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CategoriesRock-cut sites
Temples, tombs and churches carved directly from living rock.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Hellenistic to Early Byzantine (classical antiquity to c.640 CE earthquake) · Pisidian → Hellenistic → Roman Imperial → Byzantine
Pisidian highland Roman city at 1,600 m with restored Antonine Nymphaeum and cliff theatre.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tomb
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Upper Derinkuyu Temple Central — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-20) at Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey is a Early Historic (regional) tomb of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇲🇱 Mali · Temple complex
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Great Djenné-Jeno Reservoir East — Djenné-Jeno (57-36) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Early Historic (regional) temple complex of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tomb
Iron Age (regional) · Iron Age
Outer Derinkuyu Fortress Inner — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-02) at Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey is a Iron Age (regional) tomb of the Iron Age tradition, built c.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Tomb
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Lower Saqqara Necropolis Inner — Saqqara, Serapeum (59-46) at Saqqara, Serapeum, Egypt is a Neolithic (regional) tomb of the Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇲🇹 Malta · Tomb
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Great Hypogeum Fortress North — Hypogeum, Paola (59-34) at Hypogeum, Paola, Malta is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇲🇹 Malta · Tomb
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Eastern Hypogeum Citadel North — Hypogeum, Paola (59-05) at Hypogeum, Paola, Malta is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇲🇱 Mali · Temple complex
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Northern Djenné-Jeno Village Central — Djenné-Jeno (57-32) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Medieval (regional) temple complex of the Medieval tradition, built c.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Tomb
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Southern Saqqara Hilltop Outer — Saqqara, Serapeum (59-41) at Saqqara, Serapeum, Egypt is a Neolithic (regional) tomb of the Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇬🇪 Georgia · Ancient city
Hellenistic Iberia to Early Medieval (4th c. BCE–8th c. CE; peak 1st–4th c. CE) · Kartvelian Iberian (Eastern Georgian) → Hellenistic influence → Roman client → Sasanian interlude → early Christian
Iberian kingdom capitals — Bagineti acropolis and Aramaic bilingual city across Kura gorge.
🇪🇬 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
Assyrian to Ottoman (12th c. BCE–1920); peak Artukid–Ayyubid 12th–13th century · Assyrian → Roman → Byzantine → Artukid Kurdish → Ayyubid → Ottoman
Cliff-cut Tigris citadel with 10,000 caves, Artukid bridge and salvage-relocated Timurid tomb now under reservoir.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Tomb
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Outer Lalibela Necropolis II — Lalibela (59-17) at Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Neolithic (regional) tomb of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 200 CE for necropolis and associated settlement.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Shunga 187–78 BCE · Shunga (Maurya successors)
Great Shunga Buddhist stupa (c.150 BCE) whose 8 m-high gateway and 3.2 m limestone railing — longest early Indian stone railing (40 m diameter stupa) — was dismantled in 1873–76 by Cunningham and is…
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Six Dynasties to Tang ~300–800 CE · Tocharian Kuchean Buddhist with Gandharan influence
Kucha's 236 lapis-blue Jataka caves - China's earliest Buddhist grottoes on the Silk Road.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Kalinga (Maha-Meghavahana) early historic · Jain (Digambara) / Royal Kalinga
Earliest Jain monastic caves in eastern India (2nd c. BCE–2nd c. CE) on twin sandstone hills near Bhubaneswar — 33 caves on Udayagiri and Khandagiri — excavated under Kalinga king Kharavela (c.40…
🇹🇷 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…
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Badami — Cave 3 North Veranda Murals in Karnataka, Bagalkot, Badami, India is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradit…
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Ellora — Kailasa Shrine Ancillary Gaja Panel in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, Ellora, India is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Roc…
🇯🇴 Jordan · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) — Painted Biclinium in Ma'an, Siq al-Barid, Jordan is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tr…
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Western Jin to Yuan (300 – 1300 CE) · Buddhist Hexi nomad to Tang imperial
Lower cliffs with 420 CE earliest inscribed cave 169 of 169 caves at Liujia Reservoir.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Pantalica — Anaktoron Terrace Necropolis Sector E in Sicily, Syracuse, Sortino, Italy is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock…
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Osh — Sulaiman-Too Cave Sanctuary Niche in Osh, Sulaiman-Too, Kyrgyzstan is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut traditio…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Deir el-Bersha — Nomarch Tomb Niche (Minya) in Minya, Deir el-Bersha, Egypt is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradi…
