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CategoriesRock-cut sites
Temples, tombs and churches carved directly from living rock.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) · Sicel Culture
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Eastern Outlier in Sicily, Syracuse, Italy is a Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sicel Culture.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Eastern Outlier in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Northern Annex in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) · Temple Period
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Northern Annex in Malta, Paola, Malta is a Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Temple Period.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Temple complex
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Western Great Zimbabwe Hilltop South — Great Zimbabwe (57-11) at Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe is a Early Historic (regional) temple complex of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tomb
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Outer Derinkuyu Reservoir West — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-14) at Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Temple complex
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Little Great Zimbabwe Fortress A — Great Zimbabwe (57-34) at Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe is a Neolithic (regional) temple complex of the Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Neolithic to Iron Age II (c.6000–800 BCE; continuum sample) · Iranian Plateau local → Proto-Elamite → Old Elamite (?) → Iron Age Median-affinity
Iran's longest tell with two ziggurats — carbon-painted Sialk ware and Median horse burials.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Tomb
Classical (regional) · Classical
Outer Saqqara Necropolis I — Saqqara, Serapeum (59-22) at Saqqara, Serapeum, Egypt is a Classical (regional) tomb of the Classical tradition, built c.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Classical Lycian to Byzantine · Lycian → Hellenistic Greek → Roman → Byzantine
Lycian cliff-tomb metropolis of St Nicholas with river theatre and purple-dye port granary.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Temple complex
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Upper Bayuda Terrace Central — Bayuda (57-20) at Bayuda, Sudan is a Neolithic (regional) temple complex of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 1800 BCE for terrace and associated settlement.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Gaochang to Yuan 500–1300 CE · Uyghur Buddhist (ancient Uyghur–Tocharian)
Turpan depression Uyghur Buddhist cliff with 77 donor-portrait caves below sea level.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Sumatar Harabesi — Cave Sanctuary Niche 3 in Şanlıurfa, Sumatar, Turkey is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradition…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Meir — Rock Tombs B2 Ancillary Facade (Asyut) in Asyut, Meir, Rock Tombs, Egypt is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut t…
🇬🇷 Greece · Rock-cut
Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) · Andean Formative
Pura Cairn Rock-Cut Complex in Thessaly, Greece is a Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Andean Formative culture.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Sixteen Kingdoms → Qing 420–1911 · Buddhist (Hexi Silk Road)
Yellow River gorge sanctuary of 183 caves and 694 statues cut into 60 m yellow sandstone cliff above reservoir since 420 CE (Western Qin) to Qing, famous for 27 m Maitreya Buddha (Tang) carved from…
🇲🇦 Morocco · Rock-cut
Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) · Andean Formative
Mere-Inis Rock-Cut Complex in Souss-Massa, Morocco is a Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Andean Formative culture.
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Rock-cut
Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) · Nazca
Rock-Cut Tombs of Moss Kala in Preah Vihear, Cambodia is a Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Nazca culture.
🇴🇲 Oman · Rock-cut
Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE) · Iron Age
Terramare Mount Rock-Cut Complex in Dhofar, Oman is a Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE) rock_cut attributed to Iron Age culture.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Rock-cut
Yayoi (300 BCE–300 CE) · Yayoi
Avenue-Tel Kistvaen Rock-Cut Complex in Petén, Guatemala is a Yayoi (300 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Yayoi culture.
🇺🇸 United States · Rock-cut
Classical Antiquity (800 BCE–500 CE) · Classical
Altamira Bison Ceiling North in Southwest, United States is a Classical Antiquity (800 BCE–500 CE) rock_cut attributed to Classical culture.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Early Bronze Age (2200–1500 BCE) · Sicilian Castelluccio
Calaforno Hypogeum — Monterosso in Sicily, Italy is a Early Bronze Age (2200–1500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sicilian Castelluccio.
🇦🇲 Armenia · Temple complex
Medieval (Main 1215 CE; gavit 1225; rock-cut 1263 Proshian tomb) · Armenian medieval Proshian princes (Zakarian dynasty)
Geghard UNESCO 2000, Proshian cave church 1283 with stalactite.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Late Bronze to Iron Age (1300–650 BCE) · Sikel (Siculi)
Pantalica — Rock-Cut Necropolis in Sicily, Italy is a Late Bronze to Iron Age (1300–650 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sikel (Siculi).
