List of tallest structures built before the 20th century

Last updated

List of pre-twentieth century structures by height

NameMunicipality (current)Country (current)Height (feet)Height (metres)CompletedComments
Eiffel Tower Paris France 9863001889
New Brighton Tower New Brighton United Kingdom 5671731900Tower dismantled from 1919.
Washington Monument Washington, D.C. United States 5551691884
Mole Antonelliana Turin Italy 549.54167.51889
Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia United States 5481671894City Hall was the tallest habitable building in the world from 1894 to 1908.
Ulm Minster Ulm Germany 529.92161.531890
Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln United Kingdom 5251601311 Spire destroyed in 1548.
St. Olaf's Church Tallinn Estonia 5221591519Spire destroyed in 1625. Reconstructed with 139 meters.
Blackpool Tower Blackpool United Kingdom 5181581894
Cologne Cathedral Cologne Germany 5161571880
Yongning Pagoda (永宁宝塔) Luoyang China 448137~154.95516Burned to the ground in 534 after being struck by lightning.
Beauvais Cathedral Beauvais France 156 (choir) / 502 (tower)47.5 (choir) / 153 (tower)1272/1569From 1569 to 1573, the tower was the tallest structure on earth.
Rouen Cathedral Rouen France 4951511876
St. Mary's Church Stralsund Germany 4951511625Spire destroyed 1647. Reconstructed with about 104-meter.
Old St. Paul's Cathedral London United Kingdom 493150.21240Spire destroyed in 1561. Completely destroyed in 1666.
St. Nikolai Hamburg Germany 4821471874
Great Pyramid Giza Egypt 481146.6c.2570 BCOne of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Pyramid of Khafre Giza Egypt 475143c.2530 BC
Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg France 4721421439Highest building between 1647 and 1874, between the St. Mary's Church spire collapse and the construction of the Church of St. Nicholas.
Halsbrücker Esse Halsbrücke Germany 4591401889
St. Peter's Basilica Vatican City 4521381626
St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna Austria 448c. 136.741433
St. Lambert's Cathedral Liège Belgium 4431351391Dismantled from 1794.
St. Martin's Church Landshut Germany 428130.61500Tallest brickwork tower in the world.
Amiens Cathedral Amiens France 415126.61533
St. Mary's Lübeck Germany 4101251350Second tallest brickwork tower in the world.
Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp Belgium 4041231521
Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury United Kingdom 4041231320
Belltower of Peter and Paul Cathedral Saint Petersburg Russia 401122.51733
Jetavanaramaya Anuradhapura Sri Lanka 400122273301
Basilica of San Gaudenzio Novara Italy 3971211887
Phra Pathommachedi Nakhon Pathom Thailand 396120.451870
Kanishka stupa Peshawar Pakistan 400120200Destroyed by White Huns in 460 CE.
Pharos Lighthouse Alexandria Egypt 338~387103~118 [1] c.280 BCOne of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Destroyed by earthquakes in 1303 and 1323.
Sint-Walburgiskerk Zutphen Netherlands 38411716th centuryCurrent height: 76 m. Until 1600, the church was 117 m tall and the highest structure in the Netherlands before the 20th century.
Potala Palace Lhasa Tibet3841171694
Freiburg Minster Freiburg im Breisgau Germany 380.7116c.1330
Church of Our Lady Bruges Belgium 379.3115.6c.1465Third tallest brickwork tower in the world.
St. Andrew's Church Hildesheim Germany 376114.51883Tallest church tower in Lower Saxony.
Florence Cathedral Florence Italy 375114.51436
Torrazzo of Cremona Cremona Italy 369.75112.71309
Shwedagon Pagoda Yangon Myanmar 3671121775Successively rebuilt taller: 18m (1362); 40m (1462)
New St. Paul's Cathedral London United Kingdom 365111.21677Built after the destruction of Old St. Paul's.
Seven-Story Pagoda at Shōkoku-ji Kyoto Japan 358109.11399Destroyed by fire in 1403.
