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CategoriesRock-cut sites
Temples, tombs and churches carved directly from living rock.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kucha–Tocharian to Tang–Uyghur (5th–11th c.) · Tocharian Kuchan Buddhist (Sarvastivada Dharmaguptaka) later Uyghur Mahayana
Kucha 112 caves 450–1100 with diamond vault Maitreya and pipa musicians on Weigan gorge, Kizil's sister.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (420 – 1368 CE) · Northern Liang Han, Tuyuhun Xianbei, Tibetan, Uyghur, Western Xia Tangut, Mongol
Hexi cliff 31 conglomerate caves with 33 Heavens Pagoda and Gesar hoof legend, 420 CE–Yuan.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Tang · Northern Qi Xianbei-Han Buddhist
Handan south hill 3 limestone caves with 550 CE Amitabha Western Paradise (Freer) and central pillar, Northern Qi.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei to Song · Northern Wei, Sui, Tang cosmopolitan
Luoyang west bank core with Guyang 493 earliest cave 800 inscriptions and Binyang pagoda, Northern Wei–Tang.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Tang (550 – 907 CE) · Northern Qi, Sui, Tang (central Shanxi Buddhist)
Taiyuan 25 caves with Northern Qi wet-drape bodhisattvas 550–907 CE.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) · Temple Period
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Western Terrace in Malta, Paola, Malta is a Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Temple Period.
🇵🇪 Peru · Rock-cut
Early Horizon to Cajamarca (700 BCE – 800 CE) · Cajamarca / Wari
Ventanillas de Otuzco in Cajamarca, Peru is a Early Horizon to Cajamarca (700 BCE – 800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Cajamarca / Wari culture.
🇨🇳 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.
🇲🇹 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.
🇪🇹 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.
🇪🇬 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…
🇨🇳 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.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Eastern Han to Tang (200 – 800 CE) · Tocharian Buddhist Kucha with Gandhara influence
Central 30–80 of 339 Kizil caves with 3.2 m diamond-vault Buddha of Tocharian Kucha 3rd–8th c.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (397 – 1368 CE) · North Asian Buddhist with Tibetan Yugur later
Thousand Buddha northern cliff with 30 caves and horse-hoof imprint 397–1368 CE.
🇫🇷 France · Rock-cut
Classical Antiquity (800 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age
Ollantaytambo Fountain Terrace West in Dordogne, France is a Classical Antiquity (800 BCE–500 CE) rock_cut attributed to Bronze Age culture.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Eastern Wei to Tang (534 – 750 CE) · Buddhist Northern dynasties under Gao Qi and Tang
Cave 8 Manshan Buddha 3.6 m of Northern Qi–Tang on western slope.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Graeco-Roman (300 BCE–300 CE) · Egyptian Greco-Roman (Bahariya mummies)
Bokar Riade? Actually Bir el-Shaghala — Bahariya Greco-Roman Necropolis in Giza Governorate, Egypt is a Graeco-Roman (300 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Egyptian Greco-Roman (Bahariya mummies).
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei to Tang (493 – 750 CE) · Buddhist imperial Luoyang under Empress Dowager Hu
Central Binyang 11 m Buddha of Northern Wei Emperor Xuanwu at Yi Gorge.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Satavahana (100 BCE) · Buddhist Hinayana
Bedse Caves — Maval Hinayana Pair in Maharashtra, India is a Satavahana (100 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Buddhist Hinayana.
