🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Yungang Western Cliffs — Datong Grottoes West End Caves
Northern Wei to Liao (453 – 525 CE peak) · Buddhist Tanyao imperial under Emperor Wencheng
Western 5 caves 40–45 with Tanyao Buddhas 15 m of Northern Wei Pingcheng capital.
🇰🇷 South Korea · Temple complex
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
Unified Silla 751 CE (King Gyeongdeok reign) · Silla Korean Buddhist (Hwaeom)
Silla artificial cave-shrine (751 CE) on Tohamsan summit, commissioned by Kim Dae-seong, housing 3.48 m granite Vairocana surrounded by 40 meticulously sculpted bodhisattvas and guardians in 3.6 m…
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Tiryns
Mycenaean 1600–1100 BCE, acme 1300–1200 BCE · Mycenaean
Cyclopean citadel with earliest vaulted galleries in Europe and megaron palace.
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Temple complex
El Fuerte de Samaipata Annex
Mojocoyas 300–800 CE to Inca 1450–1535 to Spanish 1600s · Chané-Mojocoyas to Inca (Andean-Amazon transition) to Spanish contact
Annex 60 m south of great rock table (220×60 m sculpted sandstone) at UNESCO El Fuerte de Samaipata (1998): terraced annex with 15 Inca-style niches, kallanka great hall 22 m long, and Chané jaguar…
🇮🇶 Iraq · Pyramid
Anu Ziggurat and Eanna Precinct of Uruk
Uruk Period (c. 4000–3100 BCE) → Jemdet Nasr → Early Dynastic; Anu ziggurat Late Uruk · Sumerian (Uruk)
Twin sacred precincts of world's first city Uruk (4000–3100 BCE): Anu District with White Temple ziggurat (21 m high limestone platform, U period) and Stone Cone Temple mosaic; Eanna District with…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Quarry
Kom Ombo North Quarry (Desert Quarry Road)
Ptolemaic to Roman (180 BCE–200 CE) · Ptolemaic / Roman (Upper Egypt)
Desert quarry supplying Kom Ombo's double temple with stuck naos.
🇮🇹 Italy · Temple complex
Selinunte Archaeological Park
Archaeic-Classical 651–409 BCE · Greek (Megaran colonists)
Largest Greek archaeological park with colossal unfinished Temple G.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Hagia Sophia
Late Antiquity / Byzantine 532–537 CE, Ottoman additions 1453– · Byzantine Greek to Ottoman Islamic
Justinian's 537 CE dome on pendentives – seminal Byzantine basilica-monsoon turned mosque.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur
Chola 1003–1010 CE · Hindu (Shaiva, Tamil Chola)
Chola granite imperial vimana 66 m still tallest pre-modern; capstone ramp mystery.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Pyramid
Ziggurat of Ur
Ur III (Neo-Sumerian) 2112–2094 BCE core; Old Babylonian veneer · Sumerian (Ur III)
Best preserved neo-Sumerian ziggurat: three-stage mudbrick massif 62.5 × 43 m base, 30 m high (reconstructed), built by Ur-Nammu (2112–2095 BCE) and Shulgi for moon god Nanna (Sîn), with three…
🇮🇳 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.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Longmen Binyang Central Cave — Mt Long Gate Middle Grotto Sanctuary
Northern Wei to Tang (493 – 750 CE) · Buddhist imperial Luoyang under Empress Dowager Hu
Central Binyang 11 m Buddha of Northern Wei Emperor Xuanwu at Yi Gorge.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Nalanda Mahavihara
Gupta to Pala 427–1193 CE (peak 5th–12th c) · Bihar / Gupta-Pala Buddhist Mahayana
Iconic Buddhist residential university (5th–13th c CE) with Gupta to Pala brick viharas, stupas, chaityas and votive structures across 23 ha.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh · Temple complex
Mainamati (Shalban Vihara)
Early Medieval 7th–13th c CE · Buddhist Samatata Chandra dynasty
Mainamati-Lalmai ridge — Buddhist monastic city (7th–13th c CE) 8 km west Comilla, 18 major mounds (Shalban Vihara, Ananda Vihara, Kotila Mura) excavated 1955–73 F.A. Khan.
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Ancient city
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
Khmer Empire 1181–1243 CE (Bayon peak Jayavarman VII) · Khmer Mahayana Buddhist (with Shaiva syncretism)
Khmer capital city (late 12th century by Jayavarman VII) covering 9 km² walled square with Bayon state temple – 54 towers with 216 enigmatic smiling Avalokiteshvara faces blending Mahayana compassion…
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Yungang Grottoes
Northern Wei 460–525 CE (Tanyao 460–465, later sinicized 471–524) · Xianbei Northern Wei Buddhist
45 major caves on 1-km sandstone cliff with 51,000 statues (460–524 CE) of Northern Wei before capital moved to Luoyang.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Temple complex
Teos Theatre Terrace — Dionysus Sanctuary Overlook
Hellenistic to Roman (300 BCE – 300 CE) · Ionian Teian with Hellenistic king patronage
Upper terrace of Technitai Dionysus sanctuary above theatre and harbour.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Dazu Beishan Rock Carvings — Chongqing Northern Mountain Gallery
Late Tang to Southern Song (892 – 1178 CE) · Chinese Buddhist with Song gentry patron
Beishan 264 caves with 10k slender Song statues 892–1178 at Dazu north hill.
🇱🇦 Laos · Temple complex
Vat Phou and Associated Settlements (Wat Phou)
Chenla to Khmer Empire 5th–12th c CE (peak 6th–12th c) · Khmer / Chenla Hindu (Shiva Lingaparvata)
Khmer linga sanctuary (5th–12th c) at foot of Phu Pasak sacred spring mountain, aligned 1.4 km axial processional causeway from Mekong baray to cliff-top shrine.
🇵🇰 Pakistan · Temple complex
Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi
Gandhara Kushan 1st century BCE–5th century CE (peak 2nd–4th CE) · Gandhara Buddhist (Kushan patronage)
Gandhara Buddhist monastery perched 154 m above plain on rocky ridge, founded 1st c BCE and flourishing 1st–5th c CE Kushan.
🇬🇷 Greece · Temple complex
Delos Archaeological Site
Archaeic to Hellenistic-Roman 9th c. BCE–69 BCE, sacred from Bronze Age · Greek (Ionian) to Hellenistic-Roman
Sacred island birthplace of Apollo - entire island is UNESCO open-air museum.
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Temple complex
My Son Sanctuary
Champa Kingdom 4th–13th c CE (peak 7th–12th c) · Cham Hindu (Shaiva, formerly Champa)
Champa Hindu temple valley (4th–13th c CE) with 70 red-brick Shaiva towers (kalan) along Thu Bon River, the longest continuous Hindu-Byzantine tradition in Vietnam.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Temple complex
Antaeopolis (Qaw el-Kebir Temple Town)
Old Kingdom to Late Antique (2700 BCE–7th c. CE) · Egyptian (nome capital)
Nome capital Tjebu with Ptolemy IV temple 18-column pronaos on high tell.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Ancient city
Historic Centre of Bukhara
Samanid to Shaybanid 9th–16th c (settled from 1st c CE) · Samanid / Qarakhanid / Shaybanid Islamic (Persian)
2000-year-old Silk Road oasis city preserved as intact medieval Islamic townscape with 140+ monuments.