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CategoriesRock-cut sites
Temples, tombs and churches carved directly from living rock.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Qing (Western Wei to 19th c.) · Han-Tibetan Buddhist communities of Longxi
Yellow River Tibetan fringe 5-cave scarp Western Wei 540 CE seated Buddha with Tibetan repaint.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan · Hexi Buddhist (Northern Liang, Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, Uyghur, Tibetan, Yuan)
800-m-south Mati grotto cluster with 7-m Shakyamuni and horse-hoof legend slab.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Roman–Syriac (1st–5th century CE) with Bronze/Iron Age antecedents · Harranian Sabian / Edessan Aramaean → Roman / Byzantine
Tektek hilltop Sin-cult oasis with seven baetyl sanctuaries and Syriac rock inscriptions.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Hasmonean to Roman (2nd c. BCE–73 CE; Herodian peak) · Hasmonean Jewish → Herodian (Idumaean-Jewish client of Rome) → Sicarii → Roman legion → Byzantine monks
Herod's 440 m mesa fortress over Dead Sea — hanging palaces, desert cisterns and preserved Roman siege ramp.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Temple complex
Classical (regional) · Classical
Eastern Great Zimbabwe Settlement Central — Great Zimbabwe (57-50) at Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe is a Classical (regional) temple complex of the Classical 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.
🇲🇹 Malta · Tomb
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Sacred Hypogeum Terrace Central — Hypogeum, Paola (59-36) at Hypogeum, Paola, Malta is a Early Historic (regional) tomb of the Early Historic 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.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Tomb
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Eastern Lalibela Settlement Central — Lalibela (59-29) at Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇲🇱 Mali · Temple complex
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Royal Djenné-Jeno Village Outer — Djenné-Jeno (57-44) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Neolithic (regional) temple complex of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 800 BCE for village and associated settlement.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Temple complex
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Lower Axum Settlement B — Axum (57-29) at Axum, Ethiopia is a Chalcolithic (regional) temple complex of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c. 800 CE for settlement and associated settlement.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Temple complex
Iron Age (regional) · Iron Age
Great Bayuda Mound Inner — Bayuda (57-31) at Bayuda, Sudan is a Iron Age (regional) temple complex of the Iron Age tradition, built c. 3000 BCE for mound and associated settlement.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Old Kingdom to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE; peak 2300–2100 BCE) · Ancient Egyptian
El-Hawawish is the Old–Middle Kingdom cliff necropolis of Akhmim (Panopolis, 9th nome) on eastern desert edge, 800+ rock-cut tombs 3000–1800 BCE on 1.5 km wadi terrace.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Late Urartian Kingdom (early 7th century BCE) · Urartian (Biainili) late imperial
Rusa II's earthquake-collapsed Haldi temple-fortress with 4,000 bronze votives frozen mid-repair.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Urartian Kingdom (9th–6th century BCE; later Urartian–Median–Achaemenid–Ottoman) · Urartian (Biainili) → Median → Achaemenid → Ottoman
Urartu's 100 m limestone citadel over Lake Van with royal rock-tombs and Xerxes trilingual.
🇨🇳 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.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria · Archaeological wonder
Chalcolithic to Late Antiquity (5000 BCE – 400 CE; rock city peak 1500–500 BCE) · Thracian (Bessi tribe) to Roman and Byzantine
Rocky massif on the Perperek gold–bearing ridge where Thracians carved a palace-temple complex into the living rock: hall of prophecies claimed as the sanctuary of Dionysus visited by Alexander…
🇹🇷 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…
🇨🇳 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.
🇹🇭 Thailand · Rock-cut
Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE) · Ancestral Pueblo
Chashma Dara Rock-Cut Complex in Buriram Province, Thailand is a Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE) rock_cut attributed to Ancestral Pueblo culture.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Myra — Rock Tombs South Cliff Niche (Demre) in Antalya, Demre, Myra, Turkey is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradi…
🇮🇷 Iran · Rock art
Elamite to Parthian (c.1000 BCE–200 CE; peak Neo-Elamite 800–600 BCE) · Neo-Elamite → Parthian ( Elymais )
Kul-e Farah is a gorge with 6 Elamite rock reliefs (Kul-e Farah I–VI, c.800–600 BCE) — massive 5-m panels of king Hanni, processions (200+ figures), musicians a...
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Harappan (2600–1900 BCE) · Harappan
Rock-Cut Tombs of Henge Nara Ditch in Sicily, Italy is a Harappan (2600–1900 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Harappan culture.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms Northern Liang 412–439 · Northern Liang Buddhist (Xiongnu–Han)
Hexi Corridor prototype grottoes where Northern Liang Buddhism seeded Yungang's later scheme.
