Final answer:
The White Temple of Uruk is the oldest building, followed by the Great Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak, with the Ishtar Gate at Babylon being the most recent.
Step-by-step explanation:
Order of Ancient Buildings by Date
To answer which of the three ancient buildings is the oldest and which is the most recent, we can use archaeological and historical records. Out of the Ishtar Gate at Babylon, the White Temple of Uruk, and the Great Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak, the order from oldest to most recent is as follows:
- The White Temple of Uruk (c. 3517-3358 BCE)
- The Great Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak (constructed over centuries, starting around 2055 BCE to around 100 CE)
- Ishtar Gate at Babylon (c. 575 BCE)
The White Temple of Uruk is the most ancient, dating back to the late 4th millennium BCE (Late Uruk Period or Uruk III), and dedicated to the sky god Anu. This temple was a high temple ('Hochtempel') type and featured a tri-partite plan, with imposing mud-brick architecture that would have been a significant religious and political center.
The Great Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak, although not dated precisely in the resources provided but based on historical records, had construction phases that spanned centuries, with the main growth period starting around the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and extending into the Ptolemaic period.
Lastly, the Ishtar Gate at Babylon was constructed under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar II around 575 BCE. Consequently, this places it as the most recent of the three structures mentioned, known for its striking blue glazed bricks and reliefs of lions and dragons.