It's hard to know for sure. But the oldest gargoyle is found on a building in Turkey. ... The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks also carved gargoyles to use as drain spouts on their buildings. And gargoyles became very popular on churches in Europe during the 1200s.

Why do gargoyles exist?

The precise purpose of gargoyles was to act as a spout to convey water from the upper part of a building or roof gutter and away from the side of walls or foundations, thereby helping to prevent water from causing damage to masonry and mortar.

When did gargoyles exist?

Gargoyles were originally designed in 13th century French architecture as a means of disposing of water. Think of them as the precursor to the gutter. Typically, a trough was cut into the back of the gargoyle and the rainwater was able to run off of the roof and through the gargoyle's mouth.