For thousands of years, humankind has been competing to build higher than high. There are many iconic structures that have been built that you have heard of, but there are also many structures that you may have never heard of. Today, I will be introducing structures that you may or may not have heard of that at one time, competed to be the tallest in the world. There are 25 buildings that will be covered today.

Starting out very small in modern day Palestine, back in the good old 9000 BCEs we have the Tower of Jericho, standing at just 28 feet or 8.5 meters. Our first recorded tallest structure in the world. A pattern you may start seeing is lots of the first tall buildings, in fact until the 12th century, were located in the middle east.

At the 23rd spot there is the Anu Ziggurat, a temple built around 4000 BCE. It is in what used to be Uruk, Mesopotamia, and it is currently still there in Al-Warka, Iraq. This temple stood at about 40 feet or 13 meters.

At the 22nd spot stands the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which is in modern day Saqqara, Egypt. It was built in 2648 BCE and rose 62.5 meters into the sky, which is equivalent to 205 feet.

At the 21st spot, there is the Medium Pyramid, in modern-day Medium, Egypt. It was built 94 meters into the sky, which is equal to 307 feet. It was the tallest for only 5 years.

At Number 20, there is the Bent Pyramid in modern-day Dahshur, Egypt, in 2605 BCE. It is 104 meters tall, which is equal to 344 feet, and was once the tallest in the world.

At Number 19 there is the Red Pyramid, which like the Bent Pyramid was built in the modern-day Dahshur, in 2600 BCE. It rises 105 meters into the sky, and 344 feet into the sky.

At Number 18 there is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Which was built in Giza in 2570 BCE. It is 146.6 meters tall, 481 feet, a milestone in the history of structures. It is also the tallest pyramid in the world to this day.

All of the structures so far have been in the Middle East, and most of them Pyramids. The reason for this is that this area had the most money, as in gold. The pyramids are because the pharaohs wanted an impressive grave. 

At Number 17 is Old St. Paul’s Cathedral. Old St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in London, in 1221 CE, it burnt down in 1666, during the great Fire of London. It was 149 meters tall, 489 feet and was the first for four thousand years to be the tallest building in the world.

At Number 16 is the Lincoln´s Cathedral. Lincoln´s Cathedral was completed in the year 1311. The Lincoln´s Cathedral stood 158 meters, or 527 feet into the sky, in Lincoln in the UK. The building was damaged in a fire but still stands tall today.

At Number 15, we’ve got Mary’s Church, in Stralsund, Germany. This church’s construction was completed in 1549. This church rose 151 meters tall, or 495 feet. 

At Number 14, there is the Strasbourg Cathedral. This Cathedral was built in Strasbourg, France, in the year 1647. Its height is about 152 meters, 469 feet.

At Number 13, there is the Cologne Cathedral, in Cologne, Germany. It is 157.4 meters tall, which is equal to 516 feet, it was the tallest building for just four years.

Many of the previous towers have been Cathedrals. The reason for this is because the church held the power in most of the European nations back then. 

At Number 12, there is the Washington Monument, in Washington D.C., United States. The Washington Monument was built as a Monument for the first president of the United States, George Washington. It stands 169 meters tall, 555 feet. 

At Number 11, there is the Singer Building, which was built in New York, New York, United States in 1908, at 187 meters tall, 612 feet.

At Number 10, we have the Metlife Tower in New York City. This tower was built 213 meters, 700 feet into the sky in 1909.

At Number 9, there is the Woolworth Building. The Woolworth building was built in 1913, in New York City. It rises 729 feet, 241 meters into the sky, which is 28 meters taller than the last building.

At Number 8, we have the Bank of Manhattan Trust in New York City. It was built in 1930, and rises 283 meters, 927 feet into the sky, this building is also known as 40 Wall Street.

At Number 7, we have the Chrysler Building, which is dubbed a historical landmark. Again, this one is in New York City, but this time it’s taller, at 319 meters, 1046 feet, and it was also completed in 1930.

At Number 6, we have the Empire State Building. At it’s time it was a big leap from the previous tallest building. It stands at 381 meters tall, in New York City. If you count the spire at the top of the building it is 443 meters, 1454 feet tall. It was completed in 1931.

At Number 5, we have the 2 World Trade Center in New York City. This is the last building that was the tallest in the world that was in New York City. The twin towers rise 417 meters into the air, and if you count the spire they were 527 meters, 1729 feet tall. These twin towers were completed in 1971. In an attack in 2001, these towers were destroyed by planes, and they are no longer with us today

At Number 4, we have the Willis Tower, completed in 1973 in Chicago in the US. It is 442 meters tall but if you count the spires it is 527 meters, 1730 feet tall.

At Number 3, we have the Petronas Towers, which were completed in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The twin towers stand at 452 meters, 1432 feet tall. To this day the Petronas Towers are the tallest Twin Towers in the world.

At Number 2, we have the Taipei 101, in Taipei. It rises way above the rest of the city at 508 meters, 1667 feet. Completed in 2004, this tower is named after its city, and then the number of floors that are in the building: 101.

At Number 1, the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building by far, at 828 meters, 2717 feet. The Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building for 17 years. The Burj Khalifa is in Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and is still the tallest building by 150 meters.

From the 1850s to modern day now, all of these buildings have been mostly for the purposes of businesses.

The Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is currently under construction. It is set to be 1008 meters, 3307 feet tall, and completed in 2028.

Thank you for reading this article and maybe this inspired you to go and visit one of these historical landmarks.