The 10 oldest churches in the world

The church was originally the concept of assembly. In ancient Athens was the Church of the municipality, similar to the Spartan Apella, where citizens, residents of the city that had no political rights, and had gathered assembly to make decisions for the city. Also, in ancient times the word church, described the gathering of the whole army to make an announcement or meeting. Then the term describing the church all Christians.

In recent years, the term also describes the church autocephalous ecclesiastical power that can exist in one country, see for example Church of Greece, and the Christian church. Moreover, the term describes the church ecclesiastical sequence that occurs in a church.The word Church has continuous use in Greek since antiquity. Derives from the verb on-call, using the theme from the adjective ekklit-st.Appellant meant to invite people out (of) the body to form a group. The result of this ex-call, the formation of the congregation, assembly. The word Church is described as the process of assembly, and the outcome. The following list includes the 10 oldest churches in the world

01 - Dura-Europos 

The church Europos Dura is the first Christian church, located in Syria, dating from 235 AD 


02 - Megiddo

The church in Megiddo Tel Megiddo, Israel is one of the oldest church buildings ever discovered by archaeologists dating from the third century AD 




03 - Monastery of Saint Anthony

The Monastery of St. Anthony is an Orthodox monastery in an oasis in the eastern desert of Egypt. Hidden deep in the mountains of the Red Sea, located 334 kilometers (207 miles) southeast of Cairo. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the world and was founded by the followers of St. Anthony, who is considered the first hermit monk. The Monastery of St. Anthony is one of the most famous monasteries in Egypt and has strongly influenced the formation of several other monasteries. 




04 - Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains Basilica

The Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica is a historic church building in Metz, France, built in 380 AD and is one of the oldest churches in Europe. 

The building was originally built to be part of a Roman bath complex, but converted to use as a church in the 7th century to become the church of the Benedictine. A new nave was built in mid 1000 with additional internal renovations. In the 16th century the building became a warehouse and remained so until 1970, a date which was restored and opened for concerts and exhibitions. 




05 - Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

The Church of Our Lady of Sion of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the most important church in Ethiopia. The original church is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Ezana, who was the first Christian emperor of Ethiopia, during the fourth century AD, and has been rebuilt several times since then. The church is located in the city of Axum in Tigray. 

destroyed for the first time during the reign of Gudit during the 10th century. The second catastrophe, which was confirmed, appeared in the 16th century during the reign of Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi. Rebuilt by Emperor Gelawdewos and extended by Fasilides during the 17th century. 




06 - Cathedral of Trier

The Cathedral of Trier is a church in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the oldest cathedral in the country. 

 Since 1986 is the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. 




07 - Church of Saint Simeon Stylites

The church of St. Simeon Stylites's is a well-preserved temple dating from the 5th century and is located about 30 km northwest of Aleppo in Syria. It is built on the site that sat St. Simeon Stylites, a famous hermit monk. It is widely known as Qalat Seman the "fortress of Simeon". 




08 - Hagia Sophia

The Byzantine Church of High Wisdom of the incarnate Word of God, better known as Hagia Sophia or Hagia Sophia (Turkish Ayasofya, Latin Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia), also known as Church of Holy Wisdom of God or simply The Great Church, was from 360 to 1453 Orthodox cathedral of Constantinople, with the exception of the period from 1204 to 1261 when it was a Roman Catholic church, and after the conquest of Constantinople became a mosque until 1934 and is now a museum (Turkish Ayasofya Müzesi). It belongs to the best achievements of Byzantine church architecture, innovative design, and was a symbol of the city during both the Byzantine and during the Ottoman period. This building was constructed in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian I, by engineers Anthemius Tralles (note Aydin) and Isidore of Miletus. At the same point, on the first hill of Istanbul and within walking distance of the Grand Palace and the Hippodrome, the city had previously built two more churches were destroyed by fire. The building follows the architectural style of domed basilica and combines elements of early Byzantine temples, a very large scale. Architectural influences of the Holy Wisdom found in several subsequent orthodox churches and Ottoman mosques to as the Mosque of Suleiman and the Sultanahmet Mosque. Apart from the architectural design of the Hagia Sophia also boasts a rich interior decoration, which largely destroyed over time. 




09 - St. Catherine Monastery, Mount Sinai

The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai (St. Catherine, Monastery of God-trodden Mount Sinai, as it's called officially), is built at the foot of Mount Sinai, on the peninsula. The monastery is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. According to witnesses, considered the oldest Christian monastery in the world, though the monastery of Agios Antonios near Cairo, is considered to have a similar distinction. 

Historically, the earliest evidence for the existence of monastic life in the area is 381-384 AD . The Byzantine Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565, built the monastery, where you were the "burning bush" of Moses. The place is sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews. In response to a request by the monks of the monastery for protection, the monastery received by Muhammad 'holographic obligation "or Testament (Achtname), validated with the same footprint of the palm, which describes the rights of Christians living with Muslims. The library maintains the second largest collection of manuscripts and books of the early Christian period, after that of the Vatican. The "Sinaitikos Code", which were originally the monastery until the 19th century, is now in the British Museum in London. In the monastery are also images, the oldest of which is the 5th and 6th century. During this period he was Abbot of the Monastery of the Saint John of Sinai, known as "the Ladder". 






10 - Church of the Nativity

One hundred and thirty years after the birth of Christ, the Holy Cave a place of pilgrimage for Christians. The pagan emperor Hadrian, wanting to surrender to oblivion the place, built a temple dedicated to Adonis, as he had done on Calvary, by constructing a temple dedicated to Venus.His attempt was not successful. The testimony of Origen, who visited Palestine in 213 AD indicates that the place was glorious and famous Christian pilgrimage, even among Gentiles. In the early fourth century.St. Helen built a Christian church and spent precious relics. The building was completed by Constantine the Great and adorned with gold, silver and precious stones, the offerings during the testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea. The evidence confirms the author's travelogue Vourdigalis, writing for the church of Bethlehem, "two miles beyond the tomb of Rachel is Bethlehem, birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ ˙ church built there by order of Constantine.