🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
İnandıktepe
Old Hittite to Empire (1650–1200 BCE) · Hittite (Hattic substrate)
Old Hittite cult terrace that produced the four-register Inandik vase (acrobats and goddess).
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Temple complex
Banteay Srei
Angkor Early 967 CE · Hindu Shaiva (Brahmin Yajnavaraha)
Pink sandstone Hindu temple (967 CE) dedicated to Shiva Tribhuvanamaheshvara, built by Brahmin guru Yajnavaraha — only Angkor temple not founded by king — miniature (base 500×500 m laterite…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Yohualichan Tajín-Style Pyramids
Epiclassic (Totonac Veracruz) · Totonac (Tajín sphere)
Totonac Tajín-sphere city Yohualichan (600–900 CE): 12 m Pyramid of Niches Ome with 90 niches in Sierra Norte, bridge between El Tajín and highlands.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Kuntillet Ajrud
Iron Age IIB (single-period) · Kingdom of Israel/Judah (Israelite)
Desert Israelite fortress (c.800 BCE) with 'YHWH and his Asherah' inscriptions and Bes frescoes.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Tell
Tell el-ʿObeid
Ubaid to Ur III (c.5500–2000 BCE; temple sequence defines Chalcolithic Eridu–Ubaid horizon) · Ubaid → Uruk → Early Dynastic → Ur III
Type-site of Ubaid period — 1919 Ninhursag temple with copper bulls gave Chalcolithic its name.
🇨🇳 China · Archaeological wonder
Mawangdui Han Tombs
Western Han Early 202–141 BCE · Han dynasty (Changsha Kingdom)
Family cemetery of Marquess of Dai (Li Cang, Prime Minister of Changsha Kingdom, Western Han, 202 BCE–9 CE) with three rectangular shaft tombs (168–145 BCE).
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Xochitecatl
Formative–Epiclassic 800 BCE–950 CE · Apizaco / Tlaxcala tradition (Central Highlands)
Fertility hilltop with Flower Pyramid: 2000 female figurines, spindle whorls and needle offerings on spiral pyramid.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Amara West Temple Town
New Kingdom Ramesside (Seti I–Ramesses II, c.1306–1070 BCE) · Egyptian Ramesside colonial with Nubian population
Ramesside Egyptian colonial walled town (Seti I–Ramesses II c.1300 BCE) 130×90 m on west bank at Third Cataract, with viceroy's residence, sandstone temple of Ramesses II, granaries, and cemeteries with pyramidal tombs.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Palenque Temple of the Inscriptions
Late Classic Maya (675 CE completion; tomb 683 CE interment) · Maya (Palenque Baakal)
Late Classic Maya 27.2 m high 8-step pyramid-temple (600×675 CE) housing only Mesoamerican pyramid tomb comparable to Egyptian: hidden stair 66 steps descending inside to sarcophagus chamber of Pakal…
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Classical 429–400 BCE · Ancient Greek Arcadian (Phigalian)
Iktinos' mountain Apollo temple mixing all three orders with earliest Corinthian capital.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Kawa Temple T (Taharqo Sanctuary)
New Kingdom founder (Amenhotep III c.1380 BCE) revived 25th Dynasty Taharqo 690 BCE to Meroitic · Kushite (Napatan 25th Dynasty, Taharqo) Egyptianised
Large Kushite temple complex on east bank north of Dongola plain, with Temple T (Taharqo, 690 BCE, 40×30 m sandstone pylon), Temple A (Amenhotep III) and extensive town with pyramidal tombs south.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Abu Ghurab Sun Temple of Niuserre
Old Kingdom 5th Dynasty (2455–2425 BCE) · Ancient Egyptian (Old Kingdom solar cult)
Abu Ghurab Sun Temple of Niuserre (5th Dynasty, 2455–2425 BCE) is the best preserved of six sun temples (Userkaf and Niuserre survive).
