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Even when we live in a state of constant change, some things continue to have a firm foundation. We’re talking about interesting and stunning castles, monasteries, abandoned houses, and many more buildings that withstood the test of time and are in view to anyone who’s only willing to look.

You see, you don’t have to be Indiana Jones to track down these wonderful pieces of history. Before you even begin to study the dusty maps and pack your adventurer’s backpack, you can look at the most amazing architectural monuments from the comfort of your own home. So let us present to you the Interesting Old Places Twitter account. This page is the perfect place to show some love to the hundreds of centuries of human history that have produced some rather breathtaking treasures that continue to fascinate travelers to this day.

Get ready to take a deep dive into the past because Bored Panda has handpicked some of the most incredible pictures of old places this account had to offer. Upvote your favorite ones, let us know what you think, and be sure to share the architecture gems you know of right below in the comments!

Ever since Interesting Old Places joined the Twittersphere in October 2021, the project has amassed quite the follower count. More than ​​71K devoted fans observe the page and get invited to “​​enjoy the account and pictures of some amazing old places.” Once you look at these stunning photos, it’s no wonder why the account keeps on growing.

The creator shares captivating images that call forth a feeling of adventure, discovery of lost treasures and mysteries hiding behind the centuries-old walls. The founder also states they do not own any content posted on the account, and they welcome anyone who wants to share information about the photographers and give credit where credit is due. Plus, if you have any questions about the history of the building featured on the page, they leave all the necessary information in the captions, so it’s easy to look it up.

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MarmotArchivist
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Despite beeing a overcrowded tourist trap nowadays, it's an awesome place, from the stunning architecture to the marvelous landscape. So I would absolutely recommend it as a travel destination.

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Helen Witten
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To me it's astounding how a structure like that could even be built on a site like that.

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Standing in front of historic buildings can provide you with a tangible link with the past. As you’re scrolling down and turning back the pages of time, you’ll notice just how mesmerizing these historical architecture gems are. You’ll probably also realize how important it is to protect them so that future generations could show the same amount of appreciation as you do right now.

Think about any ancient structure you ever had the pleasure to visit — there are likely very few surviving examples of its kind. And while they can make anyone awe-struck by having centuries of history reflected on their facades, they may begin to look very unappealing over time. That’s why preserving historic buildings is a key part of keeping communities connected with their past. Heritage planning and policy advisor Marvin Thomas explained to Toronto Star that the best method to ensure the longevity of a historic structure would be to utilize it by finding a purpose for it.

“The best way to preserve a historic building is to ensure it can continue to be used in some fashion. There are some very good museums and interpretive centers that historic buildings are being used for, but not every historic building can be a museum. It’s important to find other kinds of uses for them,” he explained.

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While sometimes it might be used for the intent for which it was originally built, that is rarely the case. “There are lots of examples of historic buildings being used for new things, like condos for example, or perhaps other types of housing. The architectural character of these buildings often makes them popular for things like restaurants or retail shops or professional services,” he said and added that the process of making a building functional for contemporary use and preserving its heritage features at the same time is called adaptive reuse.

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A bastion fort or trace italienne (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning Italian outline) is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to dominate the battlefield. It was first seen in the mid-fifteenth century in Italy. Some types, especially when combined with ravelins and other outworks, resembled the related star fort of the same era. The design of the fort is normally a polygon with bastions at the corners of the walls. These outcroppings eliminated protected blind spots, called "dead zones", and allowed fire along the curtain from positions protected from direct fire. Many bastion forts also feature cavaliers, which are raised secondary structures based entirely inside the primary structure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion_fort#:~:text=Yedikule%2C%20which%20was%20built%20in,oldest%20known%20star%2Dshaped%20fortification.

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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I miss my country terribly! I highly recommend a visit to Scotland especially if you love history, architecture, the great outdoors, and sightseeing. Edinburgh castle is a wonderful place to visit— it may not be cheap, but I still be it’s highly worth it for all the history. Be sure to see the one o’clock gun get fired off as well.

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Benita Valdez
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow. Thank you for posting. I had actually visited there several years ago; pretty awesome to see the aerial view

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Kracken
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is a stunning building, this photo is good but doesn't do the building justice, the light that streams through the huge stained glass windows is breathtaking

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One of the main motivations behind finding a use for a historic building is to generate income for it. “Without generating any type of revenue or income, it can be very expensive just to freeze a building in time and keep it as a museum piece as opposed to keeping it as a functioning viable building in a community.”

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He continued: “It’s not like building a new building [or] doing a straight-on renovation of a non-historic building. The biggest thing is that certain architectural pieces of the building really express and embody and create the character of that building. So when you’re doing that renovation, you’ll have to take care to preserve those. So balancing the functional needs of a contemporary building with the building’s heritage and character is the biggest challenge. That and building code requirements.”

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Axlemunshine 001
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Situated in the province of Segovia, built in the 15th century by the Alonso De Fonseca y Avellaneda, but using a Moorish architect. Constructed with special hardened bricks, capable of withstanding siege damage.

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

France has many beautiful old buildings that are abandoned. It's a shame but too expensive for many families to live there. Imagine the cost of maintaining that building, heating, you name it. And dusting and vacuuming ;)

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Moreover, there are plenty of benefits for the communities as well. Thomas explained that besides the obvious economic advantages, “they also have strong cultural and social values, they help connect us to the past and help tell a story of how our communities change and developed over the years.”

“We also shouldn’t forget the environmental benefits of repurposing buildings. A lot of energy and materials went into their construction, so as long as they can be used it’s better than sending them to the landfill,” he added.

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molshree ambastha
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are more Indian temples with marvelous architecture and older than most of the architecture mentioned here in the post

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The Scout
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"A bit of sandblasting" probably would have the building crumbled to the ground. Maintaining a building of this age and magnitude is a very complex task. There is a kind of chief custodian with the title of "Dombaumeister" ("Master of Cathedral Building"), who, together with a team of staticians, archaeologists, architects, stone masons and conservation specialists, manages this kind of things. As this has been a work in progress since the 13th century, it is up to debate if the cathedral really was ready in 1880, or if it is still being built.

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After all, it’s important to preserve and save these old places full of culture and heritage, and carry them with us into the future. As Swiss architect Mario Botta once said, “Memory and history should be the absolute priorities for architects as the source of inspiration for new architecture. But today, so many people forget the past. It is unfortunate.”

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Vicky Zar
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always loves the open middle parts. Way to ensure every room gets enough sunlight.

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Robert T
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do I have a sudden overwhelming urge to don a pair of skis and be like the robot in Wallace and Grommit's A Grand Day Out!

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Memaw Mitch
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always wonder why these houses are abandoned. If I came across something like this and had the money to renovate...

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Axlemunshine 001
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Welcome to Little Arkham, your favourite bijoux asylum, that caters for all your needs.

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Robert T
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Varosha is the southern quarter of the Famagusta. I've actually seen it from a boat before the border re-opened to allow tourists into Northern Cyprus. Before that the only way in was from Turkey. Whole families were split up as a result of the invasion, and have only just been able to see one another in the last few years.

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Note: this post originally had 33 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.