Dom Tower of Utrecht Utrecht Netherlands 3581091382Restored in 1912 to reach current height of 112 metres.
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft) Delft Netherlands 356.79108.751895
Milwaukee City Hall Milwaukee United States 3531081895
Chaturbhuj Temple Orchha India 344104.8c.1558Chaturbhuj Temple dedicated to Vishnu was the tallest structure in the Indian subcontinent from 1558 to 1970.
Red Pyramid Dahshur Egypt 345105c.2600 BC
St. Catherine's Church Hoogstraten Belgium 343.5104.71548
Palace of Justice Brussels Belgium 3411041883
Old City Hall (Toronto) Toronto Canada 340103.61899Largest civic building in North America prior to 20th century
Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Plzeň) Plzeň Czech Republic 335103c.1480Construction begun in 1342.
St Martin's Cathedral Ypres Belgium 3351021370
Giralda Seville Spain 330104.1156888 m when was constructed in 1171; built it higher in 1568
Shwesandaw Pagoda Bagan Myanmar 328+100+c.1057100 meters tall without counting its hti spire
St. Patrick's Cathedral (Midtown Manhattan) New York City United States 329.6100.51888
East Seven-Story Pagoda at Tōdai-ji Nara Japan 328100c.743Burned down by war in 1181
West Seven-Story Pagoda at Tōdai-jiNaraJapan328100c.743Burned down by lightning in 943
St Mark's Campanile Venice Italy 32398.61514
Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren Amersfoort Netherlands 322.698.331470
St Vitus Church Hilversum Netherlands 321.5981892
St. Rumbold's Cathedral Mechelen Belgium 31997.28c.1520
Torre Asinelli Bologna Italy 318.997.2before 1185
Grote Kerk (Breda) Breda Netherlands 318.24971547
Martinitoren Groningen Netherlands 318.2496.8c.1550
Great Lavra Bell Tower Kyiv Ukraine 31696.51745
Brussels Town Hall Brussels Belgium 315961454
Norwich Cathedral Norwich United Kingdom 315961480Building of current spire commenced
Latting Observatory New York City United States 315961853Shortened by 75 feet in 1855; destroyed by fire in 1856.
Martinikerk (Doesburg) Doesburg Netherlands 308.594c.1430
Church of St Walburge, Preston Preston United Kingdom 308.5941873
Sint-Jacobus de Meerderekerk (The Hague) The Hague Netherlands 308.5941878
St Eusebius' Church, Arnhem Arnhem Netherlands 305931550
Saint Vincent's Church Eeklo Belgium 305931883
Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto) Toronto Canada 30592.91874
Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk (The Hague) The Hague Netherlands 303.592.51424
Ruwanwelisaya Anuradhapura Sri Lanka 30192c.140 BC
Lakshmi Vilas PalaceVadodaraIndia30091.441890
Notre-Dame de Paris Paris France 30091.441345Spire destroyed on April 15, 2019 (Notre-Dame fire)
Etemenanki Babylon Iraq 298.5691c.601 BC Ziggurat dedicated to Marduk. Alleged to have originally been built, to an unknown height, between the 14th and 9th centuries BC, then destroyed in 689 BC by Sennacherib. Rebuilt c.600 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II. Finally demolished by Alexander the Great in 323 BC.
Belfry of Ghent Ghent Belgium 298.5911380
Abdijtoren Middelburg Netherlands 296.690.41350–1400
Shwemawdaw Pagoda Bago Myanmar 295+90+1796Was 90 meters tall without counting its hti spire; raised to 114 m (without counting the hti spire height) in 1954.
Coventry Cathedral Coventry United Kingdom 295901500
Dormition Cathedral Kharkiv Ukraine 29489.51841
St Bavo's Cathedral Ghent Belgium 292891569
Torre del Mangia Siena Italy 289881348
St Walburga Church Oudenaarde Belgium 289881627
United States Capitol Building Washington, D.C. United States 288871866
Westerkerk Amsterdam Netherlands 285871631
Belfry of Mons Mons Belgium 285871669
The Roman-Catholic Parish Church Spišská Nová Ves Slovakia 285871894
St Medardus Church Wervik Belgium 282861433
Grote of Sint-Clemenskerk Steenwijk Netherlands 2828615th century
Rajabai Clock TowerBombay