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Temple of Edfu
Ptolemaic (237–57 BCE) · Ptolemaic Egyptian (Hellenistic Pharaonic)
Best-preserved temple in Egypt: Ptolemaic Temple of Horus built 237–57 BCE (180 years) after plan of Old Kingdom then New Kingdom prototypes, buried by Nile silt and desert sand until re-excavated by…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Medinet Habu (Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III)
New Kingdom 20th Dynasty (c.1186–1155 BCE under Ramesses III) · Egyptian New Kingdom
Mortuary temple of Ramesses III (1186–1155 BCE) modeled on Ramesseum, Medinet Habu is best-preserved New Kingdom mortuary complex with complete circuit walls, fortified Migdol gate inspired by…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Priene Bouleuterion Temple — Athena Precinct Council Sanctuary
Hellenistic (350–150 BCE) with Roman annex · Milesian-Ionian Prieneans under Alexander patron
Council sanctuary with 640-seat Bouleuterion and Augustus calendar stoa 40 m from Athena temple.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Nagarjunakonda
Satavahana to Ikshvaku Late Andhra 200 BCE–400 CE · Ikshvaku / Mahayana Buddhist
Vast Ikshvaku dynasty capital and Buddhist university city (c.200–400 CE) on Krishna River, 30+ Buddhist monasteries with 9 mahastupas, Brahminical temples and Europe's largest collection of early…
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Temple of Aphaia, Aegina
Late Archaic 500–490 BCE · Aeginetan Greek
Aegina ridge-top Doric temple whose pediments chart birth of Classical sculpture.
🇮🇷 Iran · Temple complex
Choqa Zanbil (Dur Untash)
Middle Elamite (c.1250–640 BCE) · Elamite
Elamite holy city built by King Untash-Napirisha (1250 BCE) to honor god Inshushinak: immense 105×105 m square ziggurat (originally 53 m high, 5 storeys) at center of three concentric walls with…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock art
Yazılıkaya Hittite Sanctuary
Late Bronze Age, Hittite Empire (~1300–1180 BCE; refurbished under Tudhaliya IV) · Hittite (Hatti–Hurrian)
Two natural limestone chambers behind Hattusa where 90 reliefs carved into living rock depict the Hurrian–Hittite pantheon procession: Chamber A shows 12 underworld gods, sword-god Nergal and the…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Dainzú
Late Formative–Early Classic 600 BCE–200 CE · Zapotec (Dainzú phase)
Zapotec ballplayer gallery: 47 helmed player reliefs with trophy heads and jaguar deities on Building A.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Archaeological wonder
Hanging Gardens of Babylon (claimed sites)
Neo-Babylonian claimed 600 BCE; Assyrian alternative 700 BCE · Babylonian or Assyrian (Neo-Assyrian Sennacherib)
Unlocated wonder: Nebuchadnezzar's terraces vs Dalley's Nineveh screw garden.
🇵🇪 Peru · Mound
Huaca Prieta–Paredones
Lithic to Preceramic 14500 BP–2000 BCE, monumental mound 3500–1800 BCE (Huaca Prieta period) · Preceramic Chicama (Huaca Prieta period) to Cupisnique-Chavín
Compact mound-midden 12 m high 150×50 m 3 km north of Chicama River mouth beside Pacific: stratified 14.5 ka Lithic to Preceramic sequence with temple platform atop midden, preserving world's oldest…
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Olympia Sanctuary
Geometric to Roman 776 BCE–393 CE; classical temple peak 5th c. BCE · Ancient Greek (pan-Hellenic, Eleian administration)
Sacred grove of Zeus and birthplace of Olympic Games with Phidias' Wonder statue temple.
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Epidaurus Sanctuary of Asklepios
Archaic to Hellenistic 6th–2nd c. BCE · Ancient Greek Argive
Asklepios healing sanctuary with world's most acoustically perfect 14,000-seat Greek theater.