🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Bingling Temple Upper Gorge Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Early Tang · Western Qin, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang
8-km-upstream Western Qin cliff with 420 CE earliest murals above reservoir.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Masada — Desert Fortress of Herod
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.
🇪🇸 Spain · Rock-cut
Sproxton-Broad Rock-Cut Complex
Neolithic (6000–3000 BCE) · Neolithic
Sproxton-Broad Rock-Cut Complex in Andalusia, Spain is a Neolithic (6000–3000 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Neolithic culture.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
El-Kab — Rock Tombs West Wall Niche
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
El-Kab — Rock Tombs West Wall Niche in Aswan, El-Kab, Egypt is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradition. Systematic…
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Bingling (Binglingsi) Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Ming ~420–1644 CE · Northwestern Chinese Buddhist (Western Qin to Tibetan)
Yellow River cliff grotto accessible only by boat, bearing China's earliest dated 420 CE inscription.
🇯🇴 Jordan · Rock-cut
Petra — Al Khazneh Treasury Annex Tombs
Nabataean (1st c. BCE–1st c. CE; Treasury c.56 BCE Aretas IV) · Nabataean
Siq-end Treasury excavated by Horsfield 1929 and recent, empty tombs, annex row with loculi and triclinia.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang Grottoes — Western Caves Extension (Caves 26–40)
Northern Dynasties (Northern Wei late) · Tuoba Wei (Xianbei) Buddhist with Han artisan school
UNESCO Yungang western 15-cave zone 494–525 with central-pillar and collapsed colossus.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kizil Caves — Western Valley Extension (Western Kizil)
Early Medieval Central Asian (Tocharian B) · Tocharian Buddhist (Kucha Kingdom) with Gandhara influence
Kucha Tocharian western 42-cave valley 400–700 CE diamond ceilings and lapis blue, German-removal archive.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Northern Annex
Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) · Sicel Culture
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge — Northern Annex 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 — Southern Extension
Medieval (1100-1300 CE) · Zagwe
Lalibela Biete Qeddus Mercoreos Cliff Cell Annex — Southern Extension in Amhara, Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Medieval (1100-1300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Zagwe.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Western Terrace
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.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Eastern Outlier
Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) · Temple Period
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North — Eastern Outlier in Malta, Paola, Malta is a Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Temple Period.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang West Caves — Wuzhou Mountain Western Annex
Northern Wei (Northern Dynasties) · Tuoba Xianbei-Han Buddhist imperial
Yungang western annex 5 caves with Cave 12 music pavilion and 10k-buddha niches, 453–494 Northern Wei Tanyao.
🇲🇹 Malta · Rock-cut
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North
Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) · Temple Period
Hal Tarxien Hypogeum Extension North in Malta, Paola, Malta is a Late Neolithic (3600-2500 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Temple Period.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Maijishan North Niche 135
Northern Dynasties (Western Wei to Northern Zhou) · Northern Zhou Buddhist (Yuwen court patronage)
North-face shaded Maitreya pensive niche preserving straw-plastic polychrome.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Aphrodisias
Late Bronze Age to Byzantine (c.3000 BCE–12th century CE; peak Julio-Claudian to Severan) · Carian → Hellenistic Greek → Roman → Byzantine
Aphrodite's marble city with 30,000-seat stadium, Tetrapylon and Sebasteion reliefs.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Beishan Niche Complex — Dazu Extension Eastern Valley
Tang to Song (Late Tang Wei Junjing phase to Southern Song) · Sichuan Buddhist gentry (Dazu artisan guilds)
Dazu UNESCO eastern valley 150 niches Tang–Song 892–1169 with Avalokitesvara transformation.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Bingling Temple Lower Grottoes — Liujia Gorge Yellow River Cliffs
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.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Maijishan Eastern Cliff — Tianshui Stacked Grottoes East Face
Later Qin to Song (384 – 1279 CE) · Buddhist Hexi to Central Plains transition at Wei River gap
East face stacked 90 caves 142 m hill with 16 m Buddha and plankway tiers.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Mati Si Thousand Buddha Cliff — Sunan Horse Hoof North Grottoes
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.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Maijishan Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Tang ~384–907 CE · Chinese Buddhist Northern Dynasties
Stacked-cliff wheat-plant-shaped grotto city with 7,200 sculptures on bolted plank galleries.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Mogao Northern Caves — Dunhuang Oasis North Cliff Monastic Cells
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (366 – 1368 CE) northern cells 960–1300 · Buddhist monastic Dunhuang oasis international
North cliff austere monastic cells 1000–1300 CE opposite southern painted scripture halls.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Mahabalipuram Group of Monuments
Pallava dynasty 630–700 CE · Hindu (Shaiva) under Pallava
Pallava seaside rock-cut trials: Shore Temple surviving tsunami and 27-m bas relief.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang Western Cliffs — Datong Grottoes West End Caves
Northern Wei to Liao (453 – 525 CE peak) · Buddhist Tanyao imperial under Emperor Wencheng
Western 5 caves 40–45 with Tanyao Buddhas 15 m of Northern Wei Pingcheng capital.