(Now Mumbai)

India28085.31878
Liaodi Pagoda Dingzhou China 276841055
Cathedral of Our Lady Aarschot Belgium 276841337
St Tillo Church Izegem Belgium 276841868
Brooklyn Bridge New York City United States 276841883
St Willibrordus Church, Berchem Antwerp Belgium 276841891
St Martin's Church Kortrijk Belgium 272831466
Belfry of Bruges Bruges Belgium 272831487
Sint-Petrus' Stoel van Antiochiëkerk Sittard Netherlands 27283c.1505
St Gummarus Church Lier Belgium 272831540
Minarets of Selimiye Mosque Edirne Turkey 272831574
Tournai Cathedral Tournai Belgium 272831700
St. Mary's Church Gdańsk Poland 269821502
Cunerakerk Rhenen Netherlands 268.481.81531
Hwangryongsa Gyeongju South Korea 26280660Built by the Silla kingdom following their defeat of Baekjae. Burned by the Mongols in 1238
St. Christopher's Cathedral, Roermond Roermond Netherlands 26179.71663
St Salvator's Cathedral Bruges Belgium 259791350, 1871
Sint-Janskerk Maastricht Netherlands 259791450–1500
Clifton Hill Shot Tower Melbourne Australia 256781882The Clifton Hill Shot Tower held the title of Australia's tallest structure from its construction until 1930. The landmark has been proclaimed as the world's tallest shot tower by Guinness World Records. [2]
Municipal Corporation BuildingBombay

(Now Mumbai)

India25577.71893
Kutubiyya Mosque Marrakesh Morocco 253771195
Parish Church Saints Nicholas and Stephen Eggenfelden Germany 253771519
Victoria Terminus

(Renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus)

Bombay

(Now Mumbai)

India25076.21888Data obtained from UNESCO document to ensure authenticity.
Beisi Pagoda Suzhou China 249761153
St Nicholas Church Ghent Belgium 249761300–1330Construction completed early in the 14th century, with further extensions during the following centuries to accommodate the growing population.
Clérigos Church Porto Portugal 24875.61750
Oude Kerk (Delft) Delft Netherlands 246751350
Abayagiriya Anuradhapura Sri Lanka 24574.6c.103 BC
Mahachaitya Amaravathi India 24273c.300 BC
Taj Mahal Agra, Uttar Pradesh India 240731653
Qutb Minar Delhi India 23872.5c.1200The tower is the tallest free-standing masonry structure in India, and was the tallest in the world until the completion of the Anaconda Smelter Stack in 1919.
La Danta Temple El Mirador Guatemala 23672300 BC
Minarets of Süleymaniye Mosque Istanbul Turkey 236721558
Gonbad-e Qabus Gonbad-e Qabus Iran 236721006
Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury United Kingdom 23571.61498
York Minster York United Kingdom 23571.61472
Pyramid of the Sun Teotihuacan Mexico 233.671.2100
The Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu Dur-Kurigalzu Iraq 23070c.1400 BC
Belfry of Tournai Tournai Belgium 230701294
Qianxun Pagoda Dali City China 22869.6823–840
Gloucester CathedralGloucesterUnited Kingdom225691089–1499
Bunker Hill Monument Boston United States 221671843
General Post OfficeCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India220+67+1868
Pagoda of Fogong Temple Ying County China 22067.31056
Galata Tower Istanbul Turkey 21966.91348
Husainabad Clock TowerLucknowIndia219671881
Great Pyramid of Cholula Cholula Mexico 21766200 BC
Arunachaleswara Temple(Also called Annamalaiyar Temple) Tiruvannamalai India 217669th century
Brihadiswara Temple Thanjavur India 217661010Tallest structure of India when built
Ely Cathedral Ely United Kingdom 217661375
Malbork Castle Malbork Poland 2176613th centuryCastle Belfry
Thatbyinnyu Temple Bagan Myanmar 217661150
Angkor Wat Angkor Cambodia 21365c.1150
Jagannath TemplePuriIndia213651161
Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent (Tikal Pyramid IV) Tikal Guatemala 21264.6c.741
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Xi'an China 21064704
Minarets of Sultan Ahmed Mosque Istanbul Turkey 210641616
Minaret of Jam Shahrak District Afghanistan 20362c.1190The minaret was built around 1190 entirely of baked bricks and is famous for its intricate brick, stucco and glazed tile decoration
Gol GumbazBijapur

(Now Vijayapura)

