🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock-cut
Deir el-Bersha Quarry and Nomarch Tombs
Old to Middle Kingdom (2600–1650 BCE) · Egyptian (Hare Nome)
Nomarch tombs and quarry road with colossus-on-sledge painting (1900 BCE).
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Kondane Caves — Karjat Monastery
Satavahana (100 BCE) · Buddhist Hinayana
Kondane Caves — Karjat Monastery in Maharashtra, India is a Satavahana (100 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Buddhist Hinayana.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Kyaneai — Theatre Hill Outer Necropolis
Lycian (500 BCE–200 CE) · Lycian
Kyaneai — Theatre Hill Outer Necropolis in Antalya Province, Turkey is a Lycian (500 BCE–200 CE) rock_cut attributed to Lycian. Outer sarcophagi field beyond theatre of Kyaneai with 100+ sarcophagi.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Rock-cut
Seglamen — Rock Church and Stelae
Aksumite (400 BCE–800 CE) · Aksumite
Seglamen — Rock Church and Stelae in Tigray Region, Ethiopia is a Aksumite (400 BCE–800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Aksumite.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tianlongshan Grottoes — Southern Peak South Caves
Eastern Wei–Northern Qi–Tang (Six Dynasties to Tang) · Eastern Wei Xianbei sinicized; Tang Shanxi Buddhist
Shanxi 25 caves 534–907: south peak Cave 11 Maitreya assembly with thin-line and Japanese-return Bodhisattva.
🇮🇷 Iran · Rock-cut
Karaftu Caves — Heraclean Greek Inscription
Hellenistic–Parthian (Seleucid to Mithridates I) · Seleucid Greek–Iranian magus syncretism (Heracles–Verethragna)
Zagros cave 4 triple chambers with koine 'Heracles rests here' inscription 3rd–1st BCE and spring cistern.
🇨🇳 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
Matisi Grottoes — Southern Sunan Secondary Cliff
Sixteen Kingdoms to Tang (Northern Liang 420 peak) · Hexi Corridor mixed Han–Tibetan Buddhist (Juqu Mengxun lineage)
Mati Si southern 12-cave cliff 420 CE Thousand-Buddha with hoof-print legend and hanging plankway.
🇨🇳 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.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Rock-cut
Al Ula Dedan Necropolis Lion Tomb Access Ridge — Southern Extension
Iron Age (900-100 BCE) · Lihyanite/Dedanite
Al Ula Dedan Necropolis Lion Tomb Access Ridge — Southern Extension in Al Ula, Medina, Saudi Arabia is a Iron Age (900-100 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Lihyanite/Dedanite.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Rock-cut
Al Ula Dedan Necropolis Lion Tomb Access Ridge — Northern Annex
Iron Age (900-100 BCE) · Lihyanite/Dedanite
Al Ula Dedan Necropolis Lion Tomb Access Ridge — Northern Annex in Al Ula, Medina, Saudi Arabia is a Iron Age (900-100 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Lihyanite/Dedanite.
🇮🇹 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.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tianlongshan South Caves — Heavenly Dragon South Peak
Eastern Wei to Tang · Han Chinese Buddhist, Northern Dynasties, Tang cosmopolitan
Taiyuan south peak 13 caves with Tang Manshan Pavilion Maitreya 4 m and stolen apsaras digital-reunion, 534–907 CE.
🇪🇹 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.
🇫🇷 France · Rock-cut
Hypogee des Crottes de Rouaix II — Southern Extension
Chalcolithic (3000-2300 BCE) · Chalcolithic
Hypogee des Crottes de Rouaix II — Southern Extension in Provence, Vaucluse, France is a Chalcolithic (3000-2300 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Chalcolithic.
🇲🇹 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.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Tianlongshan East Cave Taiyuan
Sui to Tang · Sui-Tang Buddhist (Taiyuan Jinyang school)
Eastern 8-cave Sui peak of Tianlong Mountain above Taiyuan with Amitabha hall.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Junnar
Maurya → Satavahana 230 BCE–220 CE → Vakataka 250–400 CE · Satavahana Early Buddhist (Hinayana) → Brahmanical
200+ Satavahana rock-cut caves on Nanaghat pass (300 BCE–400 CE) — Naganika Brahmi inscription of Vedic rites.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Mati Temple South Grotto
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.