An elevator comprises a cage (2) suspended in an elevator shaft (5) and provided with cage-side sheaves (2a, 2b); a counterweight (3) suspended in the elevator shaft (5) and provided with a counterweight-side sheave (3a); a diverting sheave (11) disposed at a position above the counterweight (3) in an upper part of the elevator shaft (5); first and second upper sheaves (9, 12) disposed in an upper part of the elevator shaft (5); and a main rope (4) wound around the first and the second upper sheaves (9, 12), and having a first part wound around the cage-side sheaves (2a, 2b) and having a first end fastened to a fixed structure in an upper part of the elevator shaft (5), and a second part passed successively via the counterweight-side sheave (3a) of the counterweight (3) and the diverting sheave (11) and having a second end fastened to the counterweight (3).