India20361.91656
Notre-Dame Basilica Montreal Canada 200601843
Liuhe Pagoda Hangzhou China 19659.891165
Srivilliputhur Andal temple Srivilliputhur India 1945914th–17th centuryPrecise date not available
Ulagalantha Perumal TempleTirukoyilur, Tamil NaduIndia1945915–17th century
Taroona Shot Tower Hobart Australia 192.658.71870The Taroona Shot Tower held the title of Australia's tallest building between 1870 and 1875. It is the tallest cylindrical sandstone tower in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mirisawetiya Vihara Anuradhapura Sri Lanka 19258.5c.161 BC
Ekambareswarar TempleKanchipuramIndia19258.51509–29
Leaning Tower of Pisa Pisa Italy 191.4758.361372
Leh PalaceLehIndia190.358c.1610
Pagoda of Tianning Temple Beijing China 18957.811001120
Tikal Pyramid V Tikal Guatemala 18757c.700
Hagia Sophia Cathedral Istanbul Turkey 18456.1537
CharminarHyderabadIndia184561591
Kwidzyn Castle Kwidzyn Poland 183561230Castle Belfry
El Tigre El Mirador Guatemala 18355.8100
Mahabodhi TempleBodh GayaIndia180.4+55+5th / 6th centuryTallest structure of India until 1010 CE
Main Pyramid of Calakmul Calakmul Mexico 180.455100
Temple of the Jaguar Priest (Tikal Pyramid III) Tikal Guatemala 180.455c.810
BrihadiswaraTempleGangaikonda CholapuramIndia180.4551035
Château de Coucy Picardy France 18055c.1220Height of Keep, destroyed in 1917.
Lingaraja TempleBhubaneshwarIndia18054.9c.1090
Varadaraja Perumal TempleKanchipuramIndia18054.913–16th century
Calcutta High CourtCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India18054.91872
Five-Story Pagoda of Tō-ji Kyoto Japan 18054.81643Tallest existing wooden tower in Japan.
Bombay High CourtBombay

(Now Mumbai)

India178.554.51862
Washington Monument Baltimore United States 17854.41829
Buland DarwazaFatehpur SikriIndia177541575
Basilica and Convent of St. Francis Salta Argentina 177541877
Saint Paul's CathedralCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India17553.31847Its original height was 61m; after damages caused by earthquake, its top was reconstructed to present height, including flagstaff
Madras High CourtMadras

(Now Chennai)

India17553.31892
Saint Andrew's ChurchCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India174+53+1818Height of this church was intended to be more than St John's Church Calcutta, which in turn was 174 ft
St John's ChurchCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India174531787
Sarangapani TempleKumbakonamIndia17352.713th–17th century
Akbar Tomb

(South Gateway)

AgraIndia17252.41613
Australian Building Melbourne Australia 170.6531890Demolished in 1980
Meenakshi Amman TempleMaduraiIndia170+52+16th century
Cathedral of Bogotá Bogotá Colombia 170521823
Dwarkadhish TempleDwarkaIndia17051.816th century
Ananda Temple Bagan Myanmar 167+51+110551 meters tall without counting its hti spire
Saint Andrew's ChurchMadras

(Now Chennai)

India166.650.81818
Huaca del Sol Trujillo Peru 16450450
Virupaksha TempleHampiIndia1645014th century
Htupayon Pagoda Sagaing Myanmar 161+49+1851/5249 meters tall without counting its hti spire; originally built in 1444–1454; now raised to 61.5 m (since 2016)
Kalyan Minaret Bukhara Uzbekistan 157+481127One of the few monuments that survived Mongol conquest of Central Asia
Colosseum Rome Italy 1574880
Ochterlony Monument

(Renamed to Shaheed Minar)

Calcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India157481828
San Thome BasilicaMadras

(Now Chennai)

India15547.21896
Temple of the Great Jaguar (Tikal Pyramid I) Tikal Guatemala 15447740750
Rajagopalaswamy TempleMannargudi, Tamil NaduIndia154471532–1575
Humayun TombDelhiIndia154471572
Asafi MasjidLucknowIndia15346.61784
Laksmi Narasimha TempleMangalagiri, Andhra PradeshIndia15346.61803
Church of Saint AugustineGoaIndia150.9461602Only side part of the tower is still standing, most part is in ruined state
Mahakaleshwar TempleUjjainIndia15045.7c.1740Height is approximate
Narmadeshwar Mahadeo Manduk TempleOel, Lakhimpur KheriIndia15045.71870
Templo Mayor Mexico City Mexico c. 150c. 451325Destroyed in 1521.
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus Bodrum Turkey 14845c.350 BCOne of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Cathedral of Córdoba Córdoba Argentina 148451787
Zvartnots Cathedral Zvartnots Armenia 14845652
Sundaravarada Perumal TempleUthiramerur, KanchipuramIndia14544.212–16th century
Hassan Tower Rabat Morocco 144441199
Ranganathaswamy Temple Vellai GopuramSrirangamIndia1444412–17th centuryTallest part of the temple is Rajagopuram (73m), that started to be built around 1500 and completed in 1987.
Thanumalayan Temple

