🇵🇪 Peru · Temple complex
Garagay Archaeological Complex — Lima Temple with Polychrome Reliefs
Initial–Early Horizon 1400–500 BCE · Central coast Chavínoid
U-shaped temple 23 m polychrome reliefs 1400–500 BCE.
🇨🇳 China · Archaeological wonder
Forbidden City (Imperial Palace, Beijing)
Ming to Qing 1406–1420 construction, occupied 1420–1912 CE · Ming / Qing Chinese imperial
Ming-Qing imperial palace (1420–1912, 961 buildings, 9,999 rooms) occupying 72 ha within Beijing's inner city, the world's largest wooden palace ensemble.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Ancient city
Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa Period 1070–1232 CE (Chola 993–1070 preceding) · Sinhalese / Chola Tamil Buddhist and Hindu
Second Sinhalese capital (1070–1232 CE) after Anuradhapura's sack, 12th c metropolis of Parakramabahu I with 3,400-ha Parakrama Samudra reservoir, Atadage Dalada Maligawa tooth relic temple, and Gal…
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Ancient city
Sacred City of Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura Period 377 BCE–1017 CE (peak 1st–10th c CE) · Sinhalese Theravada Buddhist (Anuradhapura Kingdom)
Sinhalese capital for 1,400 years (377 BCE–1017 CE) and great Theravada monastic center with three 4th–2nd c BCE brick dagabas among tallest premodern structures: Jetavanaramaya (originally 122 m,…
🇧🇿 Belize · Pyramid
Lamanai — High Temple Pyramid (Orange Walk District, Belize)
Preclassic to Contact Period (1500 BCE–1675 CE) · Maya (Lamanai polity, Yucatec–Mopan)
Continuous 3000-year Maya city (1500 BCE–1675 CE) surviving Classic collapse into Spanish contact, on 1 km lagoon shore.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Archaeological wonder
Sigiriya (Lion Rock)
Moriyan Anuradhapura · Sinhala
5th-century rock fortress-palace of Kassapa I atop 180 m column, frescoed Mirror Wall, Lion Gate, with summit palace, hydraulic gardens and moat. Short-lived capital 477–495 CE.
🇯🇵 Japan · Temple complex
Asukadera (Hōkō-ji)
Asuka 593–710 CE (Suiko–Jomei) · Asuka Buddhist (Baekje immigrant artisan school → Japanese)
Asukadera (Hōkō-ji) — first full Buddhist temple in Japan (596 CE) at Asuka, founded by Soga no Umako with immigrant Baekje artisans (Koreans) per Nihon Shoki.
🇦🇫 Afghanistan · Temple complex
Surkh Kotal
Kushan 100–250 CE (Kanishka–Huvishka zenith) · Kushan–Bactrian (Yuezhi) with Greco–Bactrian substrate
Kushan dynastic fire temple (100–200 CE) on Surkh Kotal pass — 50 m terraced sanctuary with Kanishka statues and Bactrian inscription.
🇨🇳 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 · Temple complex
Yungang West Cave 20
Northern Wei (Northern Dynasties) · Northern Wei royal Buddhist (Toba Wei imperial atelier under Tanyao)
13.7-m open-fronted seated Buddha of Yungang's Five Tanyao west series — most iconic Wei colossus.
