Indian architecture has a long rich history, dating back thousands of years. It encompasses the building traditions of the Indian subcontinent-which includes what are now India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The earliest Indian buildings were made of wood and then brick. Few examples of such ancient structures, especially those of wood, have survived the severity of the Indian climate. By about the 6th century BC, stone architecture was being created on the subcontinent. Indian architects soon became highly skilled in the carving and construction of stone buildings. By the 7th century AD, the use of stone had become popular for important buildings of great size.