This review presents five of the oldest historical monuments carved into the mountain mass.
1. Temples of Abu Simpel (Egypt)
The greatness of the era of the pharaohs is once again confirmed by the temples of Abu Simbel in Egypt. Two temples with images of Pharaoh Ramses II and his wife, Nefertari, are carved into the 100-meter rock. In 1952, near Aswan, work began on the design of the second dam of the Nile. Flooding threatened historical sandstone monuments. Then it was decided to move the temples 180 meters from the original location. Four years of work were carried out: the Abu Simbel temples were sawn into 30-ton blocks, and then reassembled.
2. Petra (Jordan)
One of the most recognizable stone facades is Petra. The ancient city carved out of stone is located in Jordan. The name of the city is translated from Greek as "stone". Petra has been carved in red sandstones for several hundred years. For many centuries Petra was a prosperous city with its own water supply system, which is surprising for that area with an arid climate. When new routes were opened to the East across the sea, the city gradually fell into decay and became empty.
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3. Bas-reliefs and sculptures of Dazu (China)
For thousands of years, the Dazu rock complex was created. An endless string of statues and bas-reliefs is located in Dazu District (in the vicinity of the Chongqing metropolis, China). The total number of statues is 60 thousand. Nearby, parallel to the carved giants and miniatures, there are almost 100 thousand hieroglyphs. The sculptures show how the style and skill of the craftsmen who carve sculptures from stone have changed over 1000 years.
4. Cappadocia (Turkey)
Bizarre peaks with hundreds of holes dominate Cappadocia, Turkey.
In fact, these are ancient underground cities and monasteries, carved into the rock of volcanic origin.
5. Statue of Buddha in Leshan (China)
The grandeur of this Buddha statue is simply amazing. This giant seated Buddha, 70 meters high, is located in Leshan, China. The sculpture was carved out of a cliff back in the 8th century AD. The statue is covered in lush greenery, making it even more mysterious. The Big Buddha is also called the tallest statue in the world.