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Temple complex
Banteay Chhmar Temple
Angkorian Bayon period 1181–1218 CE (Mahayana Buddhist imperial) · Khmer (Angkorian Mahayana Buddhist)
Vast Jayavarman VII Buddhist–Hindu temple city (c.1181–1218 CE) in Banteay Meanchey — 9 km² walled complex (outer laterite wall 1.9×1.7 km) enclosing 4.6 ha central temple with enigmatic Bayon-style…
🇵🇪 Peru · Ancient city
Yalape Chachapoya Fortress
Late Intermediate – Late Horizon (900–1536 CE) · Chachapoya (Levanto) → Inca (mitma gate)
Hilltop Chachapoya fortress-village (900–1470 CE, Inca-enhanced 1470–1530) 26 km SW of Chachapoyas city: D-shaped 4 ha walled enclosure 3–5 m high following limestone ridge, enclosing 40+ circular…
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Garagay Polychrome Pyramid — Lima
Formative, c.1400-500 BCE (Early Horizon, Cupisnique–Chavín) · Andean (Cupisnique / Chavín)
Garagay in San Martín de Porres district, Lima: three-platform U-temple (central pyramid 28 m high, 100×80 m) with sunken circular court, atrium with polychrome painted reliefs (3.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Ananda Vihara
Chandra–Pala Period (600–1200 CE) · Samataṭa/Chandra Buddhist
Largest Mainamati vihara—178 cells around 45×38 m court, 6 phases (600–1200 CE), Chandra bronzes and terracottas.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Sitakot Vihara
Pala Period (late, 900–1161 CE) · Late Pala Buddhist
Late Pala (900–1100 CE) quadrangle 65×65 m with 41 cells around reused Gupta shrine, Punarbhaba floodplain.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Halud Vihara
Pala Period (750–1161 CE) · Pala Buddhist (Mahayana/Vajrayana)
9th-c Pala cruciform brick vihara 70×70 m with 33 cells, Somapura-type, on Barind Tract near Paharpur.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Fatehpur Sikri
Mughal 1571–1585 CE · Mughal (Akbar)
Mughal imperial city founded 1571 by Akbar as capital to honor Sufi Salim Chishti, combining Persian, Timurid and Gujarati-Rajasthani architecture in red sandstone.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Vasu Vihara
Gupta Period (320–550 CE) – early Pala · Gupta Buddhist (Hinayana then Mahayana)
Gupta (4th–7th c) apsidal monastery 58×45 m with 26 cells and chaitya, linked to Xuanzang's Po-shi-po.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Paharpur (Somapura Mahavihara)
Pala Buddhist 8th–12th c CE · Pala Buddhist Mahayana–Vajrayana
Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur — largest single Buddhist vihara south of Himalaya (27-acre cruciform complex) built c.781–820 CE by Dharmapala Pala on Barind alluvium. Excavated 1923–34 by D.R.
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Temple complex
Ajina Tepa
Late Hepthalite 600–700 CE → Tokharistan 700–800 CE (Arab frontier) · Tokharistan Buddhist (Ajina school polychrome late Gandhara–Hephthalite)
Waksh giant Buddhist vihara (7–8 c. CE) near Qurghonteppa — 100×50 m monastery with 12 m Parinirvana Buddha and Turkic mural donors.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Martand Sun Temple — Kashmir
Karkota dynasty (Kashmir Hindu, 625–855 CE) · Kashmiri Shaiva–Saura (Surya) with Gandhara–Greek syncretism
Lalitaditya 725–56 Kashmir's greatest: 84-column peristyle on Mattan Karewa, Greco-Buddhist limestone, Miri-sacked.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Rock-cut
Kara Tepe (Termez)
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.
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Temple complex
Takhti-Sangin (Oxus Temple)
Greco-Bactrian 3rd–2nd c BCE → Kushan 1st–4th c CE · Greco-Bactrian → Kushan Bactria (Amu Darya Oxus cult)
Takhti-Sangin — Hellenistic–Kushan temple city (3rd c BCE–4th c CE) at Vakhsh–Panj confluence forming Amu Darya (Oxus), excavated 1976–91 Pichikyan and Litvinsky (Academy Tadjik).
🇩🇪 Germany · Fortress
Gross Raden
Early Medieval Slavic 850–1000 (Warnower–Obotrite) · Slavic Warnower/Obotrite (Mecklenburg pagan lake temple)
Gross Raden (Groß Raden Archäologisches Freilichtmuseum) — Slavic island temple-fort (9th–10th c, Slavic rondel 9th c, peak 900–1000) on Rader See lake island 8 km north Sternberg, Mecklenburg lake…