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CategoriesRock-cut sites
Temples, tombs and churches carved directly from living rock.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Late Period to Roman (600 BCE–300 CE) · Egyptian / Greco-Roman
Hermopolis necropolis with 1-million ibis catacombs and Petosiris fusion tomb.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Lycian–Roman (400 BCE–200 CE) · Lycian–Roman
Sidyma — Lycia Sunken Tomb in Muğla Province, Turkey is a Lycian–Roman (400 BCE–200 CE) rock_cut attributed to Lycian–Roman. Sarcophagi field with Sidyma tombs on hillside above Calynda bay.
🇯🇴 Jordan · Ancient city
Nabataean to Roman (312 BCE–363 CE earthquake) · Nabataean / Arab
Nabataean caravan city (312 BCE–106 CE) carved into sandstone cliffs: Al-Khazneh Treasury, Theatre, Monastery Ad-Deir, Royal Tombs, and hydraulic system capturing desert flash floods.
🇯🇴 Jordan · Temple complex
Nabataean 1st c BCE–1st c CE · Nabataean
Detailed precinct within Petra (already listed as city) – but as distinct temple elaboration: Al-Khazneh 40 m façade and Ad-Deir 50 m, both tombs-temples with Hellenistic façades.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Temple complex
Zagwe dynasty · Ethiopian Orthodox
11 medieval monolithic rock-cut churches chiselled from tuff into trenches, connected by tunnels, built for King Lalibela as New Jerusalem pilgrimage site; UNESCO 1978.