Also called Sthanumalayan Temple)

Suchindram, KanyakumariIndia1444417th century
Pyramid of the Moon Teotihuacan Mexico 14143100
Nataraja Temple GopuramChidambaramIndia14042.716th century
Iswari Minar Swarga Sal

(Also called Isarlat Sargasuli)

JaipurIndia14042.71749
Dhamek StupaSarnathIndia139.842.65th / 6th century
Saint George's CathedralMadras

(Now Chennai)

India13942.41815
Temple of the Masks (Tikal Pyramid II) Tikal Guatemala 13842c.700
Bahu Begum ka MaqbaraOudh

(Now Ayodhya)

India137.8421816
Bibi ka MaqbaraAurangabad

(Now Sambhaji Nagar)

India13741.81668
Madras Central Railway Station

(Renamed as MGR Central Railway Station)

Madras

(Now Chennai)

India13641.41873
Sankara Narayanaswamy TempleSankarankovil, Tamil NaduIndia1354112th century
Jama MasjidDelhiIndia135411656
Prong's LighthouseBombay

(Now Mumbai)

India135411875
Mahmud Gawan MadrasaBidarIndia13139.91472
El Castillo Xunantunich Belize 13040600
St. Ignatius Church Buenos Aires Argentina 130401722
Christ ChurchKanpurIndia13039.61840
Sun TempleKonarkIndia128391250Its original height was 70m, got damaged. Present height is that of surviving structure.
Senate House, Madras UniversityMadras

(Now Chennai)

India128391879
Ramanathaswamy TempleRameshwaramIndia12638.417th centuryTemple itself is much older, its tallest part, East Gopuram in its present form is from 17th century
Old LighthouseMadras

(Now Chennai)

India12538.11843
Cooch Behar PalaceCooch BeharIndia12538.11887
Vijaya Stambha

(Victory Tower)

ChittorgarhIndia12237.21448
Sher Shah Suri TombSasaramIndia12237.21545
Dead Letter Office BuildingCalcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India12036.61876
Secunderabad Clock TowerSecunderabadIndia12036.61897
Qila Mubarak (Fort)BathindaIndia11836c.1200Fort existed in 100 AD, was probably upgraded in 12th century
Mehrangarh FortJodhpurIndia118361459
Kandariya Mahadeva TempleKhajurahoIndia11735.71030Includes height for jagati also
Se CathedralGoaIndia115351619
Bir Singh Deo PalaceDatiaIndia115351620
Sidi Bashir MosqueAhmedabadIndia111.5341452
Great Pyramid of La Venta La Venta Mexico 11034c.900 BC
Rochester Castle Rochester United Kingdom 113341127Height of Keep
Kilmacduagh monastery County Galway Ireland 1133410th centuryHeight of Round Tower, Tallest surviving Irish round tower
Victoria Public HallMadras

(Now Chennai)

India111.5341890
Colossus of Rhodes Rhodes Greece 11033.5c.280 BCOne of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It fell after standing for 56 years and then collapsed in an earthquake.
Church of St AnneGoaIndia11033.51695
High Temple Lamanai Belize 10833400–100 BC
Red FortDelhiIndia108331648
Kailash TempleElloraIndia10732.6756–773World's largest sculpted monolithic building
Five-Story Pagoda of Horyuji-Temple Ikaruga Japan 10732.55670–711Oldest wooden tower in the world.
Shuja-Ud-Daula Tomb, Gulab BariOudh

(Now Ayodhya)

India106.632.51753–1775
Kesariya StupaKesariyaIndia10432~8th / 9th century
Sivasagar Sivadol SivasagarIndia104321734
Ranakpur Jain Temple RanakpurIndia102311439
Dakshineswar Kali Temple Calcutta

(Now Kolkata)

India100+30+1855
Chand Baori

(Stepwell)

AbhaneriIndia10030900The figure is for depth below ground level. From bottom, total height shall include superstructure above ground also
Kakanmath Temple Sihoniya, MPIndia100301015–1035
City Palace UdaipurIndia1003016–17th century
Padmanabhaswamy Temple ThiruvananthapuramIndia100301729–1758

See also

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References

  1. McKenzie, Judith (2011). The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt: 300 BC – AD 700. Yale University Press. p. 42. ISBN   978-0300170948.
  2. "Tallest shot tower". Guinness World Records . Retrieved 2023-06-19.