🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Dazu Beishan Rock Carvings — Chongqing Northern Mountain Gallery
Late Tang to Southern Song (892 – 1178 CE) · Chinese Buddhist with Song gentry patron
Beishan 264 caves with 10k slender Song statues 892–1178 at Dazu north hill.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Aihole Cave Temples — Badami Chalukya Experiments
Badami Chalukya (543–753 CE) · Badami Chalukya Shaiva (Nataraja) and Jain; Pulakeshin II
Chalukya lab 540–745: Ravanaphadi 6th c. earliest Nataraja cave and 125 structural trials with 634 CE Ravikirti Meguti stone.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kumtura Thousand Buddha Caves — Kucha
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.
🇮🇷 Iran · Temple complex
Taq-e Bostan Rock Reliefs
Sassanian Empire (224–651 CE), late Sassanian zenith · Sassanian Zoroastrian (Ahura Mazda, Anahita, Mithra) court art
Sassanian Zagros spring iwans: Shapur II/III small and Khosrow II great with boar hunt and armored cavalry.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Eastern Outlier
Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) · Sicel Culture
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Eastern Outlier in Sicily, Syracuse, Italy is a Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sicel Culture.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Western Terrace
Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) · Sicel Culture
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Western Terrace in Sicily, Syracuse, Italy is a Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sicel Culture.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Eastern Outlier
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Eastern Outlier in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Northern Annex
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Northern Annex in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Northern Annex
Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) · Temple Period
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Northern Annex in Malta, Paola, Malta is a Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Temple Period.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Tomb
Outer Derinkuyu Reservoir West — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-14)
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Outer Derinkuyu Reservoir West — Derinkuyu, Cappadocia (59-14) at Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Temple complex
Little Great Zimbabwe Fortress A — Great Zimbabwe (57-34)
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Little Great Zimbabwe Fortress A — Great Zimbabwe (57-34) at Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe is a Neolithic (regional) temple complex of the Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇮🇷 Iran · Tell
Tepe Sialk
Neolithic to Iron Age II (c.6000–800 BCE; continuum sample) · Iranian Plateau local → Proto-Elamite → Old Elamite (?) → Iron Age Median-affinity
Iran's longest tell with two ziggurats — carbon-painted Sialk ware and Median horse burials.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Tomb
Outer Saqqara Necropolis I — Saqqara, Serapeum (59-22)
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
Myra and Andriake
Classical Lycian to Byzantine · Lycian → Hellenistic Greek → Roman → Byzantine
Lycian cliff-tomb metropolis of St Nicholas with river theatre and purple-dye port granary.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Temple complex
Upper Bayuda Terrace Central — Bayuda (57-20)
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Upper Bayuda Terrace Central — Bayuda (57-20) at Bayuda, Sudan is a Neolithic (regional) temple complex of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 1800 BCE for terrace and associated settlement.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
Gaochang to Yuan 500–1300 CE · Uyghur Buddhist (ancient Uyghur–Tocharian)
Turpan depression Uyghur Buddhist cliff with 77 donor-portrait caves below sea level.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Sumatar Harabesi — Cave Sanctuary Niche 3
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…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Meir — Rock Tombs B2 Ancillary Facade (Asyut)
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Meir — Rock Tombs B2 Ancillary Facade (Asyut) in Asyut, Meir, Rock Tombs, Egypt is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut t…
🇬🇷 Greece · Rock-cut
Pura Cairn Rock-Cut Complex
Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) · Andean Formative
Pura Cairn Rock-Cut Complex in Thessaly, Greece is a Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Andean Formative culture.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Bingling Temple Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms → Qing 420–1911 · Buddhist (Hexi Silk Road)
Yellow River gorge sanctuary of 183 caves and 694 statues cut into 60 m yellow sandstone cliff above reservoir since 420 CE (Western Qin) to Qing, famous for 27 m Maitreya Buddha (Tang) carved from…
🇲🇦 Morocco · Rock-cut
Mere-Inis Rock-Cut Complex
Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) · Andean Formative
Mere-Inis Rock-Cut Complex in Souss-Massa, Morocco is a Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Andean Formative culture.
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Rock-cut
Rock-Cut Tombs of Moss Kala
Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) · Nazca
Rock-Cut Tombs of Moss Kala in Preah Vihear, Cambodia is a Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Nazca culture.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Rock-cut
Avenue-Tel Kistvaen Rock-Cut Complex
Yayoi (300 BCE–300 CE) · Yayoi
Avenue-Tel Kistvaen Rock-Cut Complex in Petén, Guatemala is a Yayoi (300 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Yayoi culture.