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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.
🇮🇷 Iran · Tomb
Late Bronze Age I–II (c.1500–1000 BCE; peak 1300–1100 BCE) · Caspian highland Amarlou/Gilan local — Amardian? (pre-Median); strongly Iranian plateau but northern forest littoral
53-tomb Gilan gold necropolis with winged-bull rhyta and Marlik Gold Cup — Mycenae of the Caspian.
🇮🇱 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.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Rock-cut
Kushan 50–350 CE → Sasanians 350–400 CE · Kushan Buddhist (Gandharan–Termez school)
Kushan rock-cut cave monastery (50–400 CE) at Kara Tepe NW Termez — 20 caves and Kharosthi–Brahmi–Bactrian trilingual on Amu Darya.
🇵🇸 Palestine · Ancient village
Iron Age to Roman (8th c. BCE–68 CE; peak Hasmonaean–Herodian) · Israelite → Hasmonaean/Essene (Yahad) sect (possibly Sadducean debate) → Roman destruction
Essene terrace settlement feeding 11 cliff caves that yielded 972 Dead Sea Scrolls.
🇿🇼 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.
🇹🇷 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.
🇲🇱 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.
🇹🇷 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 · 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.
🇪🇹 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.
🇸🇩 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.
🇮🇳 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.
