25 of the weirdest houses from around the world


There's no place like home. Particularly when home is built upside-down, made of shipping containers, or erected in the likeness of the Pyramids.

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Some dwellings are more unique than others. From domes to caves, treehouses to igloos, people across the globe live in unconventional houses.

Here are some of the strangest.

(An earlier version of this story was written by Christian Storm. Captions by Business Insider and Reuters.)

shark weird house
A model of a shark is seen in the roof of a house in Oxford October 26, 2013. The rooftop sculpture is 25 feet (7.6 m) long, made of fibre glass and was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh Eddie Keogh/Reuters
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This house in Abuja, Nigeria, is partially built in the shape of an airplane. The house was built by Said Jammal for his wife, Liza, to commemorate her love for travel.

airplane house
A house partially built in the shape of an airplane is seen in Abuja November 24, 2009. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Source: Washington Post

Not to be outdone, this house in Miziara, northern Lebanon, resembles an Airbus A380 to a T.

airplane house weirdest
An airplane house is pictured in the village of Miziara, northern Lebanon May 12, 2015. Miziara prides itself on building residential homes that resemble ancient Greek temples and Egyptian ruins, one is even built in the shape of an Airbus A380. Picture taken May 12, 2015. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Aziz Taher/Reuters
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The village of Miziara prides itself on building residential homes in odd shapes. This house under construction imitates an ancient Greek temple like the one in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon.

ancient greek temple house weird
A house under construction which is in the shape of an ancient Greek temple like the one in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, is pictured in the village of Miziara, northern Lebanon May 12, 2015. Miziara prides itself on building residential homes that resemble ancient Greek temples and Egyptian ruins, one is even built in the shape of an Airbus A380. Picture taken May 12, 2015. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Aziz Taher/Reuters

And another impressive house in the town pays tribute to the pyramids. The interiors have Egyptian-inspired decor, as well.

pyramid house miziara lebanon weird house
A statue is pictured in front of a pyramid house in the village of Miziara, northern Lebanon May 12, 2015. Miziara prides itself on building residential homes that resemble ancient Greek temples and Egyptian ruins, one is even built in the shape of an Airbus A380. Picture taken May 12, 2015. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Aziz Taher/Reuters
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Seventy-three-year-old builder Bohumil Lhota constructed a home in Velke Hamry, Czech Republic, that is able to move up and down and rotate on its sides. It took him nearly 20 years to create. Here, Lhota is seen "turning" the house for a preferred window view.

weird house Velke Hamry prague
Bohumil Lhota, a 73-year-old builder, turns the house he built in Velke Hamry, near the town of Jablonec nad Nisou, 100km (62 miles) north-east from Prague, August 7, 2012. Lhota conceptualized the idea to create the unique house and started to build it in 1981, building it close to nature to benefit from the cooler ground temperature. Lhota's house, which is built in 2002, is able to move up and down and rotate on its sides, which allows him to adjust to his preferred window view. REUTERS/Petr Josek Petr Josek/Reuters

The Heliodome, a bio-climatic solar house near Strasbourg, Eastern France, is designed as a giant three-dimensional sundial, set on a fixed angle in relationship to the sun's movements. It is built to provide shade during the summer months, keeping the inside temperature cool. During Fall, Winter and Spring, sunlight enters the large windows as the sun's position is lower in the sky, thus warming the living space.

heliodrome
The Heliodome, a bioclimatic solar house is seen in Cosswiller in the Alsacian countryside near Strasbourg, Eastern France, August 4, 2011. The house is designed as a giant three-dimensional sundial, set on a fixed angle in relationship to the sun's movements to provide shade during the summer months, keeping the inside temperature cool, and during Fall, Winter and Spring sunlight enters the large windows as the sun's position is lower in the sky, thus warming the living space. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler
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Liu Lingchao, 38, carries his makeshift dwelling as he walks along a road in Liuzhou, China in 2013. Five years ago, Liu decided to walk back to his hometown Rongan county in Guangxi from Shenzhen, some 462 miles away, where he once worked as a migrant worker. With bamboo, plastic bags and bed sheets, Liu made himself a five feet wide, six and a half feet high "portable room," weighing about 132 lb, to carry with him as he walked more than 12 miles a day.

makeshift house carry China
Liu Lingchao, 38, carries his makeshift dwelling as he walks along a road in Shapu township of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region May 21, 2013. Five years ago, Liu decided to walk back to his hometown Rongan county in Guangxi from Shenzhen, where he once worked as a migrant worker. With bamboo, plastic bags and bed sheets, Liu made himself a 1.5-metre-wide, 2-metre-high, "portable room" weighing about 60 kg (132 lb), to carry with him as he walks an average of 20 kilometres everyday. To support himself, Liu collects garbage all the way during the journey and he is now 20 miles away from his hometown, according to local media. REUTERS/China Stringer

This house is built on a rock on the river Drina, near the western Serbian town of Bajina Basta. It was built in 1968 by a group of young men who decided that the rock on the river was an ideal place for a tiny shelter, according to the house's co-owner, who was among those involved in its construction.

