The book examines the main stages of the development of world architecture from the era of primitive community society to the history of the development of architecture of the Soviet era. The main directions of the development of world architecture are considered in the textbook under the influence of socio-economic, historical, ethnic, cult and natural climatic factors, as well as the development of construction equipment. The final chapter on the symbolic aspects of the development of world cult architecture can be considered new in this manual.