters, the Citadel of Bam was the largest earth structure in the world.
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Ur was a city in ancient Sumer (now Iraq). Ziggurats are massive pyramid-like structures that have stepped levels leading to a temple at the top. They were built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and the western Iranian plateau. The Great Ziggurat of Ur was built in 2100 BCE during the reign of Ur-Nammu, and is dedicated to Nanna, the moon god in Sumerian mythology. Constructed entirely using mud bricks, the Great Ziggurat of Ur has two stages: in the lower stage the bricks are joined together with bitumen ...
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Chan Chan (pronounced 'jang jang'), is located close to the Pacific coast about 5km east Trujillo in Peru. Chan Chan was a 6sqkm earthen city built in 850 AD by the Chimor, a late intermediate period civilization which grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilization.
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The Citadel of Rayen is a historical site situated on the foothills of the Hezar Mountains to the south-west of the city of Rayen. It is considered to be the biggest earthen structure of the Kerman province of Iran, and dates back to the pre-Islamic Sassanid era (224 AD-651 AD).
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Chogha Zanbil was a palace and temple complex of the ancient Elamite city of Dur Untashi in Khuzestan province of Iran. Its construction was started by king Untash-Napirisha in 1250 BC. At the center of the complex is a great ziggurat dedicated to the bull-god Insusinak. It is the best preserved example of such structures in the world today. In 1979 Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Ait Benhaddou is a 'fortified city', built on the banks of the Ouarzazate River along the former caravan route between the Sahara and the city of Marrakesh in present-day Morocco. Ait Benhaddou has some beautiful examples of Kasbah architecture.
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Shibam is an ancient town in Yemen that was built in the 2nd century AD. What is distinctive about Shibam is the fact that its houses are all made out of mud bricks, and about 500 of them are tower houses that rise 5 to 16 stories high, with each floor having one or two apartments.
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