Masonry Construction

Any building whose construction is primarily made of a combination of stones or bricks, with or without mortar. Most of the earliest-known buildings are masonry structures of some kind. The Egyptians took masonry construction to (literally) new heights. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years until the appearance of Gothic cathedrals. In the 18th and 19th centuries, steel beams and cast iron encouraged masonry elements to become decorative. The predominant use of glass has further solidified this.