In Pictures: The World’s Tallest Structures Throughout History
The battle for the title of the world’s tallest structure has been furiously fought over throughout history, with engineers engaged in a constant battle of one-upmanship.
Since the lofty ambitions of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was the world’s highest at 146.5 metres when it was built, man-made structures have gone stratospheric – a skyscraper currently under construction in Saudi Arabia is set to be the first building more than a kilometer tall.
Unlike a building, by definition a structure doesn’t need to be occupied – towers and monuments count too.
The fight for height reached a peak in the early 20th century in the U.S., with forests of skyscrapers shooting up in the country’s major cities, each vying to be the tallest.
In the 1930s, the Chrysler Building only managed to hold onto the accolade for a paltry 11 months before the Empire State Building came along to snatch the crown.
From the present day right back to more than 4,000 years ago, these are the tallest structures throughout history.
