3 of the World’s Most Stunning Structures That Are Carved from Rock

Of all the world’s rock-hewn structures, Petra is probably the most famous.

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Carved into the reddish rocks of Jordan, Petra stands as a historical monument and feat of human ingenuity and engineering. It’s also a vast site where history and architecture lovers can get lost in the details for hours on end.

But Petra is hardly the only rock-hewn, drool-worthy structure out there.

Ready to take a closer look at our world’s coolest sites that were carved from a single rockface centuries, if not millennia, ago? These are the three most stunning facades and buildings carved from rock.

Coolest structures that were carved from rock—in chronological order

Ellora Caves (Kailasa Temple) (6^th Century CE)

The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central-west India in the state of Maharashtra. It’s the world’s largest rock-cut cave structure, which includes temples dedicated to Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain deities and worship. In total, there are over 100 unique caves and structures.

The most famous one you might recognize from photos: Kailasa Temple. The massive megalith was carved into a cliff face between the 6^th and 8^th centuries. It depicts the Hindu god of destruction, Shiva, with his consort, Parvati, as they ride on a great chariot.

Even if Kailasa Temple was just a single temple cut from an impressive basalt cliff, that would be impressive enough, climbing over 100 feet into the air. But you don’t just have a gorgeous temple—Kailasa Temple is also a stunning example of Indian architecture, and the epitome of its rock-cut era.

Longmen Grottoes (4^th-12^th Centuries CE)

Longmen Grottoes are another UNESCO World Heritage Site, commissioned centuries ago by Emperor Xiaowen of the Henan Province. Throughout the area, hundreds of grottoes and caves contain both tiny and grand carved depictions of the Buddha; over the years, some areas have served as monasteries for Buddhist monks.

From the outside looking in, the Longmen Grottoes look like arched, cave-like structures dotting a sandstone mountainside. In its center is a massive cave with multiple carvings of the Buddha in different forms. The tallest is the Vairocana Buddha, which stands at 60 feet, and is listed as having been carved in 676 CE.

If you’re hellbent on seeing the sculptures of Longmen Grottoes, you can do so without leaving the US. Two bas reliefs depicting an emperor and an empress were stolen, then later sold to the MET in New York City and the Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, respectively.

Lalibela (7^th-13^th Centuries CE)

Though not nearly as delicate or ornate as the other rock-carved structures on this list, Lalibela (located in Ethiopia’s Amhara region) might be the most striking—especially for Christians.

Ethiopia was one of the first nations in the world to adopt Christianity as it spread throughout the 4^th century CE. Ardent supporters carved the monolithic churches from subterranean rocks as early as the 7^th century, with construction completed later on in the 12^th century.

The rock-hewn churches were so impressive that word spread; the first published record of Lalibela in Europe was scrawled on a Venetian map in 1457. The site and its churches are a representation of Jerusalem, which was being occupied during some parts of its construction.

What I love about Lalibela is that it’s still an active site of worship. Many Ethiopians still practice Orthodox Christianity, and these churches that are carved from rock are open for daily worship along with festivals like Genna.

There are 11 churches spread across four groups, the most famous of which is the Church of Saint George due to how well it has been preserved.