8 Spectacular Stone-Cut Religious Sites

The architecture of cut stone that is constructed by carving, drilling and excavating into the rock face can be found in many civilizations such as China, India and Egypt. In this instance, we will take you, the viewer, to witness eight magnificent and grand cut stone architectural wonders from around the world to see how beautiful and impressive they truly are. Travel the world for free. Work only three years and save up to one million baht. Study for a career in hotels or cruise ships with Marucho. Contact 097-159-7447. 1. Mogayo Caves The Mogayo Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottos, are a group of 500 caves located in the southeastern part of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, China. In the past, it was an important center for trade and cultural exchange, and also served as a stop on the Silk Road. Inside the caves are the most complete and beautiful examples of Chinese Buddhist art, including statues and frescoes that are over 1,000 years old. It is believed that the first cave temple in Mogayo was built in 366 AD as a place for meditation, worship and storage of Buddhist scriptures and artworks before it became a popular pilgrimage site. The construction of the caves continued until the 14th century. Besides the Mogayo Caves, the Longmen Grottos and Yungang Grottos are also famous ancient rock-cut temples in China. 2. Longmen Grottos The Longmen Grottos are a group of caves dug into the limestone cliffs on the banks of the Yi'ai River in Luoyang, Henan Province, China, located about 1 km south of the northernmost point of the caves. There are more than 2,100 caves, over 100,000 Buddhist statues and disciples, 40 pagodas and more than 3,600 inscriptions made of stone and iron. The exterior of the caves is decorated with low and high relief carvings. The construction of the caves began during the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD. The name Longmen comes from the surroundings of the caves. To the east and west are mountains, and in the middle is a river which looks like a dragon, hence the name Dragon Gate. It is one of the three most famous ancient art sites in China, along with the Mogayo Caves and the Yungang Grottos. 3. Yungang Grottos The Yungang Grottos are ancient Buddhist caves in the city of Datong, Shaanxi Province, China. They are excavated south-facing into the sandstone cliffs and comprise 53 large caves and more than 51,000 small caves, each containing over 51,000 Buddhist statues. In addition, there are also about 1,100 small caves on the cliff. There is also a Ming Dynasty fortress located around the area. The site is decorated with beautiful murals and is popular among tourists. The caves were mostly built during the Northern Wei Dynasty between 460 and 525 AD, and are considered a superb example of Chinese rock-cut architecture from the 5th and 6th centuries. They are also one of the three most famous ancient art sites in China, along with the Mogayo Caves and the Longmen Grottos. 4. Churches of Goreme The Churches of Goreme are located in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir Province, Turkey, covering an area of about 20,000 square kilometers. The soft, tough stone that formed as a result of the eruption of Mount Urses approximately 2.6 million years ago was easily carved into houses, churches and temples. The people of Goreme discovered that these soft rocks could be carved into magnificent structures with relative ease, and so they built numerous churches for worshipping Jesus. These churches, which date back to the 9th and 10th centuries, display Byzantine art with a 5. The Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela The Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela are a group of Christian churches located in the highlands of western Ethiopia, near the town of Lalibela. The town was named after the 12th to 13th century king Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty, who commissioned the construction of the churches by carving into the rock to create 11 total churches, forming the holy city of New Jerusalem. The construction of the churches using this method took 24 years, divided into three sections, the Northern Group, Southern Group and the Church of St. George, which was built last and is the most well-known of the 11 churches. Today, these churches are used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and are of great importance to the local Christian community. As a result, Lalibela has become one of the most significant cities in Ethiopia and a central location for seeking spiritual enlightenment for Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia. 6. Ajanta Caves The Ajanta Caves are located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, and are said to be the most beautiful and ancient Buddhist cave temples in the world. They date back to the 2nd century BCE and were created in a remote area to provide a suitable location for religious practices. The caves were carved and chiseled into the mountainside to create various structures such as stupas, temples, shrines and carved-out chambers that housed statues of Buddha and paintings depicting his life story. The interior of the caves is full of carved rock sculptures, Buddha statues and murals that narrate various stories from Buddhist and Hindu mythology. These caves were abandoned in the 5th century AD and remained undiscovered until they were accidentally rediscovered in 1819 by British officials. 7. Ellora Caves The Ellora Caves, located in Aurangabad, India, were constructed between the 6th and 10th centuries by carving into the basalt rock of the Charanandri Hill. They are a representation of India's ancient rock-cut architecture and comprise of 34 caves in total representing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions. The caves are adorned with sculptures of deities, Buddha, important religious symbols and scenes depicting the mythology of each religion. The Buddhist section is located at the southernmost end of the caves, which cover an area from cave 1 to cave 12. The cave temples of Ellora are more complex in design and more ornate than other rock-cut temples. They include many sculptural works such as Buddha images, carvings of various animals and constructions like prayer halls, cells and shrine. 8. Abu Simbel Abu Simbel is an ancient archaeological site in Egypt that consists of two massive rock temples constructed from huge stone blocks. Located on the west bank of the Nile River in Aswan, the temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. The temples were intended to serve as the last in a series of memorials to the Pharaoh and his queen, Nefertari, and also to commemorate Ramesses II's victory over the Hittites in the Battle of Kedesh. In the Christian era, the temples were eventually abandoned and became buried under sand until their rediscovery in the early 19th century. In 1960, the temples were moved to higher ground to avoid being flooded by the construction of the which created a large reservoir in the area. Today, Abu Simbel is a major tourist attraction in Egypt and a symbol of the country's ancient history and culture.