house on tiny rock island belgrade
A house built on a rock on the river Drina is seen near the western Serbian town of Bajina Basta, about 160km (99 miles) from the capital Belgrade May 22, 2013. The house was built in 1968 by a group of young men who decided that the rock on the river was an ideal place for a tiny shelter, according to the house's co-owner, who was among those involved in its construction. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
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Along with various other cabins perched in the trees, this round treehouse in Le Pian Medoc in southwestern France is rented by France's Natura Cabana company for ecological vacations.

tree house france
General view of a tree-house in Le Pian Medoc, southwestern France, April 24, 2009. France's Natura Cabana company rents various cabins perched in the trees for ecological holidays. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

The homes in Socuellamos, central Spain, are all made from old wine vats. About 40 people, mostly ethnic Turks from Bulgaria who came to the vineyards of Socuellamos to pick grapes during the six-week annual harvest, live in this makeshift camp. At night, they sleep in 20 or so overturned wine vats, car-sized concrete barrels that were once discarded before finding a second life as shelter for the workers.

Wine Vat house
A Bulgarian woman looks inside her wine vat home in Socuellamos, central Spain, October 2, 2007. About 40 people living in this makeshift camp are ethnic Turks from Bulgaria who came to the vineyards of Socuellamos to pick grapes during the six-week annual harvest. At night they sleep in 20 or so overturned wine vats -- car-sized concrete barrels dumped on the outskirts of Socuellamos, a farming community in the hot and dusty region of Castilla-La Mancha. Picture taken October 2, 2007. REUTERS/Andrea Comas
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Seen here, workers demolish a privately-built villa, surrounded by imitation rocks, on the rooftop of a 26-story residential building in Beijing in August of 2013. The elaborate villa, complete with a garden, was built illegally on top of a Beijing apartment block and took 15 days to demolish.

rooftop rocks house
Workers demolish a privately-built villa, surrounded by imitation rocks, on the rooftop of a 26-storey residential building in Beijing August 26, 2013. A Chinese property owner has started dismantling the elaborate villa built illegally, complete with a garden, on top of a Beijing apartment block after complaints from his neighbours and a government warning to tear it down. On August 12 authorities demanded that Zhang Biqing, the villa's builder, demolish it within 15 days, calling it an illegal structure after residents complained to the local government. REUTERS/Stringer

Green plants engulf another suspected illegal construction atop a 19-story residential building in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Built 10 years ago, the home takes up about 40 square meters. Local law enforcement has been unsuccessful in finding the owner since discovering the property in 2012.

Guangzhou, Guangdong weird house
A suspected illegal construction is seen covered by green plants atop a 19-storey residential building in Guangzhou, Guangdong province April 11, 2014. The suspected illegal construction, which takes up an area of about 40 square metres, was built 10 years ago. Local law enforcement department discovered the construction back in 2012, but have failed to find the owner since then, local media reported. REUTERS/China Daily Reuters/China Daily
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Four shipping containers make up this three-bedroom home in Sydney, Australia, which can be pulled apart for easy transportation. It was put on the market in 2005 for just $100,000 — a steal for a two-story mobile home that includes two bathrooms, timber floors, air-conditioning, a kitchen, laundry, and a balcony.

weird house shipping containers sydney
Potential buyers stand with an agent on the balcony of a three-bedroom home made from four old shipping containers in Sydney. Potential buyers stand with an agent on the balcony of a three-bedroom home made from four old shipping containers in Sydney August 1, 2005. Priced at around A$140,000 (US$100,000), the two-storey mobile home also includes two bathrooms, timber floors, air-conditioning, a kitchen, laundry, balcony and sewage treatment tank, which can be pulled apart in less than a day for ease of transportation. REUTERS/David Gray David Gray/Reuters

Not to be outdone by the previous Chinese sky high dwellings, these precarious-looking houses were built on the rooftop of a factory building in in Dongguan, China. The houses were completed two years ago. According to local media, the government said the size of the houses was not in line with the original design submitted, thus the construction should be deemed illegal.

houses roof of factory china
Houses are seen on the rooftop of a factory building in Dongguan, Guangdong province, September 10, 2013. The houses were completed two years ago. According to local media, the government said the size of the houses was not in line with the original design submitted, thus the construction should be deemed illegal. REUTERS/China Daily
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This house ensures its owners get their exercise in. Brazilian artists and brothers Tiago and Gabriel Primo built a vertical dwelling on the side of a climbing wall in downtown Rio de Janeiro.

brazil weird house climbing wall
Brazilian artists Tiago Primo (top) and his brother Gabriel hang out at a wall in Rio de Janeiro July 8, 2009. The bizarre vertical "house" built on a climbing wall by Brazilian artists has been drawing the attention of thousands who walk by the installation in Rio de Janeiro's downtown neighbourhood. REUTERS/Bruno Domingos Bruno Domingos/Reuters

Here, Benito Hernandez stands outside his home in Mexico's northern state of Coahuila. For over 30 years, Hernandez and his family have lived in an odd sun-dried brick home with a huge, 131 feet diameter rock used as a roof.

rock roof house
Benito Hernandez stands outside his home near San Jose de Las Piedras in Mexico's northern state of Coahuila January 16, 2013. For over 30 years, Hernandez, his wife Santa Martha de la Cruz Villarreal and their family have lived in an odd sun-dried brick home with a huge 40 metre (131 feet) diameter rock used as a roof. The dwelling is found close to the town of San Jose de Piedras, a remote community located in the arid desert of Coahuila, some 80 km (49 miles) from the border with Texas. Picture taken January 16, 2013. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
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Below, Thierry Atta sweeps the courtyard of his house built in the shape of a crocodile in Ivory Coast's capital. Atta was an apprentice of the artist Moussa Kalo who designed and began building the house before passing away, two months before its completion by Atta.

