An elevator, which comprises a hoistway; and an elevator car vertically movable in the hoistway; and a counterweight vertically movable in the hoistway; and a number of upper rope wheels (3,4) mounted higher than the car and counterweight, and a number of first ropes (r) interconnecting the elevator car and counterweight, each of said ropes (r) passing around said upper rope wheels (3,4); and a number of lower rope wheels (6,7,8,9) mounted lower than the car and counterweight; and a number of second ropes interconnecting the elevator car and counterweight, each passing around one or more of the lower rope wheels (6,7;8,9); characterized in that said lower rope wheels (6,7,8,9) comprise one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7); and one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9) above the one or more first rope wheels (6,7); and in that said second ropes comprise a first set of ropes forming a first U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, and passing around said one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7), the number of ropes of the first set of ropes being more than one; and a second set of ropes forming a second U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, inside the first loop of ropes, and passing around said one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9), the number of ropes of the second set of ropes being more than one. a hoistway; and an elevator car vertically movable in the hoistway; and a counterweight vertically movable in the hoistway; and a number of upper rope wheels (3,4) mounted higher than the car and counterweight, and a number of first ropes (r) interconnecting the elevator car and counterweight, each of said ropes (r) passing around said upper rope wheels (3,4); and a number of lower rope wheels (6,7,8,9) mounted lower than the car and counterweight; and a number of second ropes interconnecting the elevator car and counterweight, each passing around one or more of the lower rope wheels (6,7;8,9); characterized in that said lower rope wheels (6,7,8,9) comprise one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7); and one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9) above the one or more first rope wheels (6,7); one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7); and one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9) above the one or more first rope wheels (6,7); and in that said second ropes comprise a first set of ropes forming a first U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, and passing around said one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7), the number of ropes of the first set of ropes being more than one; and a second set of ropes forming a second U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, inside the first loop of ropes, and passing around said one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9), the number of ropes of the second set of ropes being more than one. a first set of ropes forming a first U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, and passing around said one or more first lower rope wheels (6,7), the number of ropes of the first set of ropes being more than one; and a second set of ropes forming a second U-shaped loop of ropes hanging from the car and counterweight, inside the first loop of ropes, and passing around said one or more second lower rope wheels (8,9), the number of ropes of the second set of ropes being more than one.