Rock Cut Tombs and Temples

09/21/2023

Lalibela Churches

Lalibela is one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities, second only to Aksum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. This rural town is known around the world for its monolithic churches which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture.

Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the 12th and 13th centuries by a medieval Ethiopian civilization. The Church of St. George is the most well known and last built of the eleven churches. The dimensions of the complex are 25 meters by 25 meters by 30 meters (82x82x98 ft), and there is a small baptismal pool outside the church, which stands in an artificial trench.

09/21/2023

People of Göreme, at the heart of the Cappadocia Region, realized that these soft rocks could be easily carved out to form houses, churches and monasteries. These Christian sanctuaries contain many examples of Byzantine frescoes and represent a unique artistic achievement from the post-iconoclastic period.

09/21/2023

ninja 🔥

09/19/2023

Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes are densely dotted along the Xiangshan and Longmenshan mountains in the the eastern central part of China. From north to south, the distance covered by grottoes is about one km. There are over 2100 niches, more than 100,000 statues, some 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets and steles in the caves.

Construction of the grottoes began in 493 AD. The Longmen area is open to the public, and although the grottoes cannot be entered most of the artwork can be seen from the exterior.

09/19/2023

🖤🖤

09/16/2023

Mada’in Saleh constitutes the Nabatean kingdom’s southernmost and largest settlement after Petra, its capital. The setting, referred to as Hegra among the Nabateans, is notable for its desert landscape, marked by sandstone outcrops of various sizes and heights in Saudi Arabia.

Hegra was built around a residential zone and its oasis during the 1st century AD. The sandstone outcrops were carved out to build the necropolis. A total of four necropolis areas have survived, which featured 131 monumental rock-cut tombs spread out over 13.4 km (8.3 mi).

09/16/2023

09/13/2023

Lycian Rock Cut Tombs and Temples

Lycia was a federation of ancient cities situated in what are now the Turkish provinces of Antalya and Muğla. The Lycian tombs are elaborate funeral chambers carved directly into the rock face, usually into a cliff. Most often, the tombs are carved like the facade of timber Lycian houses. The rock-cut tombs of wealthy Lycians were finely worked with elaborate relief carving.

On some of the rock-cut tombs the exterior is decorated with reliefs depicting the specific features of the deceased and the main events of the period. The entrance were sealed with a sliding stone door that ran sideways along a groove.