Crocodile house
Thierry Atta sweeps the courtyard of his house built in the shape of a crocodile in Ivory Coast's capital Abidjan, September 11, 2008. Atta was an apprentice of the artist Moussa Kalo who designed and built the house but died two months ago. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

This building wedged between two existing buildings in Warsaw is an artistic installation that will be a home-away-from-home for Israeli writer, Edgar Keret. Keret said he conceived the house, which is just 36 inches wide as its narrowest point, as memorial to his parents' family who died in the Holocaust.

narrow house
A man takes a picture of the one of the world's narrowest buildings, built as an artistic installation wedged between two existing buildings, in Warsaw October 23, 2012. A building just 92 cm (36 inches) wide as its narrowest point was opened in Warsaw on October 20 as an artistic installation that will be a home from home for Israeli writer Edgar Keret. Keret, who told news channel TVN24 he would live there when he visits Warsaw twice a year, said he conceived the project as a kind of memorial to his parents' family who died in the World War Two Holocaust. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
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In "Sharknado"-like fashion, a 25-foot-long model shark made of fiberglass, appears to be plummeting into this house in Oxford, England. It was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

shark weird house
A model of a shark is seen in the roof of a house in Oxford October 26, 2013. The rooftop sculpture is 25 feet (7.6 m) long, made of fibre glass and was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Hong Kong architect Gary Chang rests in a hammock inside his 330 square feet apartment in Hong Kong. After three decades in the same boxy dwelling Chang grew up in, he transformed the space into a eco-friendly and highly efficient space which utilizes moving walls to transform the space for various daily uses.

domestic transformer
Hong Kong architect Gary Chang rests in a hammock inside his 32-square-metre apartment in Hong Kong January 28, 2010. After three decades in the same boxy dwelling Chang grew up in, he has come up with an innovative answer to the increasingly cramped lives of many urban dwellers -- the science fiction-like "domestic transformer". Picture taken January 28, 2010. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
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This house, built upside-down in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, was constructed as an attraction for local residents and tourists. The rooms inside are all upside-down as well.

upside down house
A man passes a house built upside-down in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, December 14, 2014. The house was constructed as an attraction for local residents and tourists. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

The "Rock," as it is referred to by the 15 fundamentalist Mormon families living there, was founded about 35 years ago on a sandstone formation near Canyonlands National Park, which blasted to build rooms and storage spaces.

rock house moab ut
Girls play on a trampoline near a home blasted from a rock wall at the Rockland Ranch community outside Moab, Utah, November 2, 2012. The "Rock" as it is referred to by the approximately 100 people living there in about 15 families, was founded about 35 years ago on a sandstone formation near Canyonlands National Park. Polygamy was a part of the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was brought to Utah by faithful Mormons in the late 1840s. The mainstream Mormon church abandoned the practice in 1890, but an estimated 37,000 Mormon fundamentalists continue the practice today and believe plural marriage brings exaltation in heaven. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart
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A model sits in an bathtub inside a house constructed entirely of ice as part of a promotion for a German bank in Berlin, 2005. The house was made of some 1,000 ice blocks, with all interior appliances, furnishings, and decoration encased within or made from ice.

ice house
A model sits in an bathtub inside a house constructed entirely of ice as part of a promotion for a German bank in Berlin December 19, 2005. The house is made of some 1,000 ice blocks, with all interior appliances, furnishings and decoration encased within or made from ice. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

These roughly 70 dome houses were built by U.S.-based company Domes for the World for villagers who lost their houses to last year's earthquake in Indonesia's ancient city of Yogyakarta.

dome houses
A view of about 70 domes houses, which were built by U.S. based Domes for the World, for villagers who lost their houses to last year's earthquake in Sumberharjo village, near Indonesia's ancient city of Yogyakarta, May 8, 2007. REUTERS/Dwi Oblo
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One couple quit their jobs, built a 125-square-foot tiny house, and hit the road to become travel journalists. Five months into their journey, the couple racked up 10,000 miles and 25 states visited. They estimate they spend $800 a month on gas, with utilities close to zero.

Tiny House Giant Journey, on the way to Cape Breton
Courtesy of Tiny House Giant Journey

Wonder what it's like to live in a 160-square-foot space?

tiny house melia vicki robinson
Melia Robinson/Business Insider

I spent 3 days living in a 'tiny house' with my mom to see what micro-living is all about »

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